Rhetorical Devices and Craft Moves

Vocabulary flashcards defining key rhetorical devices, figures of speech, craft moves, and rhetorical appeals covered in the lecture.

Pun

A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.

Juxtaposition

A literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.

Euphemism

Polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant.

Paradox

A statement derived from the Greek word "paradoxon" (meaning contrary to expectations, existing belief, or perceived opinion) that appears self-contradictory or silly, but may include a latent or buried truth.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas or contradictory words are joined to create an effect, commonly featuring an adjective followed by a noun with contrasting meanings.

Connotation

A meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly, encompassing cultural and emotional associations beyond literal meanings (denotations).

Alliteration

The repetition of an initial consonant sound, usually in two neighbouring words or words close to each other, used to draw attention to a phrase and provide emphasis.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, event, or piece of literature used to explain or clarify a complex problem by referencing context familiar to the reader or audience.

Anaphora

A rhetorical device where the same word or phrase is used to begin successive clauses or sentences to draw the reader's or listener's attention directly to the message.

Antithesis

A device that establishes a contrasting relationship between two ideas, typically using similar phrasing or clause structure to emphasize the contrast.

Hyperbole

A deliberate exaggeration used sparingly to effectively draw attention to a message that needs emphasis.

Understatement

A technique where a statement is deliberately weakened to sound ironical or softened to sound more polite.

Hypophora

A rhetorical move where the author or speaker raises a question and then provides the answer, used to generate curiosity, gain attention, or introduce a new area of discussion.

Rhetorical Question

A question raised without a direct answer because the author or speaker regards the answer (usually Yes or No) as obvious; used to provoke, emphasise, or argue.

Litotes

A form of understatement that uses the denied opposite of a word to weaken or soften a message.

Metaphor

A figurative expression that compares two different things without using the word "like" (structured as $A$ is $B$).

Simile

A figurative comparison between two different things that explicitly uses comparative words such as "like" or "as".

Metonomy

A figurative expression closely associated with the subject in terms of place, time, or background, without being an actual physical part of the subject.

Synechdoche

A generalization or specification that uses a part instead of the whole, a whole instead of a part, or a specific term instead of a general one.

First-Person Narrator

A narrative mode where the storyteller narrates from their own limited perspective using "I," sharing personal experiences and secrets directly with the reader.

Third-Person Narrator

A narrative mode where the storyteller is outside the plot and narrates using "he" or "she," typically functioning as an all-knowing (omniscient) observer capable of shifting between scenes or characters.

Onomatopoeia

A word whose pronunciation imitates the sound it describes, used to make narrative descriptions more lively and interesting.

Parallelism

A device where successive clauses or sentences share a similar structure, making it easier for the reader or listener to focus on the central message.

Parenthesis

An interruption of the normal flow of a sentence by inserting extra information or explanation enclosed in commas (neutral), brackets (not important), or dashes (emphasized).

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics, behaviors, or feelings to animals, inanimate objects, or abstractions.

Repetition

The repeating of words or phrases throughout a text to emphasise specific facts or ideas.

Ethos

A rhetorical appeal to credibility focused on establishing trust, authority, and reliability so the audience believes the speaker or author is qualified.

Logos

A rhetorical appeal to logic that relies on intellectual reasoning, empirical evidence, data points, structural clarity, and cause-and-effect reasoning.

Pathos

A rhetorical appeal to emotion aimed at evoking feelings such as anger, joy, fear, or compassion to move the audience toward sympathy or action.