Frank Literary Terms- Second Semester

Front 1

digression

Back 1

An instance of digressing, especially a written or spoken passage that has no bearing on the main subject.

Front 2

aphorism

Back 2

a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation, as “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).

Front 3

paradox

Back 3

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Front 4

pun

Back 4

the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.

Front 5

irony

Back 5

a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.

Front 6

bombast

Back 6

speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words.

Front 7

logos

Back 7

appeal to logic

Front 8

ethos

Back 8

appeal to credibility

Front 9

pathos

Back 9

appeal to emotion

Front 10

syntax

Back 10

the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.