Rhetoric Terms

a casual reference to another work of art, historic event, or person

the state of having multiple meanings; an intentional or unintentional equivocation

a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain aspect

a brief recounting of a relevant episode; usually to inject humor or develop a point

a terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle often in a clever way: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

calling attention to something by dismissing it: “no one would suggest that those who are homeless elected to live on the streets willingly.”

the direct address of a non-person or an absent or imaginary person: “milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour/England hath need of thee”; may also be a personified abstraction, especially as a digression in the course of speech or composition: “so, I ask you, dear reader, what would you have me do?”

overdone or insincere attempts at evoking pity or compassion, usually creating a comedic effect

also called assertion or proposition, an argument’s main idea/position

asserts something is true or not true

proposes a change

argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong

the act of granting or yielding a particular point or fact that is part of another’s argument or granting that an opposing argument has some merit

extra cultural significance of a word or phrase in addition to its dictionary definiton

the circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text’s production

set of reasons put forward to oppose an anticipated idea or theory

logical process starting with a general principle (major premise); apply it to a specific case (a minor premise). a syllogism is an example of deductive logic

the literal definition of a word

word choice in speech or writing

teaching a specific lesson or moral; providing a model of correct behavior or thinking

the omission of words or phrases, sometimes indicated by the use of “…”

a short quotation, often used at the beginning of a work, section, or chapter to introduce a theme

the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive: “The drone strike inflicted collateral damage.”

a case or situation that demands prompt action or remedy, that has urged the writer to begin to write an argument (the collegeboard loves this word!!!)

a mode of expression, its intention being to explain

any language that cannot be taken literally (like simile, metaphor, verbal irony, metonymy, etc.)

the category into which a literary work fits (drama, poetry, prose being the most general, but these may be further subdivided)

one that urges, calls to action

a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect

a type of reasoning in which one or more questions are asked and answered by the same writer/speaker

reasoning from particulars to universals; examples to conclusion

to draw a reasonable conclusion from information provided

word choice designed to appeal to one or more of the five senses

words used are the opposite of the intended meaning

events turn out other than as expected

placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarity and/or difference

this is the strategy of understatement using two negative terms, often employed to provide subtle emphasis, frequently for ironic effect or to underline a passionate opinion: “The assassin was not unacquainted with danger.”

an error in reasoning that may render an argument invalid

(literally, “against the man”) when a writer personally attacks his or her opponents instead of their arguments

a claim supported by popularity

an author cited an individual who has no expertise to comment on the issue

often called begging the question, the argument repeats the claim instead of providing evidence

an argument presents two extreme options as the only possible choices (POLITICIANS)

an argument compares two things that are not comparable (ignoring significant differences)

a faulty conclusion is reached after inadequate evidence (smoking isn’t bad; my sister has smoked for years and remains the picture of health)

when one statement isn’t logically connected to another

when a writer implies that because one thing follows another, the first caused the second. But sequence is not cause.

when a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue

when a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak. Setting up a straw man diverts attention from the real issue.

the qualification of a statement to either diminish or strengthen its hone, as in “She was disturbed -- make that appalled -- by the spectacle.” Traditionally, nay is often a keyword that sets up the shift, but no replaces it in modern usage except in facetious or whimsical writing: “You are the fairest flower in the garden - nay, in the entire meadow.”

a mode of expression, its intention being to tell a story

the expression of seemingly contrary ideas that have an underlying truth or coexistence

the close imitation of style, usually exaggerating the features of the model for comedic effect

overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (connotation usually negative)

the perspective from which the text is expressed (1st - the voice is a part of the action, usually “I, me, my, mine” pronouns; referring to the audience, often with the pronouns “you, your, yours”; written/spoken from an outside perspective “he, she, it, they”

one who argues with hostility and generally does not concede opposing opinions have merit

a humorous play on the multiple meanings of a word or words: “You can tune a fiddle, but you can’t tuna fish--unless you’re a bass player.”

working to prove an argument false

the art of effective or persuasive communication

techniques used to persuade an audience (logos: logic, reasoning, rhetorical appeal pertaining to the content of the message; pathos: a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow), the rhetorical appeal concerned with how to reach an audience emotionally; ethos: rhetorical appeal in which the author/speaker establishes trustworthiness of the audience, credibility

a question asked solely to produce an effect and not to elicit a reply, as in “What is so rate as a day in June?”

a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way, often through the use of humor, and generally intended to point out a flow and affect a change

these single words or brief phrases emphasize the thought they precede, interrupt, or - rarely - follow. examples: however, naturally, no doubt, and of course - and, in informal writing, phrases such as “you see.”

a logical argument often expressed in this typical form: “All A is C; all B is A; therefore all B is C.”

an object or action that is what it is and also takes special significance for literary or rhetorical effect

what an artistic work suggests about life

the expression of the author’s point, meaning, or position

the author’s attitude

a word, phrase, or clause that links different ideas or paragraphs

a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said

the use of language that surprises and slights; it may involve particularly perceptive, humorous, or ingenious thoughts expressed through great verbal power

the repetition of sounds, usually initial consonants in neighboring words: “She sells sea sells by the sea shore.”

a repetition of a word or of words at the beginning of two or more successive classes: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

repetition of words in reverse order (ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country)

repetition of a word or phrase at the close of successive clauses: “You said he was late - true though. You said he was not prepared - true though. You said he did not defend his statements - true though.” “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” “This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people…”

opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” “We shall support any friends, oppose any foe.”

absence of conjunctions: “We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.”

the reversal of the normal order or words for rhetorical effect “shouts the politician”

opposite of a periodic sentence, a sentence type in which the most important idea is expressed first, with dependent grammatical units following often conveying informality and a more conversational feel: “He might consider paying the higher fees at a private university, if the teacher/student ratio is small, the teachers are highly qualified, and the job placement rate is high.” “You can pass all your classes with good study habits and good attendance.” “He decided to major in science, even though he really wanted to study art, philosophy, and religion.

the framing of words, phrases, or clauses to provide structural similarity and symmetry

opposite of a loose sentence, a sentence in which critical meaning comes only at the end (at a period); in this sentence type, the important independent clause is preceded by dependent phrases or clauses (its effect is often more formal and adds emphasis and variety) ex: “In spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued.” “With low taxes, beautiful views and a mild climate, this city is a great place to live.”

an insertion of conjunctions before each word/phrase in a list: “My fellow students read and studied and wrote and passed. I laughed and played and talked and failed.”

speaking or writing something again for rhetorical effect

the way an author arranges words and phrases into sentences

a use of word(s) in a grammatically similar way that produce different meanings: “My teeth and ambition are bared - Be prepared!” “When you open a book, you open your mind.” “Now the trumpet summons us again-not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are-but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle…”