Rhetorical
Terms
ALLUSION

To refer to indirectly.
Anadiplosis



The repetition of the last word of one clause at
the beginning of the following clause.
See Sentence Variation Packet for example
"They call for you: The general who became a
slave; the slave who became a gladiator; the
gladiator who defied an Emperor. Striking story."
-- delivered by Joaquin Phoenix (from the movie
Gladiator)
Anaphora



A rhetorical figure involving the exact repetition
of words or phrases at the beginning of
successive lines or sentences. It is a type of
parallelism.
See Sentence Variation Packet for examples.
Example: “ M.L.K.’s speech “I Have a Dream”
employs anaphora in which several successive
sentences begin with the phrase “I have a dream
that one day…”
Antimetabole


The arrangement of ideas in the second
clause is a reversal of the first
See Sentence Variation Packet for example:
Am I a philosopher dreaming I’m a
butterfly; or a butterfly dreaming I’m a
philosopher?
Antithesis


Opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words
in a balanced or parallel structure.
Example: “We shall support any friend,
oppose any foe.”
Apostrophe

An address, either to someone who is
absent and therefore cannot hear the
speaker, or to something nonhuman that
cannot comprehend. Apostrophe often
provides a speaker the opportunity to think
aloud.
ASYNDETON



Leaving out conjunctions between words,
phrases, clauses.
See Sentence Variation Packet for example:
I saw the mountain; I climbed the
mountain; I conquered the mountain.
COLLOQUIAL SPEECH

Conversational language
CONNOTATION
 The
emotional response that a
word arises in a reader.
Epanalepsis



The repetition at the end of a clause of the
word, or a form of the word, that occurred
at the beginning of the clause.
For example see sentence variation packet:
“Dinner was over, but no one had dined;
the argument had taken away everyone’s
appetite.”
ETHOS
When
a speaker/writer
focuses the audiences
attention on themselves or
to an authority figure to
strengthen their argument.
Figurative Language

Language that employs one or more
figures of speech (simile, metaphor,
personification, hyperbole, etc.)
Hyperbole


deliberate exaggeration of a person, thing,
quality, event to emphasize a point external
to the object of exaggeration; intentional
exaggeration for rhetorical effect.
"So first of all, let me assert my firm belief
that the only thing we have to fear is fear
itself." -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, First
Inaugural Address
IMAGERY

Vivid use of language that evokes a
reader’s sense (sight, smell, taste, touch,
hearing)
Imperative sentence


Sentence used to command, enjoin,
implore or entreat.
Example “My fellow citizens of the world:
ask not what America will do for you, but
what together we can do for the freedom of
man.”
Irony

To express the opposite of what is expected
Juxtaposition


Placement of two things closely together to
emphasize comparisons or contrasts.
See Chapters 2 Glossary of The Language
of Composition book for example.
LOGOS

When the author uses, logic, statistics or
facts to support their argument.
METAPHOR


A comparison made without using like or
as
"With this faith we will be able to transform
the jangling discords of our nation into a
beautiful symphony of brotherhood." -Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream
MOOD
 The
atmosphere, usually
created by descriptions of
the settings and characters.
Oxymoron



Paradoxical juxtaposition of words that
seem to contradict one another
Example: But this peaceful revolution.
"Safe sex -- now there's an oxymoron. That's
like 'tactical Nuke' or 'adult male.'" -delivered by Tim Curry (from the movie
Lover's Knot)
PARADOX



a statement or proposition that seems selfcontradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a
possible truth.
The next time I have a daughter, I hope it's a boy."
-- delivered by Paul Lynde (from the movie Bye
Bye Birdie)
The criminal act that took his life brings shame to
our country. An apostle of non-violence has been
the victim of violence. The cause for which he
marked and worked, I am sure, will find a new
strength." - Hubert H. Humphrey, Remarks on the
Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Parallelism



A similarity of structure in a pair or series of
related words, phrases, or clauses.
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well
or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any
burden, meet any hardship, support any friend,
oppose any foe to assure the survival and the
success of liberty."
-- John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address
PATHOS
When
a writer appeals to
the audiences emotions.
Personification


Attribution of a lifelike quality to an
inanimate object or idea.
Example: with history the final judge of our
deeds
 "Once again, the heart of America is heavy.
The spirit of America weeps for a tragedy
that denies the very meaning of our land." - Lyndon Baines Johnson
POLYSYNDETON


The deliberate use of a series of conjunctions
"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living
creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was
so. And God made the beast of the earth after his
kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing
that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and
God saw that it was good." -- Genesis 1:24-25
(KJV)
RHETORIC

The art of persuasion through speaking
and writing
SATIRE

Literature that uses irony, wit and sarcasm
SIMILE



Comparison using like or as
But His strong love stands like a granite
rock unmoved by the hurricanes of our
inequity."
-- [originally delivered by Charles Haddon
Spurgeon]
Syllogism

A form of deduction logic that connects two ideas through a third one: "All
men are mortal; Socrates is a man; Socrates is mortal" (this form is called
Darii), "All coal is black: some rocks are not black; some rocks are not
coal" (this form is called Baroko)
The syllogism is composed of major premise; minor premise: conclusion.

Example from “Letter…”Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of
the Supreme Court [which outlaws segregation in the public schools], for it is
morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are
morally wrong.

We note, in conclusion, that this passage works largely through a number
of enthymemes which function as argumentative claims. The final
independent clause, "I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances,
for they are morally wrong," may be broken down into the following
syllogism:




Laws that are morally wrong should be disobeyed
Segregation ordinances are morally wrong
Segregation ordinances should be disobeyed
The opening, major, premise is strong, moral, and idealistic (and
potentially dangerous when misinterpreted as a license to commit
violence). Those who agree with it and act on it should, like King, be
prepared to bear its (perhaps unjust) consequences and, when needed, be
able to provide a justification for their actions.
THEME

The main message of a literary work
TONE

The author’s attitude toward a subject.
UNDERSTATMENT

To state in restrained, moderate, or weak
terms; vague