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Rhetorical Terms & Devices List 1

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A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
An indirect reference, often to another text or historical event
Capable of being interpreted in more than one way
A device employed to serve as a basis for comparing the similarities between two different items
the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
A short, astute statement of a general truth
form of personification, speaking to an absent or dead person or object as if it is there
A statement put forth and supported by evidence
A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate
That which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word's literal meaning
An informal or conversational use of language
The literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition
the manner in which something is expressed in words
writing whose purpose is to instruct or teach
The substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant
A setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing)
The comparison between two things is continued beyond the first point of comparison. This extends and deepens a description.
Writing or speech that is used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things, [examples are metaphor, simile, and personification.
a sermon or moralistic lecture
deliberate exaggeration
Vivid use of language that evokes a reader's senses
The act or process of deriving a conclusion based solely on what one already knows.
An abusive expression or speech
A situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to what was expected.
Placement of two things side by side for emphasis
a complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and the subordinate clause follows noun
A figure of speech that uses the name of an object, person, or idea to represent something with which it is associated.
Similar to tone, it is the primary emotional attitude of a work (the feeling of the work; the atmosphere. Syntax is also a determiner of this term because sentence strength, length, and complexity affect pacing.
Retelling an event or series of events
The use of words that sound like what they mean, such as "hiss".
A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms.
The relative speed with which a story is told or an idea is presented
A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true
The repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns
a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way
excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules
a complex sentence in which the main clause comes last and is preceded by the subordinate clause
representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature
the repeated use of the same word or word pattern as a rhetorical device
study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)
A mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual
language or writing that exposes follies or abuses by holding them up to ridicule
the act of changing one thing or position for another
a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period
Objects, pictures, or other concrete representations of ideas, concepts, or other abstractions
the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences
a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work noun
the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author
the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

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