Rhetorical Devices and Literary Terms

A set of flashcards to help review vocabulary related to rhetoric and literary devices.

Anthimeria

Substitution of one part of speech for another.

Antimetabole

Repetition of words in reverse order.

Antithesis

Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas.

Allusion

Reference to a text within a text.

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of a preceding clause.

Anticipated Objection

Technique to address potential counterarguments.

Anaphora

Repetition of a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

Anecdote

A brief narrative used to illustrate a point.

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Allegory

A piece of visual art that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.

Apology

An elaborate statement justifying or explaining something.

Apologist

A person who defends or justifies a doctrine or institution.

Appeal to Authority

Referencing a person of authority to support an argument.

Appositive

A noun or noun phrase that renames another noun.

Argument

A carefully constructed case or rationale.

Arrangement

The placement of ideas in a composition.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within words.

Assumption

A belief or opinion taken for granted.

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence.

Attitude

The manner in which a writer expresses feelings.

Audience

The person or persons who listen or read.

Begging the Question

A logical fallacy in which a conclusion is assumed in the premises.

Claim

An assertion or ultimate conclusion.

Aesthetic Reading

Reading to experience the emotional or sensory aspects of a text.

Complex Sentence

A sentence containing one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentence

A sentence with two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Compound Sentence

A sentence with two or more independent clauses.

Compound Subject

A subject that consists of two or more nouns.

Conflict

The struggle between opposing forces or characters.

Connotation

The implied or associated meaning of a word.

Context

The convergence of time, place, audience, and motivating factors.

Contradiction

A rhetorical intention urging the speaker to create proof.

Data (as Evidence)

Facts, statistics, or examples that support a claim.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning that starts with a general principle and ends with a specific instance.

Delivery

The presentation and format of a composition.

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

The choice and use of words in writing.

Double Entendre

A figure of speech that can have two interpretations.

Effect

The emotional or psychological impact of a text.

Efferent Reading

Reading to gather information.

Ellipsis

The omission of words from a sentence.

Enthymeme

Logical reasoning that contains an unstated premise.

Epistrophe

Repetition of a group of words at the end of successive clauses.

Epithet

A descriptive phrase expressing a quality of the person or thing.

Ethos

The credibility and character appeal of the speaker or writer.

Euphemism

An indirect expression used to lessen the impact of unpleasant information.

Evidence

Facts and examples that support a claim.

Extended Analogy

An analogy that is prolonged throughout a piece of writing.

Extended Example

An example elaborated through several sentences or paragraphs.

Fable

A narrative with a moral lesson, often featuring animals.

Generalization

A broad statement based on specific examples.

Genre

A category of writing classified by style or subject.

Heuristic

A systematic method for problem-solving.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration used for effect.

Image

A descriptive passage that evokes sensory experience.

Imagery

Language that creates vivid images in the reader's mind.

Implied Metaphor

A metaphor suggested rather than explicitly stated.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning that begins with specific instances to form a general principle.

Inference

A conclusion drawn by the reader based on their own reasoning.

Irony

A rhetorical device that implies a meaning opposite to the literal meaning.

Jargon

Specialized language used by a particular group.

Litotes

An understatement that uses negative phrasing.

Logic

The art of reasoning.

Logos

The logical appeal of a text.

Loose Sentence

A sentence that begins with a main idea followed by modifiers.

Metonymy

Substituting the name of one thing for that of another closely associated with it.

Mnemonic Device

A technique used to aid memory.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere of a piece of writing.

Narrative Intrusion

A comment made within a narrative that interrupts the flow.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but may reveal an underlying truth.

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical constructions.

Pathos

The emotional appeal of a text.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that presents the main idea at the end.

Periphrasis

Using descriptive phrases to substitute for a proper name.

Persona

The character or voice assumed by the writer.

Purpose

The goal or objective of a piece of writing.

Recursive

A process of returning to previous stages or elements.

Refutation

The part of a speech that addresses counterarguments.

Repetition

The use of the same text or phrases multiple times.

Rhetoric

The art of analyzing and composing persuasive texts.

Rhetorical Choices

The specific choices made by a writer or speaker to achieve effect.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect rather than a response.

Rhetorical Situation

The context in which a rhetorical act occurs.

Sarcasm

The use of mocking or ironic remarks.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Simple Sentence

A sentence containing one independent clause.

Stance

The writer's or speaker's attitude toward the topic.

Style

The author's specific word choices and techniques.

Subordinate Clause

A clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Tone

The speaker's attitude toward the subject matter.

Understatement

Presenting something as less significant than it is.

Verisimilitude

The quality of seeming true or real.

Voice

The textual qualities that convey the author's style.

Zeugma

A figure of speech in which a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.