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Literary and Rhetorical Terms
100 (give or take) terms that will help you.
51
English
10th Grade
08/10/2011

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Term
Ad Hominem
Definition
Latin for "against the man" When a writer personally attack his or her opponents instead of their arguments. It is an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason,feeling rather than intellect.
Term
Allegory
Definition
a story,fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concept. The interaction of these characters, things, and events is meant toreveal an abstraction or a truth. These characters, etc. may be symbolic of the ideas referred to. For example, an author may inted the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom.
Term
Alliteration
Definition
the repitition of inital indentical consonant sounds. Or, vowel sounds in successive words or syllables that repeat.
Term
Allusion
Definition
an indirect reference to something (usually a literary text although it can be other things commonly known such as plays, movies, t.v. shows) with which the readers is supposed to be familiar. Allusion is often used with humurous intent, to establish a connection between writer and reader, or to make a subtle point.
Term
Ambiguity
Definition
an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. Also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. Unintentional ambiguity is usually vagueness.
Term
Annotation
Definition
Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources or give bibliographic data.
Term
Antecedent
Definition
the word, phrases, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a fiven pronoun in a long, comlex sentence or in a group of sentences. (Example If I could command the walth of all the world by lifting a finger, I would not pay such a price for it. An AP question might read: "What is the antecedent for "it"?)
Term
Antithesis
Definition
Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas. (Example: "Bill's work in school was the antithesis of his sister's. Her homework was tiday and outline, while Bill's was sloppy and late." or "Darkness is the antithesis of light" or "New York is the antithesis of Nome,Alaska."
Term
Aphorism
Definition
a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral principle.
Term
Appositive
Definition
a word or a group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning. (Ex. Bob, the lumber yard worker, spoke with Judy an accountant from the city.)
Term
Genre
Definition
the major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry and drama. However, genres can be subvided as well (poetry, can be classified into lyric, dramatic, narrative, etc.) The AP language exam deals primarily with the following genres: autobiography, biography, diaries crticism, essays and journalistic, political, scientfic and nature writing.
Term
Homily
Definition
this term literally means "sermon" but more infromally, it can include any serious talk, speech or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
Term
Hyperbole
Definition
figurative language that exaggerateds. It is often used in comedy, or to create irony.
Term
Image
Definition
word or words that create a picture in a reader's mind. Usually involves the 5 senses. Authors often use this in conjunction with metaphors, similies, figures of speech to convey information about characters.
Term
Induction
Definition
the process of reasoning from premises that constitute good, but not absolutely cartain, easons to a conclusion that is probably correct. It involved bringing together pieces of evidence, and arriving at a conclusion.
Term
Inference/Infer
Definition
to draw a reasonable conclusion from th information presented. When a multiple choice question asks for this to be drawn from the passage, the most direct, most reasonable _______ is the safest answer choice.
Term
Invective
Definition
an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive, language.
Term
Irony
Definition
when the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
Term
Juxtaposition
Definition
placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. Comparison of things or ideas. Authors use __________ of ideas or examples in order to make a point.
Term
Metaphor
Definition
a figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for another suggesting some similarity. Usually identified comparing objects directly using words like "was" or "is".
Term
Non-Sequitur
Definition
statement that does not logically follow another
Term
Objectivity
Definition
an author's stance that distances himself from personal involvement
Term
Onomatopoeia
Definition
a figure of speech in which natural sounds are initiated in the sounds of the words.
Term
Oxymoron
Definition
a rhetorical antithesis
Term
paradox
Definition
a seemingly contradictory statement which is actually true.
Term
Parody
Definition
an exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humurous purposes.
Term
Passive voice
Definition
the subject of the sentence recieves the action. Leaves writing to seem lifeless
Term
Pedantic
Definition
observing strict adherence to formal rules or literal meaning at the expense of a wider view.
Term
Persona
Definition
the fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.
Term
Qualification
Definition
redefining your argument so that it no longer conflicts with the valid claim of an opposing viewpoint. This is known as qulaifying your argument.
Term
Rhetoric
Definition
the art of effective communication
Term
Rhetorical question
Definition
question not asked for information but or effective.
Term
Satire
Definition
a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect.
Term
Sarcasm
Definition
a generally bitter comment that is ironically worded. However, not all ironic statements are this.
Term
Simile
Definition
a figurative usage that compares. It usually uses the words such as "like", "as", or "it".
Term
Style
Definition
the choices in diction, tone, an syntax that a writer makes.
Term
Syllogism
Definition
a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises- the first one "major" the second one "minor" that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.
Term
Symbol/symbolism
Definition
anything that represents or stands for something else.
Term
Syntax
Definition
grammatical arrangement of words
Term
Subordination
Definition
taking less important ideas and placing them in dependent clauses , and focusing the readers attention on the main important idea and placing it in the independent clause
Term
Active Voice
Definition
the subject of the snetence performs the action. This is more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases, but not all.
Term
Analogy
Definition
a comparison to a directly parallel case
Term
Anaphora
Definition
repitition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.
Term
Theme
Definition
the central idea or message of a work
Term
Thesis
Definition
the sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.
Term
Tone
Definition
writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization
Term
Transistion
Definition
smooth movement from one paragraph (or idea) to another
Term
Understatement
Definition
the ironic minmizing fact, this presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous.
Term
Vernacular
Definition
Language or dialect of a particular country
Term
Devices
Definition
the figures of speech, syntax, diction, and other stylistic elements that collectively produce a particular artistic effect.
Term
Ancedote
Definition
brief recounting of a relevant episode. This is often inserted into fictional or nonfictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.
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