Rhetorical Devices (esp. for the new SAT)
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adage
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a familiar proverb or wise saying
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allegory
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a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
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allusion
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a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize
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analogy
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a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
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anaphora
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the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences
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anecdote
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a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event
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antecedent
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the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
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aphorism
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a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance
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apostrophe
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a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction
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argument
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a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work
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asyndeton
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a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions
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chiasmus
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a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (\"Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary\"
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cliché
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an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off
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complex sentence
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a sentence with one independent clause and at lease one dependent clause
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compound sentence
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a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions
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concrete details
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details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events
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connotation
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the implied or associative meaning of a word
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declarative sentence
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a sentence that makes a statement or declaration
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deductive reasoning
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reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore the sun will rise on Tuesday morning)
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denotation
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the literal meaning of a word
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diction
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the word choices made by a writer
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dilemma
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a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives
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elegy
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a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme
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ellipsis
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the omission of a word or phrase wich is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (\"Some people prefer cats; others, dogs\")
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epic
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a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history or a race or nation
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epiphany
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a moment of sudden revelation or insight
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epithet
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a term used to point out a characteristic of a person. Homeric ________ are often compound adjectives (\"swift-footed Achilles\") that become an almost formulaic part of a name. _________ can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of their given ________ (\"The Rocket\")
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eulogy
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a formal speech praising a person who has died
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euphemism
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an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
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figurative language
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language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc)
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foreshadowing
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the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work
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genre
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a major category or type of literature
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hyperbole
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intentional exaggeration to create an effect
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idiom
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an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expressions; or, a regional speech or dialect
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imagery
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the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses
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invective
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an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack
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irony
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the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning;or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs
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juxtaposition
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placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
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literary license
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deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect
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litotes
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a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (\"It was not a pretty picture\")
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malapropism
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the mistake substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (\"the doctor wrote a subscription\")
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maxim
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a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage
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metaphor
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a direct comparison of two different things
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metonymy
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substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it (\"the pen is mightier than the sword\")
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mood
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the emotional atmosphere of a work
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motif
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a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works
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myth
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a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events
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narrator
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the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient
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non sequitur
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an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, \"does not follow\")
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omnisciente narrator
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a narrator who is able to know see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of characters
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onomatopoeia
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a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds
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oxymoron
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an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined
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parable
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a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
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paradox
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an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth
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parallelism
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the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms
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paraphrase
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a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity
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parody
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a humorous imitation of a serious work
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pathos
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the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity
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personification
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endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics
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polysyndeton
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the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural
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pun
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a play on words
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rhetoric
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the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner
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rhetorical question
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a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer
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sarcasm
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harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule
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satire
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the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions
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scapegoat
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a person or group that bears the blame for another
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simile
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a comparison of two things using \"like\", \"as\", or other specifically comparative words
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style
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the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work
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synecdoche
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using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as \"wheels\")
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syntax
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the manner in which words are arranged into sentences
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theme
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a central idea of a work
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tone
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the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience
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topic
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the subject treated in a paragraph or work
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tragedy
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a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction
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trite
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overused and hackneyed
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understatement
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the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis
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usage
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the customary way language or its elements are used
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vernacular
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the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage
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ethos
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One of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by Aristotle. Basically an appeal to credibility. The writer is seeking to convince you that he or she has the background, history, skills, and/or expertise to speak on the issue. Whenever you encounter an ethos argument, always ask yourself is the credibility is substantiated and valid. An essay advocating policy changes on drug rehabilitation programs is more powerful is the person is a former addict or customer in a current rehab program.
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pathos
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Appeal to emotion An appeal to emotion. This is one of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by Aristotle. Typically, pathos arguments may use loaded words to make you feel guilty, lonely, worried, insecure, or confused. The easiest way to remember whats pathos arguments are is to see most advertising as a form of pathos argument.
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logos
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An appeal to reason. It is one of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by Aristotle. It occurs when a writer tries to convince you of the logic of his argument. writers may use inductive argumentation or deductive argumentation, but they clearly have examples and generally rational tome to their language. The problem with logos is that is can appear reasonable until you dissect the argument and then find fallacies that defeat the viability of the argument on the reader's eyes. Of course, that presupposes that the readers is able to identify the fallacies.
