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RhetoricalTerms1
AP Lang
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| allegory | a narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance |
| alliteration | the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed symbols |
| allusion | a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference |
| anaphora | the regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases of clauses |
| antithesis | the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure or ideas |
| aphorism | a concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief |
| apostrophe | an address or invocation to something inanimate |
| assonance | the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words |
| asyndeton | the syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose |
| attitude | the sense expressed by the tone of voice or mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings toward his or her subject |
| chiasmus | the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second |
| claim | an assertion of something as fact |
| colloquial | identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area |
| conceit | a comparision of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem |
| connotation | the implied, suggested or underlying meaning or a word or phrase |
| consonance | the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels |
| deductive reasoning | the method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement from general to specific |
| didactic | writing or speech that has an instructive purpose or lesson |
| elegy | a poem or prose that lements or meditates upon the death of a person or persons |
| epistrophe | the repitition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences |
| epitaph | writing in praise of a dead person, often inscribed on a tombstone |
| eulogy | a speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person |
| euphemism | an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information |
| homily | a sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech or lecture involving moral or spiritual life |
| hyperbole | overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention |
| imagery | broadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work; narrowly, hte use of figurative lanugage to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object |
| inductive reasoning | the method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles: movement from specific to general |
| irony | the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant |
| isocolon | parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure but also in length |
| juxtaposition | the location of one thing adjacent to or juxtaposed with another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose |
| litote | a figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by understatement; for instance, the understated "not bad" as a comment about something especially well done |
| loose sentence (cumulative sentence) | a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases |
| metaphor | one thing pictured as if it were something else |
| metonymy | a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to designate something |
| mood | a feeling resulting from the tone of the piece |
| narrative | a mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort |
| onomatopoeia | a word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes |
| oxymoron | a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements |
| paradox | a statement that seems contradictory but is probably true |
| parallel structure | the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases or thoughts |
| pathos | stimulates pity or sorrow |
| periodic sentence | a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end |
| personification | treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualities |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language without metrical structure, in contrast to verse and poetry |
| rebuttal/refutation | an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered |
| rhetoric | the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking |
| rhetorical question | a question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered |
| sarcasm | a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical |
| satire | a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure |
| simile | a direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, usually using the words like or as |
| style | the manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure |
| synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole |
| syntax | the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences |
| tone | the attitude the narrator or writer takes toward a subject and theme |
| zeugma | a grammatical structure in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated; often used to comic effect |
| analogy | illustration of an idea by means of a more familiar idea that is similar or parallel to it in some significant features |
| antimetabole | repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order |
| epizeuxis | repetition of the same word or words in immediate succession, usually with great vehemence or emotion |
| inversion | the reversal of the normally expected order of words |
| parody | a mocking imitation of the style of a literary work or works, ridiculing the stylistic habits of an author or genre by exaggerated mimicry |
| symploce | combining anaphora and epistrophe, so that one word or phrase is repeated at the beginning and another word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences |
Created by:
bruski
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