Rhetorical Terms Set 3

Abstract Language

describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places). The observable is usually described in concrete language.

Ad Hominem

in an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent’s ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning “against the man.”

Argumentation

writing that attempts to prove the validity or a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation.

Deduction

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.

Dissonance

harsh or grating sounds that do not go together.

Figurative Language

language that contains figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, used to create associations that are imaginative rather than literal.

Foreshadowing

the use of a hint or clue to suggest a larger event that occurs late in the work.

Generalization

when a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim is certain rather than probable. Sweeping generalizations occur when a writer asserts that a claim applies to all instances instead of some.

Imagery

words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of the five senses in order to create a mental picture.

Irony

a situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is the opposite of what was expected.

Logical Fallacy

a mistake in reasoning.

Negative-Positive

a sentence that begins by stating what is NOT true, then ending by stating what is true.

Oversimplification

when a writer obscures or denies the complexity of the issues in an argument.

Pacing

the movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another.

Reductio ad Absurdum

Latin for “to reduce to the absurd.” This is a technique useful in creating a comic effect and is also an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetorical fallacy because it reduces an argument of great complexity to an either/or choice.

Regionalism

an element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographical locale, using the locale and its influences as a major part of the plot.

Repetition

a word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity for added emphasis.

Rhetorical modes

exposition, description, narration, and argumentation.

Setting

the time and place of a literary work.

Style

an author’s characteristic manner of expression – her or his diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to a unique style.

Subjectivity

a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author’s feelings and opinions.

Symbolism/Symbol

the use of symbols or anything that is meant to be taken both literally and as a representative of a higher and more complex significance.

Syntactic Fluency

the ability to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex and/or simple, and varied in length.

Transition

a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.

Tricolon

a sentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses.