Rhetorical Terms

Front 1

Abstract

Back 1

Designating qualities from specific objects or events, opposite of concrete.

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Allegory

Back 2

a narrative, either in verse or prose, in which character, action and sometimes setting represent abstract concepts apart from the literal meaning of a story.

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Alliteration

Back 3

Repetition of initial identical consonant sounds or any vowel sounds in successive or closely associated syllables

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Allusion

Back 4

brief reference to a person, event, or place.

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Analogy

Back 5

process of reasoning that assumes if two subjects share a number of observable qualities, then they must share some that haven't been observed.

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Anaphora

Back 6

Device of repetition in which the same expression is repeated at the beginning of multiple lines.

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Anastrophe

Back 7

Inversion of the usual order of a sentence.

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Anticipating Audience Response

Back 8

Anticipating the audience's response.

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Antimetabole

Back 9

Repetition of words in reverse gramatical order.

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Antithesis

Back 10

A direct juztaposition of structurally parallel words, phrases, or clauses, for the purpose of contrast.

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Aphorism

Back 11

A concise statement of principle given in pointed words.

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Apostrophe

Back 12

A figure of speech in which something that isn't present is spoke of as though it were.

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Assonance

Back 13

Repetition of accented vowel sounds.

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Asyndeton

Back 14

Deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses.

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Balanced Sentence

Back 15

Phrases and clauses that balance eachother out.

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Cacophony

Back 16

Harsh joining of sounds

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Call to Action

Back 17

Writing that urges people to action

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Characterization

Back 18

Techniques used to create and reveal fictional personalities.

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Chiasmus

Back 19

Balancing the beginning of the sentence with the ending reversed.

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Cliche

Back 20

A timeworn expression

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Coinage

Back 21

Creation of a word

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Colloquial Expression

Back 22

Word or phrase appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation.

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Conciet

Back 23

Compares two very dissimilar thing.

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Concrete

Back 24

Pertains to actual things. Opposite of abstract.

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Connotation

Back 25

Emotional implications of a word

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Consonance

Back 26

Repetition of a constant sound within a series of words.

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Defensive/Offensive

Back 27

Self explanatory (Defensive/Offensive)

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Diction

Back 28

Word choice

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Double Speak

Back 29

language used to distort rather than to manipulate.

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Denotation

Back 30

Specific meaning of a word.

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Downplaying/Intensifying

Back 31

Downplaying/Intensifying

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Ellipsis

Back 32

Omission of a word or words necessary from complete construction, but understood in context.

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Emotional Appeal

Back 33

Emotional Appeal

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Epistrophe

Back 34

Figure of repetition where the last sound is repeated in multiple lines.

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Ethical Appeal

Back 35

Ethical Appeal

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Ethnocentricity

Back 36

Belief that your culture is the best.

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Euphemism

Back 37

Politically correct phrase

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Figurative Language

Back 38

Use of word outside of their literal meaning.

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Hyperbole

Back 39

Overstatement

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Imagery

Back 40

Used to convey sensory experience

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Inverted order of a sentence

Back 41

Inverted order of a sentence

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Irony

Back 42

Words mean the opposite of their intended meaning

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Jargon

Back 43

Specialized language for a shorthand method of communication.

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Juxtaposition

Back 44

Comparing two usually unassociated ideas.

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Lending Credence

Back 45

Giving credit to someone for their ideas.

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Lilotes

Back 46

Understatement for the purpose of intensification.

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Logical Fallacies

Back 47

Plausibly unsound arguments

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Loose Sentence

Back 48

A sentence that ends before it ends

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Metaphor

Back 49

Implied comparison

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Metonymy

Back 50

Using "Kleenex" instead of "Tissue"

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Mood

Back 51

overall atmosphere of a work

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Narration

Back 52

Story of events/experiences.

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Natural Order Sentence

Back 53

A sentence that is naturally ordered.

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Onomatopoeia

Back 54

Sound words.

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Oxymoron

Back 55

Form of paradox that combines a pair of opposite terms.

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Paradox

Back 56

Statement that while seemingly contradictory, may be true.

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Parallelism

Back 57

Arrangement of parts of a sentence or more in which one element of equal importance is similarly developed and phrased.

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Periodic sentence

Back 58

Sentence that doesn't end when it ends.

Front 59

Personification.

Back 59

Giving human like qualities to nonhuman things.

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Point of View

Back 60

From where an author presents a story.

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Polysyndeton

Back 61

Repetition of conjunctions in close succession

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Prosody

Back 62

Study of sound and rhythm in poetry.

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Protagonist

Back 63

The central character.

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Pun

Back 64

A play on words.

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Repetition

Back 65

Repeating a word or phrase to secure emphasis.

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Rhetorical fragment

Back 66

a deliberately incomplete sentence.

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Rhyme

Back 67

Repetition of sounds

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Sarcasm

Back 68

Verbal irony

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Settings

Back 69

Time and place of a story

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Satire

Back 70

points out fallacies using wit and exaggeration

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Shift or Turn

Back 71

A change in a piece resulting from some sort of epiphany.

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Simile

Back 72

Comparison using like or as.

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Spin

Back 73

twist and turn to give an intended interpretation

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Stichomythia

Back 74

Echoing dialogue

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Style

Back 75

Characteristic manner of expression

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Syllepsis

Back 76

Stole his heart and his car on the first date.

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Syllogism

Back 77

a particular type of argument

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Symbol

Back 78

Something concrete that stands for something abstract.

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Symploce

Back 79

Repetition of the first and last words of a phrase

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Synecdoche

Back 80

Part stands for whole, whole for part.

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Syntax

Back 81

punctuation

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Tone

Back 82

Attitude of the author

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Voice

Back 83

Implied personality of the author

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Zeugma

Back 84

When one part of speech governs two or more other parts of speech.