satire
the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
persona
an external representation of oneself which might or might not accurately reflect one's inner self
formal persona
author represents themselves using proper, standard English
informal persona
author represents themselves using slang, casual, colloquial, and vernacular language
nonstandard persona
author represents themselves using unique and unexpected language
anaphora
repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines
epistrophe
ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words
polysyndeton
employing many conjunctions between clauses, often slowing the tempo or rhythm
asyndeton
the omission of conjunctions between clauses, often resulting in a hurried rhythm or vehement effect
concrete detail
descriptions appeal to the five senses: what you can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell
abstract detail
descriptions appeal to abstract ideas: concepts you can conceptualize but cannot define by senses alone
logos
appeal to logic when persuading
pathos
appeal to emotion when persuading
ethos
appeal to credibility and character of the author when persuading
exigence
what issue or problem inspires, motivates, provokes, or prompts a writer to create a text
audience
who a speech or writing is addressed
purpose
author’s intention/objective; how the author wants the audience to respond
invention
how the author utilizes rhetorical choices to achieve their purpose
metaphor
comparing two unlike objects without using “like” or “as”
synecdoche
a whole represented by parts (e.g. “set of wheels” = car)
metonymy
reference to something or someone by naming one of its attributes (e.g. “the crown” = ruler/monarch)
personification
giving non-human objects human traits
verbal irony
saying the opposite of what is meant
antithesis
juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas; using opposite phrases in close conjunction
syntax
sentence structure choices
diction
word choices
repetition
repeating words, letters, syllables, and sounds or repeating clauses, phrases, ideas
parallelism
the repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns
chiasmus
the repetition of ideas or grammatical structures in inverted order
rhetorical question
a question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information the question asks
anecdotal evidence
a short narrative account of an interesting event used to support an argument
paralipsis
stating and drawing attention to something in the very act of pretending to pass it over
understatement
opposite of exaggeration; writer uses a statement negatively to create the effect
litotes
phrase that uses negation to create an affirmative understatement (e.g. “that wasn’t half bad” = that was pretty/very good)
apostrophy
talking to an inanimate object