Rhetorical Terms

Imagery

Descriptive language that helps you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something.

Mood

The feeling a reader gets from a story.

Tone

The author’s attitude about the topic or audience.

Irony

When the opposite of what’s expected happens.

Euphemism

A polite way to say something harsh.

Rhetorical Questions

Questions asked to make a point, not to get an answer.

Understatement

Making something seem smaller or less important.

Chiasmus

A sentence where the second part is reversed.

Juxtaposition

Placing two ideas next to each other to highlight differences.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration.

Metaphor

Comparing two things without using 'like' or 'as'.

Epistrophe

Repeating a word at the end of sentences.

Repetition

Using the same word or phrase again and again.

Anaphora

Repeating a word at the beginning of sentences.

Alliteration

Words that start with the same sound placed close together.

Paradox

A statement that seems impossible but has truth.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Purpose (Theme)

The main message of a story.

Anecdote

A short, personal story to make a point.

Apostrophe

Talking to someone or something that isn’t there.

Oxymoron

Two opposite words used together.

Jargon

Special words or phrases used by a specific group, job, or profession that others might not understand.

Allusion

A quick reference to something famous, like a person, event, book, or story, without explaining it.