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30 Rhetorical Terms

TermDefinition
1. Allegory. A story with multiple levels of meaning - a literal level (what is actually happening in the story)& a deeper, more symbolic level (commenting on religion, society, politics, etc.)(ex: Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death."
2. Syntax. The way a writer chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. (i.e, The young man carries the lady. The lady carries the young man.)
3. Rhetorical question. A question asked to emphasize a point, with no answer really explained. (i.e, "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?")
4. Appeal to ethos. An appeal to a person's character, credibility, sincerity, or trustworthiness. (i.e, "Doctors all over the world recommend this type of treatment.")
5. Appeal to pathos. An appeal to a person's emotions. (i.e., "You’ll make the right decision because you have something that not many people do: you have heart.")
6. Appeal to logos. An appeal to a person's sense of logic. (i.e., "It’s a matter of common sense that people deserve to be treated equally. The Constitution calls it ‘self-evident.’ Why, then, should I have been denied a seat because of my disability?")
7. Pathetic fallacy. When events that are happening in nature (the setting) mimic what is happening in the plot of a story. (i.e, Raining outside when a character is sad, or depressed.)
8. Analogy. A comparison between 2 things in which the more complex is explained in terms of the more simple. (i.e., Asking the wealthy nations of the world to feed the impoverished nations is similar to asking people on a full lifeboat to take more passengers.)
9. Oxymoron. The association of 2 contrary terms side by side. (i.e., same difference, wise fool.)
10. Paradox. A statement that appears to be contradictory or absurd on the surface, but actually expresses a deeper truth. (i.e., Oscar Wilde-" And all men kill the thing they love.")
11. Allusions. Reference to something that is believed to be commonly known. (i.e., biblical-Reference to the Bible, classical-Reference to Greek/Roman mythology, historical-Reference to an important historical event, literary-Referance to a famous work of literature.)
12. Rhetorical modes. Patterns of organization developed to achieve a specific purpose.
13. Understatement. An intentional representation of something as less than it is. (i.e., Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet refers to his wound as a, "scratch.")
14. Dialect. A distinctive variety of language spoken by members of an unidentifiable regional group, nation, or social class. (i.e., South: "Y'all" North: "You guys")
15. Aphorism. A statement of some general principle, expressed in a memorable way by condensing much wisdom in a few words. (i.e., Science is organized knowledge. — Herbert Spencer.)
16. Apostrophe. A direct address to an absent or dead person or to an object. (i.e., Walt Whitman's poem, "O Captain, My Captain" was written upon the death of Abraham Lincoln-Lincoln could not respond.)
17. Zeugma. The use of one word in a sentence to modify two other words in the sentence, typically in two different ways. (i.e., "Mr. Pickwick took his hat and his leave." This sentence uses, "took" in two different ways.)
18. Metonymy. FOS that replaces the name of 1 thing w/ name of something else closely associated with it.(i.e., The crown carries many responsibilities. It means a role in the monarchy carries many responsibilities, but the crown is associated w/ the monarchy.)
19. Synecdoche. A figure of speech in which the part of something stands for the whole. (i.e., 1,000 sails pursued Paris when he fled with Helen of Troy-Actually, 1,000 SHIPS pursued Paris; the sail is just a part of the whole ship.
20. Archetype. A symbol, theme, meaning, or character-type that recurs in different times and places in myth, literature, folklore, dreams, & rituals so frequently to suggest that it represents some essential element of the universal human experience. (i.e., The Mentor)
21. Synaesthesia. A blending of different senses. (i.e., His shirt was a loud shade of blue-blending the senses of sound and light.)
22. Satire. A mode of writing that exposes the failings of individuals, institutions, or societies to ridicule or scorn them. (i.e., The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, political comics in newspapers, TV shows like Family Guy, American Dad, Bill Maher, etc.)
23. Parody. A mocking imitation of the style of literary works, ridiculing through exaggerrated mimicry. (i.e., Saturday Night Live, Scary Movie, etc.)
24. Overstatement. A type of exaggerration; to state something too strongly. (i.e., "I love you a lot. I can even bring the moon for you.")
25. Sarcasm. A sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark. (i.e, "I work 40 hours a week to be this poor.")
26. Wit. Quick, amusing cleverness. (i.e., "Repeat after me: Eye Yam Stoo Ped.
27. In medias res. (Latin: "into the middle of things"): when a narrator begins telling a story in the middle of the action. (i.e., How Galadriel explains the prologue in, "The Fellowship of The Ring.")
28. Rhetoric. The study of effective, persuasive language use; the art of communicating effectively. (i.e., "How did this idiot get elected?")
29. Rhetorical strategies/devices/techniques. Any strategy (such as all those listed above) used to communicate effectively given the speaker, subject, audience, context, and purpose.
30. Motif. A situation, incident, idea, image or character-type that is found in many literary works, folktales, or myths. (i.e., "The theme of abandonment and the motif of dual or multiple parents pervade the Harry Potter books.")
Created by: jackfulcher
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