question

Allegory

answer

a narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance

question

Alliteration

answer

the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables

question

Allusion

answer

a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference

question

Anaphora

answer

the regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses

question

Antithesis

answer

the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas

question

Aphorism

answer

a concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief

question

Apostrophe

answer

the act of addressing some inanimate abstraction or person that is not physically present: it often helps the speaker to be able to express his or her thoughts aloud

question

Appeal to Authority

answer

rhetorical argument in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in a field

question

Appeal to Emotion

answer

rhetorical argument in which the speaker attempts to play upon the emotions

question

Appeal to Logic

answer

rhetorical argument in which the speaker appeals to the use of reason

question

Assonance

answer

the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words

question

Asyndeton

answer

a syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose

question

Attitude

answer

the sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme

question

Begging the Question

answer

an argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evading or ignoring the real question

question

Canon

answer

that which has been accepted as authentic

question

Chiasmus

answer

a figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second

question

Claim

answer

in argumentation, an assertion of something as fact

question

Colloquial

answer

a term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area

question

Comparison and Contrast

answer

a mode of discourse in which two or more things are compared, contrasted, or both

question

Conceit

answer

a comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem

question

Connotation

answer

the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase

question

Consonance

answer

the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels

question

Convention

answer

an accepted manner, model, or tradition

question

Critique

answer

an assessment or analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for the purpose of determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre

question

Deductive Reasoning

answer

the method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles; movement from the general to the specific

question

Dialect

answer

the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group

question

Diction

answer

the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect

question

Didactic

answer

having an instructive purpose or a lesson; often associated with a dry, pompous presentation, regardless of its innate value to the reader/listener

question

Elegy

answer

a poem or prose work that laments, or meditates upon the death of, a person or persons

question

Epistrophe

answer

in rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences

question

Epitaph

answer

writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone

question

Ethos

answer

in rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator

question

Eulogy

answer

a speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person

question

Euphemism

answer

an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information

question

Exposition

answer

writing that explains its own meaning or purpose

question

Extended Metaphor

answer

a series of comparisons within a piece of writing

question

Figurative Language

answer

language having levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, oxymoron, litote, and others

question

Flashback

answer

an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration

question

Genre

answer

a type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history

question

Homily

answer

a sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life

question

Hyperbole

answer

overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention

question

Imagery

answer

broadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work; more narrowly, the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object

question

Inductive Reasoning

answer

the method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles; movement from the specific to the general

question

Inference

answer

a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data

question

Irony

answer

the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant

question

Verbal Irony

answer

what the author/narrator says is actually the opposite of what is meant

question

Situational Irony

answer

when events end up the opposite of what is expected

question

Dramatic Irony

answer

in drama and fiction, facts or situations are known to the reader or audience but not to the characters

question

Isocolon

answer

parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure but also in length

question

Jargon

answer

specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group

question

Juxtaposition

answer

the location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose

question

Litote

answer

a figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement

question

Loose Sentence

answer

a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases

question

Metaphor

answer

one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy

question

Metonymy

answer

a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something

question

Mode of Discourse

answer

the way in which information is presented in written or spoken form

question

Mood

answer

a feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view

question

Narrative

answer

a mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort

question

Onomatopoeia

answer

a word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes

question

Oxymoron

answer

a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements

question

Paradox

answer

a statement that seems contradictory but is probably true

question

Parallel Structure

answer

the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts

question

Pathos

answer

that element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow

question

Periodic Sentence

answer

a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end

question

Point of View

answer

the relation in which a narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse

question

Prose

answer

the ordinary form of written language without metrical structure, in contrast to verse and poetry

question

Realism

answer

attempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail

question

Rebuttal

answer

an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered

question

Rhetoric

answer

the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking

question

Rhetorical Question

answer

a question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered

question

Sarcasm

answer

a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical

question

Satire

answer

a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure

question

Simile

answer

a direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, usually using the words \"like\" or \"as\" to draw the connection

question

Style

answer

the manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure

question

Symbolism

answer

use of a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or \"stands for\" something else

question

Synecdoche

answer

a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole

question

Syntax

answer

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences

question

Theme

answer

the central or dominant idea or focus of a work; the statement a passage makes about its subject

question

Tone

answer

the attitude the narrator/writer takes toward a subject and theme; the tenor of a piece of writing based on particular stylistic device employed by the writer

question

Voice

answer

the acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story; the speaker's or narrator's particular \"take\" on an idea based on a particular passage and how all the elements of the style of the piece come together to express his or her feelings

question

Zeugma

answer

a grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated

SAT Essay Rhetorical Devices

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards