Key Rhetorical & Literary Terms for Analyzing Texts

Allegory

Story with two levels of meaning: literal and symbolic (e.g., Animal Farm).

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds ("She sells seashells").

Allusion

Reference to something well-known (myth, Bible, history, literature).

Ambiguity

Deliberate multiple meanings or uncertainty.

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of a clause at the beginning of the next ("Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.").

Analogy

Comparison to explain something unfamiliar by relating it to something known.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of clauses ("We shall fight... We shall fight...").

Anecdote

Short personal story used to illustrate a point.

Antecedent

Word a pronoun refers back to ("Sally lost her keys" → Sally is the antecedent).

Antithesis

Opposite ideas balanced in parallel structure ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times").

Aphorism

Short, witty statement of truth ("Actions speak louder than words").

Apostrophe

Addressing someone absent or something nonhuman ("O Death, where is thy sting?").

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions for effect ("I came, I saw, I conquered").

Atmosphere

Emotional mood created by a work's setting/details.

Chiasmus

Reversal of structure ("Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country").

Clause

Unit of grammar with subject + verb (independent or dependent).

Conduplicatio

Repetition of a key word from one clause in the next (like anadiplosis but not just last word).

Colloquialism

Informal, everyday language ("gonna," "y'all").

Coherence

Clear, logical flow of ideas in writing.

Conceit

Extended, elaborate metaphor (especially unusual comparisons).

Connotation

Implied meaning beyond dictionary definition ("home" = warmth, family).

Denotation

Dictionary definition.

Diction

Word choice (formal, informal, colloquial, slang, etc.).

Didactic

Writing meant to teach (moral or lesson-driven).

Enumeratio

Listing of details for emphasis ("I love her eyes, her hair, her smile...").

Expletive

Word/phrase that interrupts for emphasis ("in fact," "of course").

Euphemism

Softer way to say something harsh ("passed away" vs. "died").

Exposition

Writing that explains or presents information.

Extended metaphor

Comparison developed at length.

Figurative language

Nonliteral expressions (metaphor, simile, etc.).

Figure of speech

Any nonliteral expression.

Generic conventions

Features that define a genre (e.g., news = headline, inverted pyramid).

Genre

Category of writing (poetry, prose, drama, etc.).

Homily

Sermon; serious moral lecture.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for effect ("I'm starving to death").

Hypophora

Asking a question and immediately answering it.

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to senses.

Inference

Logical conclusion drawn from evidence.

Invective

Harsh, abusive language (name-calling).

Irony

Difference between appearance and reality.

Verbal Irony

Says opposite of meaning.

Situational Irony

Opposite outcome than expected.

Dramatic Irony

Audience knows more than characters.

Juxtaposition

Placing ideas side by side for contrast.

Litotes

Understatement using double negatives ("not bad" = good).

Loose sentence

Main idea first, then extra details (opposite of periodic).

Metaphor

Direct comparison ("time is money").

Metonymy

Replacing a name with something closely related ("the crown" = monarchy).

Mood

Reader's emotional response.

Narrative

Storytelling.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds ("buzz," "crash").

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words together ("jumbo shrimp").

Paradox

Statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth ("less is more").

Parallelism

Repetition of grammatical structure.

Parody

Imitation that exaggerates for comic effect.

Pedantic

Overly academic, nitpicky tone.

Periodic sentence

Main idea at the end (opposite of loose).

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.

Polysyndeton

Use of many conjunctions for effect ("and... and... and...").

Point of view

Perspective of narration (1st, 2nd, 3rd person).

Predicate adjective

Adjective that follows a linking verb ("The sky is blue").

Predicate nominative

Noun that follows a linking verb ("She is a teacher").

Prose

Ordinary writing (not poetry).

Repetition

Reuse of words/phrases for emphasis.

Rhetoric

The art of persuasion.

Rhetorical question

Question asked for effect, not an answer.

Sarcasm

Bitter, mocking language.

Satire

Criticism through humor, irony, exaggeration.

Semantics

Study of meaning in language.

Style

Author's distinctive way of writing (diction, syntax, tone).

Subject complement

Word after a linking verb that renames/describes subject.

Subordinate clause

Dependent clause; can't stand alone.

Syllogism

Deductive reasoning with 3 parts (All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; Socrates is mortal).

Symbolism

Use of objects/ideas to represent deeper meanings.

Synecdoche

Part represents whole ("all hands on deck" = sailors).

Syntax

Sentence structure/arrangement.

Theme

Central idea or message of a work.

Thesis

Main argument/claim of a text.

Tone

Author's attitude toward subject.

Transition

Word/phrase linking ideas.

Understatement

Minimizing importance ("It's just a scratch" for a big wound).

Undertone

Hidden attitude beneath the surface tone.

Wit

Clever expression, often humorous but insightful.