Any repetitition of grammatical structures, phrases or clauses | ||
A form of parallelism that contrasts opposites | ||
A type of parallelism with three parallel phrases or clauses. Also known as the rule of three | ||
The repetition of the same word at the beginning of repeated sentences or clauses | ||
A question to which the speaker and audience already knwo the answer | ||
Indirect reference to Biblical, literary, historical, or mythological figures, events, or stories | ||
Repetition of the initial consonant sounds beginnings veral words in sequence | ||
Repetition of the same vowel sounds in words close to each other | ||
Rhetorical repetition of one or several words. specifically, repetition of a word that ends one clause at the beginning of the next | ||
Repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of succesive clauses | ||
Expression of doubt by which a speaker appears uncertain as to what she should think, say, or do | ||
A turn from the general audience to address a specific group or person or personficied abstraction absent or present | ||
Lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words | ||
Harsh joining of sounds | ||
A harsh metaphor involving the use of a word beyond its strict sphere | ||
Two corresponding pairs arranged not in parallels but in inverted order | ||
Arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in anorder of ascending power | ||
Substitution of an agreeable or at least a non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant | ||
Exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect | ||
Expression of something which is contrary to the intended meaning, the words say one thing but mean another | ||
Implied comparison | ||
Repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or sentence | ||
Apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another | ||
An assertion seemingly opposed to sommon sense, but that may have some truth | ||
Attribution of personality to an impersonal thing | ||
Uss of superficious or redundant words, often enriching thought | ||
An explicit comparison between two things using like or as | ||
Use of a word with two others, with each of which is understood differently |
Rhetorical Terms for Midterm
Primary tabs
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!