Rhetorical Devices With Definitions

Front 1

Antithesis

Back 1

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure. The contrast may be in words or in ideas or both. (scheme of balance)

Front 2

Isocolon

Back 2

is a scheme of parallel structure which occurs when the parallel elements are similar not only in gramatical structure but also in length.
(scheme of balance)

Front 3

Parallelism

Back 3

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. This basic principle of grammar and rhetoric demands that equivalent things be set forth in coordinate gramatical structures. (scheme of balance)

Front 4

Anastrophe

Back 4

inversion of the natural or usual word order. The deviation can emphasize a point or just sound awkward. (scheme of unusual word order)-----*Yoda*

Front 5

Apposition

Back 5

placing side by side two cordinate elements, the second of which serves as an explanation or modification of the first (scheme of unusual word order)

Front 6

Parenthesis

Back 6

insertion of soem verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal syntactical flow of the sentence. can use commas, dashes or parentheses. (scheme of unusual word order)

Front 7

asyndeton

Back 7

deliberate omission of conjunctions between a series of related clauses. produces a hurried rythm of assertive tone. (scheme of omission)

Front 8

ellipsis

Back 8

deliberate omission of a word or of words which are redily implied by context. (scheme of omission)

Front 9

alliteration

Back 9

repetition of initial or medial consonants in two or more adjacent words. (scheme of repetition)

Front 10

anadiplosis

Back 10

repetition of the last word of one clause at the begining of the following clause. (scheme of repetition)

Front 11

anaphora

Back 11

repetition of the same word or groups of words at the beginningss of successive clauses. strong emotional effect and change of rhythm. (scheme of repetition)

Front 12

antimetabole

Back 12

repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order. (scheme of repetition)

Front 13

assonance

Back 13

repetition of similar vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants in the stresssed syllables of adjacent words. (scheme of repetition)

Front 14

chiasmus

Back 14

reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses. AKA criss-cross. (scheme of repetition)

Front 15

epistrophe

Back 15

repetition of the same word or groups of words at teh end of successive clauses. (scheme of repetition)

Front 16

polyptoton

Back 16

repetition of words derived from the smae root. (scheme of repetition)

Front 17

polysyndeton

Back 17

deliberate use of many conjunctions. (scheme of repetition)

Front 18

synecdoche

Back 18

figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole. (Tropes of comparison)

Front 19

metonymy

Back 19

substitution of some attributive or suggestive word for what is actually meant. (Tropes of comparison)

Front 20

litotes

Back 20

deliberate use of understatement

Front 21

antanaclasis

Back 21

repetition of a word in two differentsenses.

Front 22

apostrophe

Back 22

addressing an absent person or a personified abstraction. (tropes of word play)

Front 23

syllepis

Back 23

the use of a word understood differently in relation to two or more other words, which it modifies or governs. (tropes of word play)

Front 24

zeugma

Back 24

grammaticaly correct linkage of two or more parts of speech. (tropes of word play)