Rhetorical Terms II
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Created by:
cthomton on August 12, 2009
Subjects:
AP English Language & Composition
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21 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ambiguity | an expression or statement that has more than one meaning |
| analogy | a comparison between two things that are similar in some way, often used to help explain something or make it easier to understand |
| antecedent | a word or phrase that a subsequent word refers to. "Mary" is the antecedent of "her" in the sentence "I'll give this to Mary if I see her. |
| antithesis | the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite |
| aphorism | a succinct statement expressing an opinion, a moral principle, or a general truth. Can be a memorable summation of the author's point. |
| exposition | the part of a literary or dramatic work in which the basic facts of setting and character are made known |
| genre | major category into which a literary work fits |
| homily | literally means sermon, but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice. |
| imagery | sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions i.e. sensory (five senses) words, simile, metaphor used in poetry, prose, plays, etc. On AP exam, pay attention to how and author creates imagery and to the effect of this imagery. |
| inference | to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. Not directly stated. |
| invective | abusive or violent language used to attack, blame, or denounce somebody |
| narrative | the telling of a story or an account of an event or a series of events |
| prose | one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, in normal continuous form without the rhythmic or visual line structure of poetry. |
| rhetoric | From the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively. |
| sarcasm | From the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," sarcasm involves remarks that mean the opposite of what they seem to say and are intended to mock, hurt, or ridicule. |
| satire | a work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule, a style of writing in which the writer uses irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, sarcasm. |
| syllogism | a formal deductive argument made up of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. An example is, "All birds have feathers, penguins are birds, therefore penguins have feathers." |
| synechdoche | a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or, the whole is used to represent a part. Examples: To refer to a car as "wheels"; to refer to the violins, violas, etc., in an orchestra as "the strings." |
| synesthesia | when one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another. Example: The sight of red ants makes you itchy. In literature, synesthesia refers to the practice of associating two or more different senses in the same image. Red Hot Chili Peppers' song title, "Taste the Pain," is an example. |
| thesis | In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position. Such writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proven his thesis. |
| transition | a word, phrase, or passage that links one subject or idea to another in speech or writing, signaling a shift from one idea to another. |
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