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Rhetorical Terms
Rhetorical Terms, Structures and Categorization Vocabulary that Comprise the English Language
63
English
11th Grade
05/08/2011

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Term
Ambiguity
Definition
Statement with 2 or more meanings; can be lexical or structural.
Term
Anecdote
Definition
Usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing or biographical incident.
Term
Appeals
Definition
Ethos/ logos/ pathos
Term
Concession
Definition
Proves anticipation of potential counterarguments to audience, answers them, defuses audience's ability to oppose speaker.
Term
Deductive
Definition
General to specific (top down), theory to hypothesis
Term
Inductive
Definition
Start with facts, move to broader generalizations
Term
Logical fallacies
Definition
Faults in reasoning
Term
Syllogism
Definition
Statement with 3 premises, a+b=c
Term
Enthymeme
Definition
Partial syllogism based on the probable rather than the positive premise based on implicit conjectures shared by the speaker/audience; speaker gives premise 1 and assumes audience will fill in missing parts and conclude.
Term
Abstraction
Definition
Quality apart from an object
Term
Ad hominem
Definition
Attack on person, not ideas
Term
Aesthetic
Definition
Guiding principle in taste; artistic sensibility
Term
Allegory
Definition
Expression by means of symbolism; often involves generalization about human existence.
Term
Alliteration
Definition
Repetition of the same sound at the beginnings of successive words.
Term
Allusion
Definition
Reference to previous literature/history.
Term
Analogy
Definition
Extended comparison between 2 things that share a similarity; usually makes a point.
Term
Anaphora
Definition
Repetition of same words at the beginning of sentences/phrases.
Term
Anastrophe
Definition
Normal word order is reversed/rearranged.
Term
Annotation
Definition
Explanatory notes added to explain/cite.
Term
Antithesis
Definition
Rhetorical contrast through parallel word arrangements
Term
Aphorism
Definition
Brief saying embodying a moral/principle/precept; pointed words
Term
Apostrophe
Definition
Absent person/abstract concept/ directly addressed
Term
Appositive
Definition
Noun/noun phrase that renames another noun
Term
Argumentation
Definition
Writing that attempts to prove an point/idea
Term
Assonance
Definition
Repetition of vowel sounds
Term
Asyndeton
Definition
Conjunctions omitted, producing fast-paced, rapid prose. Commas used.
Term
Atmosphere
Definition
Mood/pervasive feeling insinuated by literary work.
Term
Audience
Definition
Receiving end of rhetoric situation.
Term
Balance
Definition
How to integrate all parts of literature into a discussion (blends with argument)
Term
Cacophony
Definition
Harsh/discordant sounds
Term
Caricature
Definition
Exaggeration of specific thing
Term
Chiasmus
Definition
Repetition of ideas in inverted order
Term
Climax
Definition
Writer arranges ideas in order of appearance.
Term
Colloquialism
Definition
Spoken/written word that imitates informal speech.
Term
Concrete
Definition
Opposite of abstract; senses
Term
Connotation
Definition
Associations implied by words
Term
Consonance
Definition
Identical consonant sounds in successive/close words
Term
Conundrum
Definition
Difficult riddle whose answer involves a pun/paradox.
Term
Denotation
Definition
Literal meaning
Term
Detail
Definition
Simple image with no connotation
Term
Dialect
Definition
Regional variety of a language
Term
Diction
Definition
Choice of words/phrases/structures: combine to create meaning/style/attitude/tone.
Term
Didactic
Definition
Tone- designed to teach ethical/moral/religious lesson
Term
Dissonance
Definition
Harsh/grating sounds
Term
Dramatic monologue
Definition
Speaker addresses a distinct but silent audience (imagined) to reveal a dramatic situation
Term
Elegiac
Definition
Mourning/sorrow: irrecoverably past.
Term
Ellipsis
Definition
Omission of words that are understood but unnecessary
Term
Epigraph
Definition
Quotation at the beginning of literary work to suggest its theme.
Term
Epistrophe
Definition
Ending a series of lines with the same word/phrase
Term
Euphemism
Definition
Substitution of an agreeable/inoffensive expression for one that may offend ("passed away" for "died", "collateral damage" for "civilian deaths")
Term
Euphony
Definition
Soothing/pleasant sounds
Term
Extended metaphor
Definition
Several comparisons similar in theme are made
Term
False analogy
Definition
Two cases are not sufficiently parallel to accept a claim of connection between them
Term
Figurative language/figures of speech
Definition
Create a special effect/feeling: alliteration, hyperbole, metaphor
Term
Generalization
Definition
General characteristics rather than specific details.
Term
Genre
Definition
Category/type of literature based on style/form/content.
Term
Hubris
Definition
Excessive pride that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings of impending doom, causing his downfall.
Term
Hyperbole
Definition
Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.
Term
Hypotactic
Definition
Phrases/clauses arranged in a dependent/subordinate relationship.
Term
Idiolect
Definition
A person's personal language/word choice.
Term
Idiomatic
Definition
Expression individual to a given language.
Term
Imagery
Definition
Representation of objects/feelings/actions/ideas: appeals to different senses.
Term
Inference
Definition
Details to conclusion
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