Vocabulary Unit 2: Schemes and Tropes

anadiplosis

the repetition of the last word (or phrase) from the previous line, clause, or sentence at the beginning of the next.

Ex. "Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, and pizza is knowledge." —April Ludgate

anamnesis

calling to memory past matters. More specifically, citing a past author from memory.

Ex. Was it not Socrates who said the unexamined life is not worth living?

climax

The arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of increasing importance, often in parallel structure.

Ex. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!

isocolon

a series of similarly structured elements having the same length. A kind of parallelism.

Ex. "Conversion of a nation that has consciously or unconsciously preyed upon another, far more numerous, far more ancient, and no less cultured than itself, is worth any amount of risk." —Gandhi

personification

reference to abstractions or inanimate objects as though they had human qualities or abilities.

Ex. "Five-fingered ferns hung over the water and dropped spray from their fingertips." —John Steinbeck

syntheton

When by convention two words are joined by a conjunction for emphasis.

Ex. Bread and wine, body and blood, etc.

analogy

a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Ex. The analogy of the "melting pot" has often been employed to describe how immigrants from many nations blended to become a unified American people.

fallacy

a failure of logical reasoning which appears to make a reasonable argument, but falsely so.

Ex. It is a fallacy to think that money can buy you happiness.

generalization

a general statement or concept obtained by inference from specific cases.

Ex. Often the generalization is made that women are more involved parents than men.

refutation

the action of proving a statement or theory to be wrong or false.

Ex. The candidate’s compelling refutation of the supposed benefits of increased arctic drilling earned her the loyalty of environmentally conscious voters.

declamatory

vehement or impassioned in expression.

Ex. After repeatedly hearing himself described as a dull, lifeless speaker, he made a point of employing a more declamatory tone.

detached

aloof and objective.

Ex. Although the defendant had a reputation as an incorrigible, life-long criminal, the judge was res

empirical

based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

Ex. Many people in 2023 no longer feel that Global Warming is simply a theory, but a fact evidenced by scores of empirical data.

paramount

more important than anything else; supreme.

Ex. Paramount in any custody battle is what is best for the child.

salient

most noticeable or important.

Ex. The salient feature of John Stewart’s appeal for increased medical assistance for 9/11 first responders was the juxtaposition of a do-nothing congress and the heroism of the firefighters and rescuers who answered the call at our country’s darkest hour.

extrapolate

to estimate to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue.

Ex. If we extrapolate the dip in the unemployment rate, it seems possible that the country will soon see the largest percentage of people working since 1929.

impart

make known, communicate.

Ex. In "How Wind Power Works," Julia Layton imparts her belief that while wind power is less reliable than fossil fuels, it is a uniquely clean and renewable source of ene

qualify

to limit or modify the meaning of.

Ex. He was an ardent proponent of the death penalty, but he qualified his stance to exclude minors and the mentally impaired.

rebut

to contradict or oppose.

Ex. On last year's AP Exam, one student eloquently rebutted the merits of the Electoral College.

typify

to represent in typical fashion; to constitute a typical instance of.

Ex. Greil Marcus’ argument against Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature typifies the reservations some critics felt about a songwriter receiving the prestigious award.