Rhetorical Terms Definitions

1. Period 1 Rhetorical Terms Definitions

2. Alliteration uh-lit-uh-rey-shuhn A repetition of the same sound beginning several words in a sequence. Example: apt alliteration's artful aid

3. ALLUSION Brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious or to a work of art Ex). Augustus' love of sweets was his Achilles heel

4. Anadiplosis [an-uh-di-ploh-sis] ~ n: Repetition of the words or phrase at the end of one sentence, line, or clause at the beginning of the next 1+2=3 3+1=4

5. Anaphora uh-naf-er-uh Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender. –Winston Churchill

6. Antimetabolerepitition of words in reverse oder an-tee-meh-TA-bo-lee "Eat to live, not live to eat" - Attributed to Socrates“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”

7. Archaic Diction Definition: Words such as “thee”, and “thou” that are no longer used commonly, but were once used in (for example) Shakespeare’s time. Examples: “beseech”, “hither”, “aught”, “mark” (as in notice), “doth”, etc. Etymology: The word “archaic” comes from the Greek word arkhaismos, meaning “to copy the ancients.” The word “diction” comes from the Latin dicerewhich means “to speak.”

8. Asyndeton uh-sin-di-ton, -tuhn Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” "They dove, splashed, floated, splashed, swam, snorted." A rhetorical term for a writing style that omits conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses

9. Antithesisopposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a balanced/parallel construction [an-tith-uh-sis] Give me liberty or give me death. –Patrick Henry It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. –Charles Dickens

10. Cumulative Sentence Pronunciation : kyoo-myuh-luh-tivsen-tns Definition: A sentence that completes the main idea a the beginning of the sentence, then builds and adds on. Example: “The water of the fountain ran, the swift river ran, the day ran into evening, so much life in the city ran into death according to rule, time and tide waited for no man, the rats were sleeping close together in their dark holes again, the Fancy Ball was lighted up at supper, all things ran their course.” – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

11. Denotation/Connotation Denotation is the dictionary definition of the word Connotation are the words that get associated with the denotative meanings Snake: Denotation-any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate regions Connotation-evil or danger

12. Heteroglossia \he-tə-rō-glä-sē-ə the existence of two or more voices within a text, esp. conflicting discourses within a linguistic activity as between the narrative voice and the characters in a novel A good example of heteroglossia would be all the different languages you use in the course of a day. You talk to your friends in one way, to your professor in another way, to your parents in a third way, to a waiter in a restaurant in a fourth way, etc.

13. Hortative Sentence Pronounced: hawr-tuh-tiv A sentence that exhorts, advises and calls to action Example: you can do it! Charge! Hang in there!

14. Imperative Sentence Definition: sentence used to command, enjoin, implore, or entreat Pronunciation: [im-per-uh-tiv] Examples: • Get out of my way! • Be there at 5:00. • Do your homework!

15. Inversion Definition: Rhetoric – The reversal of the usual order of words; anastrophe. Grammar - Any change from a basic word order or syntactic sequence, as in the placement of a subject after an auxiliary verb in a question or after the verb in an exclamation. Examples: “When will you go?”, “How beautiful is the rose!” Etymology: From the Latininversionem.

16. juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn Juxtaposition • Contrasting scenes, ideas, or items placed close together for the purpose of contrast • Example: In tale of two cities • “In the glow, the water of the chateau fountain seemed to turn to blood…” juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn

17. LITOTES ly-toh-teez figure of speech in which an affirmation is made by denying its opposite form of understatement, used for deliberate emphasis Examples: Not unlike = like Not useless = useful Not rare = common

18. Metaphor Definition: Something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol. Examples: “A mighty fortress is our God.” “It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun!” Etymology: From the Latin word metaphorameaning “a transfer” especially in the sense of a word to another word.

19. Metonymy mi – ton– uh - mee A figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept.

20. Oxymoronparadoxical juxtaposition of words that seems to contradict one another ok-si-mawr-on ex) Cold Fire

21. PARALEIPSIS [par-uh-lip-sis] -n  , pl : a rhetorical device in which an idea is emphasized by the pretence that it is too obvious to discuss, as in there are many drawbacks to your plan, not to mention the cost. -Suggesting by deliberately concise treatment that much of significance is omitted.

22. Parallelism par-uh-le-liz-uhm, -luh-liz A parallel or comparison; the relation of parallels Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. --John F. Kennedy

23. Periphrasis Periphrasis is an expression that says something indirectly. The use of an unnecessarily long form of expression; circumlocution. Example:"I took your picture to make a dartboard." puh-rif-ruh-sis

24. Periodic Sentence A sentence whose main clause is withheld to the end Example: “Because I love English class, I never will miss it.” Pe-ri-od-icSen-tence

25. Personification An ontological metaphor in which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person. Ex: The Sun kissed the flowers

26. Polysyndeton: • pronounced pol-ee-sin-di-ton, -tuhn • The use of several conjunctions in rapid succession • Helps convey mood and speed in prose. Example: It howled and thrashed and clawed at the air.

27. Rhetorical Question A question one poses for a persuasive effect without expecting a reply.

28. Self – Reflexive Re-flek-siv Making reference to an object or person’s own artificiality or existence For example, This is a good sentence.

29. Synecdoche Sin-nek-tuh-dee A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent a whole or a whole is used to represent a part For example, “ABC’s” is used to represent the alphabet, and A, B, and C are only part of the alphabet

30. Tri-Colon Crescendo A series of three phrases with parallel structure in order of increasing importance TRY-ko-lonkri-SHEN-doh “I came, I saw, I conquered.” “Veni, vidi, vici.” - Julius Caesar

31. On his fishing trip, he caught three trout and a cold Zeugma [zoog-muh] The use of a word to modify two or more words in such a way that it applies to each in a different sense. “You held your breath and the door for me” –Alanis Morissette