Must-Know Vocab

rhetoric

how writers and speakers use language to persuade or influence their audiences

ethos

persuasive appeal based on building the credibility of the speaker/narrator

pathos

persuasive appeal based on evoking emotion from the audience

logos

persuasive appeal based on logic

phobos

tertiary persuasive appeal based on evoking fear from the audience

literature

written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit

composition

the action or art of producing a work of music, literature, or art

syntax

the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

punctuation

the marks, such as period, comma, and parentheses, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning

imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

tone

the general character or attitude of a piece of writing

similie

a comparison between two things using "like" or "as"

onomatopoeia

the use of words to imitate sounds

personification

the allocation of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

hyperboly

a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement

idiom

a common expression that has acquired a meaning different from its literal definition

euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

cliche

a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought

technique

the unique way an author crafts their written works

style

the way in which an author writes and/or tells a story