Vocab of Rhetoric #1

Analogy

A literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items.

Diction

the author’s choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning.

rhetorical question

one that does not expect an explicit answer.  It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience.

logical fallacy

A mistake in reasoning. Something that makes an argument problematic, open to attack, or weak. In academic discourse, logical fallacies are seen as failures – as things you will want to avoid.

anaphora

The deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic, rhythmic cadence. Apart from the function of giving prominence to ideas, the use of anaphora in literature adds rhythm to it and thus, making it more pleasurable to read and easier to remember.

connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, as opposed to the ideas or feelings it may invoke.

allegory

a work that functions on a symbolic level

parallelism

the use of similar structures in two or more clauses or sentences to create rhythm and emphasize ideas.

satire

a genre that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock individuals, society, or institutions.

tone

attitude toward subject

voice

Can refer to two different areas of writing.  One refers to the relationship between a sentence’s subject and verb (active voice and passive voice).  The second refers to the total “sound” of a writer’s style.

allusion

an indirect reference to a person, event, or literary work.

juxtaposition

the placement of two or more ideas, characters, or settings side by side to highlight their differences.

syntax

the order of words. while tone and diction refer to the words that a writer chooses (diction), syntax is the order in which the words are written or spoken. Just as the definition of each word in a sentence conveys meaning, the order of the words also conveys meaning.

euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression used in place of one that may be considered harsh or unpleasant.

hyperbole

an exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally, often used for emphasis or effect.

idiom

a phrase or expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its components.