glossary of literary and rhetorical terms
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Created by:
erinrosepluchino on May 10, 2010
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84 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 abstract language | language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. The observable or "physical" is usually described in concrete language |
| ad hominem | latin for "against the man." When a writer personally attacks his or her opponents instead of their arguments |
| allegory | a story, fictional or nonfictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts. The interaction of these characters, things and events id meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth. The characters and other elements may be symbolic of the ideas referred to. |
| alliteration | the repetition of initial identical consonant sounds. Or, vowel sounds in successive words or syllables that repeat |
| ambiguity | an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. Also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. Unintentional ambiguity is usually vagueness. |
| analogy | an analogy is a comparison to a directly parallel case. When a writer uses an analogy, he or she argues that a claim reasonable for one case is reasonable for the analogous case |
| anaphora | repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent. |
| anecdote | a brief recounting of a relevant episode. Anecdotes are often inserted into fictional or nonfictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor. |
| annotation | explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data |
| antithesis | a balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses |
| assonance | repetition of a vowel sounds within two or more words in close proximity |
| asyndeton | commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. Asyndeton takes the form of X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z |
| authority | arguments that draw on recognized experts or persons with highly relevant experience are said to rest on authoritative backing or authority. Readers are expected to accept claims if they are in agreement with any authority's view |
| backing | support or evidence for a claim in an argument |
| balance | construction in which both halves of the sentence are about the same length and importance |
| begging the question | often called circular reasoning, begging the question occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim. |
| casual relationship | in casual relationships, a writer asserts that one thing results from another. To show how one thing produces or brings about another is often relevant in establishing a logical argument. |
| chiasmus | arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of X Y Y X. Chiasmus is often short and summarizes a main idea |
| common knowledge | shared beliefs or assumptions are often called common knowledge. A writer may argue that if something is widely believed, then readers should accept it. |
| concrete language | language that describes specific, observable things, people or places, rather than ideas or qualities |
| connotation | rather than the dictionary definition, the associations suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning or denotation |
| consonance | repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity |
| conventional | following certain conventions, or traditional techniques of writing. an over reliance on conventions may results in a lack of originality. the five-paragraph theme is considered conventional |
| cumulative | sentence which begins with the main idea and then expands on that idea with a series of detains or other particulars |
| deconstruction | a critical approach that debunks single definitions of meaning based on the instability of language. the deconstructionist re-examines literary conventions in light of a belief that deconstruction "is not a dismantling of the structure of a text, but a demonstration that it has already dismantled itself." |
| diction | word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang. |
| didactic | a term used to describe fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking |
| dramatic irony | when the reader is aware of an inconsistency between a fictional or nonfictional character's perceptions of a situation and the truth of that situation |
| either-or reasoning | when the writer reduces an argument or issue to two polar opposites and ignores any alternative |
| elliptical | sentence structure which leaves out something in the second half. usually, there is a subject-verb-object combination in the first half of the sentence, and the second half of the sentence will repeat the structure but omit the verb and use a comma to indicate the ellipted material |
| emotional appeal | when a writer appeals to readers' emotion (often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument |
| epigraph | a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of theme |
| equivocation | when a writer uses the same term in two different senses in an argument |
| ethical appeal | when a writer tries to pursue the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text. reputation is sometimes a factor in ethical appeals, but in all cases the aim is to gain the audience's confidence. |
| example | an individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern. arguing by example is considered reliable if examples are demonstrably true or factual as well as relevant |
| explication | the act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. explication usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language |
| exposition | background information provided by a writer to enhance a reader's understanding of the context of a fictional or nonfictional story |
| false analogy | when two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection between them |
| fiction | a product of a writer's imagination, usually made up of characters, plot, setting, point of view, and theme. fiction is often described as lies told with the consent of the reader |
| figurative language | a word or words that are inaccurate literally, but describe by calling to mind sensations or responses that the thing described evokes. figurative language may be in the form of metaphors or similes, both non-literal comparison. Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage" is an example of non-literal, figurative language (metaphor, specifically) |
| freight-train | sentence consisting of three or more very short independent clauses joined by conjunctions |
| generalization | when a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim is certain rather than probable. sweeping generalizations occur when a writer asserts that a claim applies to all instances instead of some |
| hyperbole | conscious exaggeration used to heighten effect. not intended literally, hyperbole is often humorous |
| image | a word or words, either figurative or literal, used to describe a sensory experience or an object perceived by the senses. an image is always a concrete representation |
| imagery | the use of images, especially in a pattern of related images, often figurative, to create a strong, unifies sensory impression |
| inversion | variation of the normal word order (subject first, then verb, then complement) which puts a modifier or the verb as first in the sentence. the element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject |
| irony | when a reader is aware of a reality that differs from a character's perception of reality (dramatic irony). the literal meaning of a writer's words may be verbal irony |
| logic | an implied comparison resulting when one thing is directly called another. to be logically acceptable, support must be appropriate to the claim, believable and consistent |
| metaphor | a comparison of two things, often unrelated. a figurative verbal equation results where both " parts" illuminate one another. I.A. Richards called the literal term in a metaphor the "tenor" and the figurative term in "vehicle" |
| mood | an atmosphere created by a writer's word choice (diction) and the details selected. syntax is also a determiner of mood because sentence strength, length, and complexity affect pacing |
| moral | the lesson drawn from a fictional or nonfictional story. a heavily didactic story |
| negative-positive | sentence that begins by stating what is not true, then ending by starting what is true |
| non-sequitur | latin for "it does not follow." when one statement isn't logically connected to another |
| objectivity | a writer's attempt to remove himself or herself from any subjective, personal involvement in a story. hard news journalism is frequently prized for its its objectivity, although even fictional stories can be told without a writer rendering personal judgment |
| onomatopoeia | the use of a word whose pronunciation suggest its meaning. "Buzz," "hiss," "slam," and "pop" are frequently used examples |
| oversimplification | when a writer obscures or denies the complexity of the issues in an argument |
| oxymoron | a rhetorical antithesis. juxtaposing two contradictory terms, like "wise fool" or "eloquent silence." |
| paradox | a seemingly contradictory statement which is actually true. this rhetorical devise is often used for emphasis or simply to attract attention |
| parallelism | sentence construction which places in close proximity two or more equal grammatical constructions. parallel structure may be as simple as listing two or three modifiers in a row to describe the same noun or verb; it may take the form of two or more of the same type of phrases (prepositional, participial, gerund, appositive) that modify the same noun or verb; it may also take the form of two or more subordinate clauses that modify the same noun or verb. or, parallel structure may be a complex blend of single-word, phrase, and clause parallelism all in the same sentence |
| parody | an exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. the writer of a parody uses the quirks of style of the imitated piece in extreme or ridiculous way |
| pathos | qualities of a fictional or nonfictional work that evoke sorrow or pity. over-emotionalism can be the result of an excess of pathos |
| periodic | sentence that places the main idea or central complete thought at the end of the sentence, after all introductory elements |
| persona | a writer often adopts a fictional voice (or mask) to tell a story. persona or voice is usually determined by a combination of subject matter and audience |
| personification | figurative language in which inanimate objects, animals, ideas, or abstractions are endowed with human traits of human form |
| point of view | the perspective from which a fictional or nonfictional story is told. first-person, third-person, or omniscient points of views are commonly used |
| polysyndeton | sentence which uses and or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate the items in a series. it makes the sentence slower and the items more emphatic than in the asyndeton |
| post hoc, ergo propter hoc | latin for "after this, therefore because of this." when a writer implies that because one thing follows another, the first caused the second. but sequence is not cause |
| Red Herring | when a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue |
| refutation | when a writer musters relevant opposing arguments |
| repetition | word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity |
| rhetoric | the art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse. rhetoric focuses on the interrelationship of invention, arrangement, and style in order to create felicitous and appropriate discourse |
| satire | a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. satire doesn't simply abuse (as in invective) or get personal (as in sarcasm). satire targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals |
| sarcasm | a type of verbal irony |
| simile | a figurative comparison of two things, often dissimilar, using the connecting words "like" or "as" |
| straw man | 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 issues |
| style | the choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes. in combination they create a work's manner of expression. style is thought to be conscious and unconscious and may be altered to suit specific occasions. style is often habitual and evolves over time |
| symbol | a thing, event, or person that represents or stands for some idea or event. symbols also simultaneously retain their own literal meanings |
| syntactic fluency | ability to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex and/or simple and carried in length |
| syntactic permutation | sentence structures that are extraordinarily complex and involved. often difficult for a reader to follow |
| theme | the central idea of a work of fiction or nonfiction, revealed and developed in the course of a story or explored through argument |
| tone | a writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed though diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels |
| tricolon | sentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses |
| unity | a work of fiction or nonfiction is said to be unified if all the parts are related to one central idea or organizing principle. thus, unity is dependent upon coherence |
| verbal irony | when the reader is aware of a discrepancy between the real meaning of a situation and the literal meaning of the writer's words |
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