rhetoric quiz #5

satire

Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire uses fictional characters, which stand for real people, to expose and condemn their corruption. A writer may point a satire toward a person, a country or even the entire world. Usually, a satire is a comical piece of writing which makes fun of an individual or a society to expose its stupidity and shortcomings. In addition, he hopes that those he criticizes will improve their characters by overcoming their weaknesses.

syllogism

Syllogism is a rhetorical device that starts an argument with a reference to something general and from this it draws conclusion about something more specific. Let us try to understand the concept with the help of an example. We start with a general argument "All men are mortal," we know that "John is a man" so "John is mortal." It is a deductive approach to reason and is based on deducing specific conclusions from general facts. We notice in the above example that Syllogism is a three-part set of statements; a major statement or premise, a minor statement or premise and a conclusion that is deduced. Therefore, "All men are mortal" is a major statement or premise which stands as a general fact. "John is a man" is minor statement or premise that is specific and "John is mortal" is the logical conclusion deduced from the two prior statements.

symbol/symbolism

Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another, to give an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For instance, "smile" is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has for you. Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. "A chain," for example, may stand for "union" as well as "imprisonment". Thus, symbolic meaning of an object or an action is understood by when, where, and how it is used. It also depends on who reads the work.

synechdoche

Synechdoche is a literary device in which a part of something represents the whole or it may use a whole to represent a part. Synechdoche may also use larger groups to refer to smaller groups or vice versa. It may also call a thing by the name of the material it is made of or it may refer to a thing in a container or packing by the name of that container or packing.

syntax

Syntax is a set of rules in a language. It dictates how words from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a complete thought. ex."Thee, Shepherd, thee the woods and desert caves, With wild thyme and the gadding vine o'ergrown, And all their echoes mourn"

understatement

An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter "I am delighted," you are making an understatement. Similarly, suppose a team loses to its opponent 50 to 0 in a soccer match, and the captain of the team says in a post-match ceremony, "We did not do well," it is an understatement because he is trying to decrease the intensity of the loss. An understatement usually has an ironic effect, as an equally intense response is expected in severe situations, but the statement in response is the opposite of what was expected. For instance, your friend returns your new coat with a large wine stain on the front of it. In response, you make an understatement, "It doesn't look too bad." Therefore, an understatement is opposite to another figure of speech, hyperbole, which is an overstatement.

thesis

In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or a group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position. Expository writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proved the thesis.

subordinate clause

Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, the subordinate clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, the subordinate clause depends on a main clause, sometimes called an independent clause, to complete its meaning. Easily recognized key words and phrases usually begin these clauses 0 for example: although, because, unless, if even though, since, as soon as, while who, when , where, how and that.

theme

The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually theme is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the theme may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing.

style

The style in writing can be defined as the way a writer writes. It is the technique that an individual author uses in his writing. It varies from author to author, and depends upon one's syntax, word choice, and tone. It can also be described as a "voice" that readers listen to when they read the work of a writer.

subject complement

The word (with any accompanying phrases) or clauses that follows a linking verb and complements, or completes, the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it or (2) describing it. The former is technically a predicate nominative, the latter a predicate adjective. Multiple-choice questions.

transition

Transitions are words and phrases that provide a connection between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs. Transitions help to make a piece of writing flow better. They can turn disconnected pieces of ideas into a unified whole, and prevent a reader from getting lost in the storyline. Since the goal of a writer is to convey information clearly and concisely, transitions help achieve that aim by providing a logical connection between one or more sections of a piece of writing. Transitions usually work best when used to link one paragraph to the next, and are usually found at the beginning of the paragraph, although they can be used anywhere when needed.

undertone

Undertone is an attitude that lies under the ostensible tone of a literary work. In simple words, it is an implied meaning that usually points towards the underlying theme of a work. It is because mostly writers do not express it directly as their attitude or theme; rather, they do it by using images or symbols. Therefore, sometimes it becomes difficult to identify undertones.

wit

Wit has originated from an old English term wit, which means "to know." It is a literary device used to make the readers laugh. Over the years, its meanings have kept changing. Today, it is associated with laughter and comedy. It is, in fact, a clever expression of thought; whether harmless or aggressive, with or without any disparaging intent toward something or someone. Wit has paradoxical and mocking quality, and evokes laughter through apt phrasing. It is a cleverly woven expression and idea that evokes pleasure and amusement when used appropriately. Wit has historically been a specific sign of a cultivated intellect and mind. It was often found in poetry, but stage plays were also full of wit, specifically during the Restoration Period. In modern times, wit is a hallmark of political and social writings. Examples of Wit in Literature Example #1: The Good Morrow (by John Donne) "My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears, And true plain hearts do in the faces rest; Where can we find two better hemispheres, Without sharp north, without declining west? Whatever dies, was not mixed equally; If our two loves be one, or, thou and I Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die." John Donne has used plenty of wit and conceit in this poem. He has presented a comparison between his beloved and two hemispheres which form the earth. This unusual comparison between the speaker and his beloved makes the reader feel pleased, making it a good example of the use of wit in a poem. Example #2: Canto-I, The Rape of the Lock (by Alexander Pope) "The Rape of the Lock" has an abundance of scintillating and sparkling wit. In fact, through his wit, Alexander Pope has made a comic assault on a society preoccupied with superficialities. It is a witty satire that ridicules idleness, laziness, follies, frivolities, shallowness, hypocrisy, and vanities of aristocratic ladies of the eighteenth century. He gives his readers an amusing picture of the ladies of his time. "Say what strange motive, goddess! could compel A well-bred lord to assault a gentle belle? O say what stranger cause, yet unexplored, Could make a gentle belle reject a lord? In tasks so bold, can little men engage? And in soft bosoms dwells such mighty rage?" In this example, Pope brings into question whether "little men" can engage the boldness of women - in whose bosoms is found great anger. Only Pope could have coined this wit. Example #3: The Importance of Being Earnest (by Oscar Wilde) The dialogues in Oscar Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Earnest, are full of wit, paradoxical twists, epigrams, and humor. For instance, the character Algernon Moncrieff delivers a witty statement that "Divorces are made in heaven," which is an amendment of another statement, "Marriages are made in heaven." A saying that "Two is company and three is none" flows into another naughty implication, "In married life three is company and two is none." The character, John "Jack" Worthing, also uses witty statements in speaking to Algernon, saying that "Some aunts are tall, some aunts are not tall. You seem to think that every aunt should be exactly like your aunt." Example #4: A Modest Proposal (by Jonathan Swift) A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is another good example of sharp wit and biting sarcasm. His proposal is brief, in that the government of Ireland can resolve its economic problems by allowing poor families to sell their children as a source of food for the wealthy. By doing this, Swift suggests, the impoverished families could be useful to society. Swift delivers sarcastic and witty statements against landlords by saying, "I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for the landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children." Function Wit is frequently used in literature, public speeches, media, politics, everyday conversation, and many other fields of life. An inferior form of wit lies in the use of word play, oxymorons, puns, and paradoxes, whereas higher wit appears in the use of conceits, metaphors, and arguments. By intelligent wit, writers mock the social foibles and follies of society; often using paradoxical expressions, which appear to appreciate those foibles, but, in fact, they are disparagingly

semantics

deals with interpretation and meaning of the words, sentence structure, and symbols. It deals with the reading comprehension of the readers, in how they understand others and their interpretations. In addition, semantics constructs a relation between adjoining words and clarifies the sense of a sentence, whether the meanings of words are literal or figurative.

tone

tion of Tone Tone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject. Every written piece comprises a central theme or subject matter. The manner in which a writer approaches this theme and subject is the tone. The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, or cheerful, or it may be any other existing attitude. Consider the following examples of tone: "I want to ask the authorities what is the big deal? Why do they not control the epidemic? It is eating up lives like a monster." "I want to draw the attention of the appropriate authorities toward damage caused by the epidemic. If steps are not taken to curb it, it will further injure our community." The theme of both tone examples is the same. The only way we can differentiate between them is their separate tone. The tone in the first example is casual or informal while, it is more formal in the second. Tone Examples in Common Speech We adopt a variety of tones in our day-to-day speech. This intonation of our speech determines what message we desire to convey. Read a few examples below: Example #1 Father: "We are going on a vacation." Son: "That's great!!!" - The tone of son's response is very cheerful. Example #2 Father: "We can't go on vacation this summer." Son: "Yeah, great! That's what I expected." - The son's tone is sarcastic. Example #3 "Yeah, your grades on this exam will be as good as the previous exams." - The tone is pessimistic in this example. Example #4 "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?" - This has an aggressive tone. Short Examples of Tone Though the starry sky was beautiful, his mood was so melancholic that he took no interest in it. The old man took the handful of dust from his farm and sniffed it with great pleasure. The sweet smell of spring roses made overjoyed him. The old man's face looked so peaceful after death that he seemed in deep sleep. The spectacle of sunset was so astounding that people stood watching breathlessly. The scorching heat of the desert sun burned his skin black, and he could see death hovering over his head. The singing of birds was deemed a messenger for approaching spring. His stinking breath kept listeners at a considerable distance from him. The muffled church bell sounded as thought it came from an unfathomably deep well. The kind touch of her mother's hand comforted her in her pain. He was on his way to home when he saw a boy of ten, who moved his heart as he stood weeping. The negotiations between the two states came to a halt after terms of reference could not be agreed upon. The harsh gusts of cruel cold wind battered her body. He went into the restaurant and ordered a hot coffee, the cozy atmosphere inside reminded him of the past. Examples of Tone in Literature Tone has a significant place in literature as it manifests writers' attitudes toward different subjects. Example #1: Catcher in the Rye (By J. D. Salinger) Holden Caulfield, in J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, unfolds his personality through the tone he adopts throughout the novel. Let us have a look at some of his remarks: "All morons hate it when you call them a moron." "If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody." "******* money. It always ends up making you blue as hell." "Catholics are always trying to find out if you're Catholic." Holden's tone is bitterly sarcastic as he criticizes the nature of things in real life. His character may reveal the attitude of the writer towards life, as it is common for writers to use their characters as their mouthpieces. Example #2: The School (By Donald Barthelme) Observe the tone of a short story, The School, by Donald Barthelme: "And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don't know why they died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn't the best. We complained about it. So we've got thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and we've got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was depressing." The use of the adjectives "dead" and "depressing" sets a gloomy tone in the passage. As trees signify life here, their unexpected "death" from an unknown cause gives the above passage an unhappy and pessimistic tone. Example #3: The Road Not Taken (By Robert Frost) Robert Frost, in the last stanza of his poem The Road Not Taken, gives us an insight into the effect of tone: "I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Frost tells us about his past with a "sigh," this gives the above lines an unhappy tone. This tone leads us into thinking that the speaker in the poem had to make a difficult choice. Example #4: A River Runs Through It (By Norman Maclean) "This was the last fish we were ever to see Paul catch. My father and I talked about this moment several times later, and whatever our other feelings, we always felt it fitting that, when we saw him catch his last fish, we never saw the fish but only the artistry of the fisherman." The extract contains tones of loss and nostalgia; however, the characters look quite satisfied with the way things are moving forward. Example #5: The Tell-Tale Heart (By Edgar Allen Poe) "It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND - MUCH SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! What COULD I do?" This short story by Poe contains the tones of insanity, nervousness, and guilt. The character suffers from all these feelings, which the writer has translated into a story. Example #6: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (By Ernest Hemingway) "It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference." In this short excerpt, the culminating tone of the writer is that of peace and serenity, though he talks of the day time in a bit different tone. Function of Tone Tone, in a piece of literature, decides how the readers read a literary piece, and how they should feel while they are reading it. It stimulates the readers to read a piece of literature as a serious, comical, spectacular, or distressing manner. In addition, tone lends shape and life to a piece of literature because it creates a mood. Moreover, tone bestows voice to characters, and throws light on the personalities and dispositions of characters that readers understand better. Share the knowledge! 8 1 Related Posts: A Pound of Flesh Curiosity Killed the Cat Hamlet Act-I, Scene-I Study Guide To Sleep, Perchance to Dream Once More unto the Breach My Kingdom for a Horse Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be All the World's a Stage Miles to Go Before I Sleep Alas, Poor Yorick! Raining Cats and Dogs