Literary and Rhetorical Terms #4 (Prose to Understatement)

prose

One of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. In prose the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the poet determines the length of the line.

pun

A play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings

repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

rhetoric

From the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

rhetorical appeals

The modes of persuasion; devices in rhetoric that classify the speaker's appeal to the audience

ethos/ethical appeal

Establishing one's credibility with the audience by appearing to be knowledgeable about one's subject and concerned about one's subject and concerned about the well-being of the audience

pathos/emotional appeal

Exploiting an audience's feelings of pity or fear to make a case

logos/logical appeal

Using facts, statistics, historical references, or other such proofs in order to convince the audience of one's position

rhetorical question

A question asked solely to produce an effect and not to elicit a reply

rhyme

The repetition of sounds in two or more words or phrases that appear close to each other

shift or turn

Achange or movement in a piece resulting from an epiphany, realization, or insight gained by the speaker, a character, or the reader

satire

A technique that points out the problems in both people and societal institutions, using iron wit, an exaggeration; good satire, often humorous, is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition

simile

A figure of speech involving a comparison using like or as

style

The consideration of style has two purposes: (1) An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other We can analyze and describe an author's personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the author's purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace, incisive, laconic, etc. (2) Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, we can see how an author's style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance or the Victorian period, or a literary movement, such as the romantic, transcendental, or realist movement.

symbol/symbolism

Generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else.

syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

theme

A central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire literary work; the author's way of communicating or sharing ideas, perceptions, and feelings with readers; it may be directly stated in work or it may only be implied

thesis

In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position. Expository writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proven the thesis.

tone

Similar to mood, tone describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.

understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact, presents something as less significant than it is.