Rhetorical Terms and Appeals

Vocabulary flashcards defining rhetorical appeals, devices, and elements of communication based on the provided video notes.

Ethos

An appeal based on the writer’s credibility, character, or trustworthiness.

Pathos

An appeal to the audience’s emotions, values, or beliefs.

Logos

An appeal based on logic, reasoning, facts, or evidence.

Occasion

The specific event or circumstances surrounding a text’s creation.

Exigence

The problem, event, or situation that prompts someone to communicate.

Tone

The writer’s attitude toward the subject or audience.

Diction

A writer’s purposeful choice of words.

Syntax

The way a writer arranges words, phrases, and sentences.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses or creates a vivid picture.

Extended Metaphor

A comparison developed over several lines or throughout a text.

Allusion

A brief reference to a well-known person, event, text, place, or idea.

Anecdote

A short story used to illustrate a point or idea.

Repetition

Repeating words, phrases, or ideas for emphasis or effect.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect rather than to receive an answer.