AP Language Vocabulary Terms

equivocation

("to call by the same name") is an informal logical fallacy. It is the misleading use of a term with more than one meaning or sense (by glossing over which meaning is intended at a particular time). It generally occurs with polysemic words (words with multiple meanings).

metastasis

(1) A rhetorical term for shifting responsibility or blame, or turning an objection back against itself. (2) Treating an issue as if it were of little importance; passing quickly from one point to another. Ex: Dr. Lisa Cuddy: You idiot! I was free and clear. Now he's coming and it's your fault! Dr. James Wilson: Since when has your failed attempt at communication through lies become my fault? Dr. Lisa Cuddy: Since you forgot how to keep your mouth shut! You messed it up, and now you fix it! And you're gonna keep my name out of it! ("Unfaithful," House M.D>, 2009)

ad hominem

(Latin) means "against the man". As the name suggests, it is a literary term that involves commenting on or against an opponent to undermine him instead of his arguments.

converse accident fallacy

(hasty generalization) the fallacy of considering certain exceptional cases and generalizing to a rule that fits them alone/opposite of accident. Ex: E.g., "I interviewed ten people on Main Street in Greenwood on Friday night, and they all stated they would rather be there than watching TV. I conclude that the folks in Greenwood don't like to watch TV on Friday night."

ignoratio

(irrelevant conclusion): the fallacy of proving a conclusion not pertinent and quite different from that which was intended or required.

anecdote

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event. Example: stories

analogy

A comparison of two things made to explain something unfamiliar through its similarities to something familiar, or to prove a point about one thing based upon its similarity to another. Similes and metaphors are types.

allegory

A narrative technique in which characters representing objects or abstract ideas are used to convey a message or teach a lesson. Typically used to teach moral, ethical, or religious lessons but is sometimes used for satiric or political purposes. Examples include Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress and George Orwell's Animal Farm

allusion

A passing reference, without explicit identification, to a literary or historical person, place or event, or to another literary work or passage. Most serve to illustrate or expand upon or enhance a subject, but some are used in order to undercut it ironically by the discrepancy between the subject and itself. Since these are not explicitly identified, they imply a fund of knowledge that is shared by an author and the audience for whom the author writes.

erotesis (rhetorical question)

A rhetorical question implying strong affirmation or denial. Adjective: erotetic. Also, as Richard Lanham points out in A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (1991), this may be defined as a rhetorical question "which implies an answer but does not give or lead us to expect one, as when Laertes rants about Ophelia's madness: 'Do you see this, O God?' (Hamlet, IV, v)."

adianoeta

A rhetorical term for a text that has an alternative or "deeper" meaning in addition to its apparent or surface meaning. Jay Heinrichs defines it as an "ironic figure of hidden meaning" (Word Hero, 2011)

diacope

A rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase broken up by one or more intervening words. Ex: a very popular example is in William Shakespeare' Hamlet, "to be, or not to be!"

complex sentence

A sentence that contains one main clause or independent clause and at least one subordinate clause or dependent clause: "Although I am tired (subordinate clause), I want to go to the midnight movie (main clause)."

eunoia

Goodwill towards an audience, either perceived or real; the perception that the speaker has the audience's interest at heart.

metonymy

It is a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated. Ex: England decides to keep check on immigration. (England refers to the government.) The pen is mightier than the sword. (Pen refers to written words and sword to military force.) The Oval Office was busy in work. ("The Oval Office" is a metonymy as it stands for people at work in the office.) Let me give you a hand. (Hand means help.)

active voice

One of the two "voices" of verbs When the verb of a sentence is in this voice, the subject is doing the acting, as in the sentence "Kevin hit the ball." Kevin (the subject of the sentence) acts in relation to the ball.

leptologia

See quibbling --> Using careful language to obfuscate ("That depends on what your definition of 'is' is").

homerism

The activity of miming of scenes from one of Homer's epics. It was common in Greek- and Roman-era pagan festivals

alliteration

The repetition of a speech sound in a sequence of nearby words. The term is usually applied only to consonants, and only when the recurrent sound begins a word or a stressed syllable in a word

enargeia

The special effects of figures-vivid description that makes an audience believe something is taking place before their very eyes

anadiplosis

The term is a Greek word which means "to reduplicate". It refers to the repetition of a word or words in successive clauses in such a way that the second clause starts with the same word which marks the end of the previous clause.

idiom

The term refers to a set expression or a phrase comprising two or more words. An interesting fact regarding the device is that the expression is not interpreted literally. The phrase is understood as to mean something quite different from what individual words of the phrase would imply. Alternatively, it can be said that the phrase is interpreted in a figurative sense. Ex: Common idioms that refer to people include: A chip on your shoulder - means you are holding a grudge High as a kite - means you are drunk or on drugs Sick as a dog - means you are very ill Idioms that refer to your actions would be: Rub someone the wrong way - meaning to annoy or bother Jump the gun - would mean to be doing something early Pay the piper - means you need to face the consequences of your actions Some idioms use color words to convey other meanings. For example, there are several that use the word "blue:" "The blues" can refer to both a style of music and feeling sad. If something occurs rarely, it is said to happen "once in a blue moon", because a blue moon is two full moons in one month, which doesn't happen often. "Out of the blue" means something happens that was unexpected.

abstract

Used as a noun, the term refers to a short summary or outline of a longer work. As an adjective applied to writing or literary works, it refers to words or phrases that name things not knowable through the five senses.

appositive

When a noun or word is followed by another noun or phrase that renames or identifies it. This is a literary device that appears before or after a noun or noun phrase. It is always used with commas. ex: The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. The insect, a large cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. The insect, a large cockroach with hairy legs, is crawling across the kitchen table. The insect, a large, hairy-legged cockroach that has spied my bowl of oatmeal, is crawling across the kitchen table.

anthropomorphism

Where animals or inanimate objects are portrayed in a story as people, such as by walking, talking, or being given arms, legs and/or facial features.

metaphor

a common figure of speech that compares two things without using any comparing words (such as like or as). The writer or speaker relates the two unrelated things that are not actually the same, and the audience understand that it's a comparison, not a literal equation. Ex: All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree. (Albert Einstein) She was a rock star at our last business presentation. This is probably not referring to a literal rock star falling from space or the other common metaphor: a musician performing at a rock concert. Instead, it simply means the person delivered a great performance at the meeting and stood out like a rock star on the stage.

annotation

a critical or explanatory note or body of notes added to a text. When you do this to a text, you underline, highlight, draw arrows, and make marginal comments. It is a way of making the text your own, of literally putting your mark on it--noting its key passages and ideas.

eristic

a derivative of a Greek word eris that means to create strife or to wrangle. It is defined as a literary device in which the writers and speakers engage in a heated argumentation without reaching a conclusion or solving a particular issue.

epithet

a descriptive literary device that describes a place, a thing or a person in such a way that it helps in making the characteristics of a person, thing or place more prominent than they actually are. Also, it is known as a by-name or descriptive title.

hypophora

a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question. Commonly, a question is asked in the first paragraph and then the paragraph is used to answer the question. Ex: "What made me take this trip to Africa? There is no quick explanation. Things got worse and worse and worse and pretty soon they were too complicated." (Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow) In this passage, the writer asks the question and immediately explains. This creates a rhetorical effect which lies in providing the answer that readers might expect to be given by a writer.

oxymoron

a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common (blank) phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, e.g. "cruel kindness" or "living death". Ex: Open secret Tragic comedy Seriously funny Awfully pretty Foolish wisdom Original copies Liquid gas

irony/ironic

a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality. Ex: I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is. The name of Britain's biggest dog was "Tiny". You laugh at a person who slipped stepping on a banana peel and the next thing you know, you slipped too. The butter is as soft as a marble piece. "Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera." a. dramatic irony: an important stylistic device that is commonly found in plays, movies, theaters and sometimes in poetry. Storytellers use this irony as a useful plot device for creating situations where audience knows more about the situations, the causes of conflicts and their resolutions before leading characters or actors. b. situational irony: a literary device that you can easily identify in literary works. Simply, it occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead. Thus, entirely different happens from what audience may be expecting or the final outcome is opposite to what the audience is expecting. c. verbal irony: occurs when a speaker speaks something contradictory to what he intends to. It is an intentional product of the speaker and is contradictory to his/her emotions and actions. To define it simply, it means when a character uses statement with underlying meanings contrasting with its literal meanings.

aporia

a figure of speech wherein a speaker purports or expresses to be in doubt or in perplexity regarding a question (often feigned) and asks the audience how he/she ought to proceed. The doubts may appear as rhetorical questions often in the beginning of the text. ex: "To be, or not to be: that is the question."

expletive

a grammatical construction that starts with the words like "it, here and there", etc. This rhetorical device usually interrupts the normal speech and lays emphasis on the words. It originates from Latin word explere that means to fill, which plays a syntactic role, but does not contribute to the meanings of a sentence or line, and also known as empty words such as in this sentence, "There are some guests waiting for you," in which there are is expletive phrase. Ex: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." (From Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen) See, the use of it was not necessary at the beginning; however, it emphasizes the overall impact of this sentence. You can see expletive word in italics.

clause

a group of related words containing a subject that tells readers what the sentence is about, and a verb that tells readers what the subject is doing.

conceit

a kind of metaphor that compares two very unlike things in a surprising and clever way. Often are extended metaphors that dominate an entire passage or poem. Metaphysical poet John Donne was known for his (often called metaphysical).

antimetabole

a literary and rhetorical device in which a phrase or sentence is repeated, but in reverse order. Writers or speakers use this for effect-calling attention to the words, or demonstrating that reality is not always what it seems by using the reversal of words.

foreshadowing

a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.

logos

a literary device that can be defined as a statement, sentence or argument used to convince or persuade the targeted audience by employing reason or logic. Ex: Inductive reasoning - Inductive reasoning involves a specific representative fact or case which is drawn towards a conclusion or generalization. However, inductive reasoning requires reliable and powerful evidence that is presented to support the point. Deductive reasoning - Deductive reasoning involves generalization at the initial stage and then moves on towards the specific case. The starting generalization must be based on reliable evidence to support it at the end.

ellipsis

a literary device that is used in narratives to omit some parts of a sentence or event, which gives the reader a chance to fill the gaps while acting or reading it out. It is usually written between the sentences as "...".

inference/infer

a literary device used commonly in literature and in daily life where logical deductions are made based on premises assumed to be true. Another definition of this term suggests that it is rational but non-logical, which means that through the observation of facts presented in a particular pattern, one ultimately sees different or new interpretations and perspectives. Ex: Sheldon Cooper: I took another look at the board, and I realized you were right. Raj Koothrappali: So you were wrong. Sheldon Cooper: I'm not saying that. Raj Koothrappali: That's the only logical inference. Sheldon Cooper: I'm still not saying it. (Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar, "The Pirate Solution." The Big Bang Theory, 2009)

concession

a literary device used in argumentative writing where one acknowledges a point made by one's opponent. It allows for different opinions and approaches toward an issue, indicating an understanding of what causes the actual debate or controversy. ex: "Dad, I know taking a trip to another country with my friends may be expensive and unsafe, but I have studied so hard the past year and I think I deserve a vacation. You already know how responsible I have been all my life; I don't think there will be any problem." The above statement is an example of this. It demonstrates the negative aspects of traveling as a young group of boys, but argued against this with the fact that this particular boy has always been a responsible person and will not get in trouble.

mood

a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions--usually referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional situation that surrounds the readers. Ex: "The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly on."

juxtaposition

a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. Ex:

jargon

a literary term that is defined as a use of specific phrases and words by writers in a particular situation, profession or trade. These specialized terms are used to convey hidden meanings accepted and understood in that field. Ex:

deductive reasoning

a method of reasoning from the general to the specific/ 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.)

caricature

a picture or imitation of a person, literary style, etc. in which certain features or mannerisms are exaggerated for satirical effect. ex: "Mr. Chadband is a large yellow man, with a fat smile, and a general appearance of having a good deal of train oil in his system. Mrs. Chadband is a stern, severe-looking, silent woman. Mr. Chadband moves softly and cumbrously, not unlike a bear who has been taught to walk upright. He is very much embarrassed about the arms, as if they were inconvenient to him."

narrative

a report of related events presented to the listeners or readers in words arranged in a logical sequence.

chiasmus

a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures in order to produce an artistic effect. Let us try to understand with the help of an example: "Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You."

enumeration

a rhetorical device used for listing the details or a process of mentioning words or phrases step by step. In fact, it is a type of amplification or division in which a subject is further distributed into components or parts.

deliberative rhetoric

a rhetorical genre used to convince an audience to complete or not complete an action.

accismus

a rhetorical term for coyness: a form of irony in which a person feigns a lack of interest in something that he or she actually desires.

dubitatio

a rhetorical term for the expression of doubt or uncertainty. The doubt that is expressed may be genuine or feigned.

metanoia

a self-correction. It's when a writer or speaker deliberately goes back and modifies a statement that they just made, usually either to strengthen it or soften it in some way. Ex: To help or, at least, to do no harm." (The Hippocratic Oath) Doctors take this oath before they can get their credentials, and it contains a famous example of a "softening". It opens with a very strong, clear, and direct statement - "to help." But no doctor is perfect, and sometimes a patient is sick in ways that modern medicine cannot heal, so if the oath simply ended there, then doctors would inevitably violate it all the time

compound sentence

a sentence that has at least two independent clauses joined by a comma, semicolon or conjunction. An independent clause is a clause that has a subject and verb and forms a complete thought. ex: She did not cheat on the test, for it was not the right thing to do. I think I will buy the red car, or I will lease the blue one. I really want to go to work, but I am too sick to drive. I am counting my calories, yet I really want dessert. He ran out of money, so he had to stop playing poker. Read more at http://examples.yourdictionary.com/compound-sentence-examples.html#GTGKrie8II5x0y0J.99

maxim

a simple and memorable line, quote or rule for taking action and leading a good life. Simply put, it is a thought with moralistic values that intends to motivate individuals. Ex: It's better to be safe than sorry. You're never too old to learn. Opposites attract. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. One man's meat is another man's poison. We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears. It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.

aphorism

a statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles. To qualify as this term, it is necessary for a statement to contain a truth revealed in a terse manner.

didactic

a term that refers to a particular philosophy in art and literature that emphasizes the idea that different forms of art and literature ought to convey information and instructions along with pleasure and entertainment.

apostrophe

a term used when a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn't present in the poem. The speaker could be addressing an abstract concept like love, a person (dead or alive), a place, or even a thing, like the sun or the sea. ex: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky."

archetype

a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature. ex: The Hero: He or she is a character who predominantly exhibits goodness and struggles against evil in order to restore harmony and justice to society e.g. Beowulf, Hercules, D'artagnan from "The Three Musketeers" etc.

paradigm

a widely accepted example, belief or concept. Ex: evolution and the earth being round.

coordinating conjunction

a word that connects phrases and words. Ex: the word "and" in the sentence, "Sally went to the park, and she went to the grocery store."

ambiguity

a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. These words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of unintentional humor.

loose sentence

also called a cumulative sentence, begins with a main clause that is followed by phrases and/or clauses that modify the main clause. These phrases or clauses add information to the main or independent clause. Ex: I went to the movies yesterday, bought candy, and shopped at the mall. He might consider paying the higher fees at a private university, if the teacher/student ratio is small, the teachers are highly qualified, and the job placement rate is high. Florida is a great vacation spot for families, with Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World. I could tell my mother was upset from her tapping foot and her stern expression.

conjunctive adverb

an adverb or adverbial phrase that indicates the relation in meaning between two sequential independent clauses (or main clauses). ex: accordingly afterward, also, anyhow, anyway, as a result, at last, at the same time, besides, certainly, consequently, conversely, earlier, eventually, finally, for example, for instance, further, furthermore, hence, however, in addition, in any case, incidentally, indeed, in fact, in short, instead, in the, meantime, later, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, namely, nevertheless, next, now, on the contrary, on the other hand, otherwise, perhaps, similarly, so, still, subsequently, that is, then, therefore, thus

fallacy

an erroneous argument dependent upon an unsound or illogical contention. Ex: Appeal to Popular Opinion: "Lots of individuals purchased this collection, so it must be great."

argument

an exchange of ideas/the main statement of a poem, an essay, a short story, or a novel that usually appears as an introduction or a point on which the writer will develop his work in order to convince his readers. Literature does not merely entertain. ex: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

enthymeme

an informally stated syllogism with an implied premise.

motif

an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work--can be seen as an image, sound, action or other figures that have a symbolic significance and contributes toward the development of theme. Ex: In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many "small town" images and values represented. For example, there is a school play, where Scout and her classmates represent the various agricultural products of the county. There is a comforting scene with neighbors gathering after a fire. Things move "slowly" and people have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

adage

brief pieces of wisdom in the form of short, philosophical, and memorable sayings. It expresses a well-known and simple truth in a few words. Also known as proverbs or aphorisms. Example: "Don't judge a book by its cover."

innuendo

can be defined as an indirect or a subtle observation about a thing or a person. It is generally critical, disparaging or salacious in nature, and its use is almost always derogatory. However, it must be kept in mind that it is the most thinly-veiled form of satire and when it is strong, it takes the shape of criticism. Types of Innuendo: Innuendo can be categorized into different forms, such as: Innuendo in nature Innuendo in everyday life Innocent Innuendo Accidental Innuendo Sexual Innuendo

concrete

constituting an actual thing or instance; real/pertaining to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions; particular (opposed to general). ex: "He is going to have a terrible fall." is abstract. "He will be climbing the stairs quickly, while throwing paperclips, and suffer a terrible fall when he misses a step." is (blank)

neologism

defined as a new word or a new use for an old word, or the act of making up new words. Ex: the word webinar, for a seminar on the web or the Internet.

onomatopoeia

defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting. Ex: The buzzing bee flew away. The sack fell into the river with a splash. The books fell on the table with a loud thump. He looked at the roaring sky. The rustling leaves kept me awake. Meow Moo Neigh Tweet Oink Baa

hyperbole

derived from a Greek word meaning "over-casting" is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. Ex: My grandmother is as old as the hills. Your suitcase weighs a ton! She is as heavy as an elephant! I am dying of shame. I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

litotes

derived from a Greek word meaning "simple", is a figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions. Ex: They do not seem the happiest couple around. The ice cream was not too bad. New York is not an ordinary city. Your comments on politics are not useless. You are not as young as you used to be. I cannot disagree with your point of view. William Shakespeare was not a bad playwright at all. He is not the cleverest person I have ever met. She is not unlike her mother. Ken Adams is not an ordinary man A million dollars is not a little amount. You are not doing badly at all. Your apartment is not unclean.

denotation

generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings. Ex: An example of this literary term can be found in the poetic work of Robert Frost's "Mending Wall": "And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again. We keep the wall between us as we go. To each the boulders that have fallen to each." In the above lines, the word "wall" is used to suggest a physical boundary which is its meaning but it also implies the idea of "emotional barrier".

anaphora

is the literary device in which a phrase is repeated at the beginning of the following clauses or sentences. This repetition serves to emphasize the phrase while adding rhythm to the passage, making it more memorable and enjoyable to read. For example, imagine you are frustrated and tired with your friend, who is making the same mistakes over and over again. I'm sick and tired of you letting me down. I'm sick and tired of you making me mad. And I'm sick and tired of you doing such silly things! Through the repetition of "I'm sick and tired," the phrase has become more emotionally-charged than before.

Kairos

is timeliness, appropriateness, decorum, symmetry, balance—awareness of the rhetorical situation or "the circumstances that open moments of opportunity" (Kinneavy; Sipiora; Vatz; Bitzer; Hill 217)/in Ancient Greek meant "time" - but it wasn't just any time. It was exactly the right time to say or do a particular thing. In modern rhetoric, it refers to making exactly the right statement at exactly the right moment.

induction

known as a conclusion reached through reasoning. An ___________(blank) statement is derived using facts and instances which lead to the formation of a general opinion. Though all the facts upon which the conclusion is based are true, there is still a chance of the conclusion reached being false. This type of reasoning goes from specific facts to a general statement. Ex: "This marble from the bag is black. That marble from the bag is black. A third marble from the bag is black. Therefore all the marbles in the bag black." The statement above is an example of inductive reasoning. Since the first marble from the bag was black, the second was black and the third was black the conclusion reached is that all the marbles in the bag are black.

homily

literally "sermon", or any serious talk, speech, or lecture providing moral or spiritual advice.

antithesis

literally means "opposite" - it is usually the opposite of a statement, concept, or idea. In literary analysis, it is a pair of statements or images in which the one reverses the other. The pair is written with similar grammatical structures to show more contrast. It is used to emphasize a concept, idea, or conclusion.

non sequitur

literary devices which include the statements, sayings and conclusions that do not follow the fundamental principles of logic and reason. They are frequently used in theater and comedies to create comedic effects. Ex: Fallacy of the undistributed middle such as "All humans have bones. Crocodiles have bones. Therefore, crocodiles are humans" Affirming the consequent such as "If Charles is right, then Diana is right. As Diana is right, therefore, Charles is right." Denying the antecedent such as "If I am Indian, then I am Asian. I am not Indian. Therefore, I am not Asian." Affirming a disjunct such as "Adam is true or Eve is true. Adam is true. Therefore, Eve is not true." Denying a conjunct such as "It is not that both Horse and Cow is true. Cow is not true. Therefore, Horse is true."

paradox

means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. Ex: Your enemy's friend is your enemy. I am nobody. "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." - George Bernard Shaw Wise fool Truth is honey which is bitter. "I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde

genre

means the type of art, literature or music characterized by a specific form, content and style. Ex: poetry, drama, prose, fiction, non-fiction, etc.

paralipsis

means to omit or to leave something on one side. It is defined as a rhetorical device in which an idea is deliberately suggested through a brief treatment of a subject, while most of the significant points are omitted. It is explained through the use of this device that some points are too obvious to mention. Ex: The music, the service at the feast, The noble gifts for the great and small, The rich adornment of Theseus's palace *All these things I do not mention now.* Though all the important points are mentioned clearly, Chaucer seems to pretend in the final line that he has not given any significance to these points.

asyndeton

means unconnected. It is a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and in the sentence, yet maintain the grammatical accuracy. ex: An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish. - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

epideictic

one of the three branches, or "species" (eidē), of rhetoric as outlined in Aristotle's Rhetoric, to be used to praise or blame during ceremonies/designed to display something, esp the skill of the speaker in rhetoric

forensic rhetoric

one of the three main branches of rhetoric: speech or writing that considers the justice or injustice of a certain charge or accusation.

demonstrative rhetoric

persuasive discourse dealing with values that bring a group together; the rhetoric of ceremony, commemoration, declamation, play, and display. Also called epideictic rhetoric.

extended metaphor

refers to a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem. It is often comprised of more than one sentence and sometimes consists of a full paragraph. Ex: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts." (Shakespeare's As You Like It) Shakespeare has remarkably compared "earth" to a "stage" in the extract mentioned above.

connotation

refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings. ex: A dog means shamelessness or an ugly face. A dove implies peace or gentility. Home suggests family, comfort and security. Pushy refers to someone loud-mouthed and irritating.

euphemism

refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant. Ex: You are becoming a little thin on top (bald). Our teacher is in the family way (pregnant). He is always tired and emotional (drunk). We do not hire mentally challenged (stupid) people. He is a special child (disabled or retarded).

ethos

represents credibility or an ethical appeal which involves persuasion by the character involved.

circumlocution

rhetorical device that can be defined as an ambiguous or paradoxical way of expressing things, ideas or views. In fact, when somebody wants to stay ambiguous about anything and he does not want to say something directly, it means he is using this. ex: the use of the phrase "pass on" instead of "dies."

comma splice

similar to run-on sentences because they also incorrectly connect independent clauses. occurs when two independent clauses are connected with only a comma

begging the question

sometimes known by its Latin name petitio principii (meaning assuming the initial point), is a logical fallacy in which the writer or speaker assumes the statement under examination to be true. involves using a premise to support itself. Ex: Paranormal activity is real because I have experienced what can only be described as paranormal activity. Explanation: The claim, "paranormal activity is real" is supported by the premise, "I have experienced what can only be described as paranormal activity." The premise presupposes, or assumes, that the claim, "paranormal activity is real" is already true

malapropism

the act of using an incorrect word in place of one that is similar in pronunciation./a use of an incorrect word in place of a similar sounding word that results in a nonsensical and humorous expression. Ex: Richard J. Daley, the former mayor of Chicago, is said to have called "tandem bicycle" as "tantrum bicycle" and also have incorrectly used "Alcoholics Unanimous" instead of "Alcoholics Anonymous"

antecedent

the grammatical term used to refer to the noun that a pronoun replaces. Examples: 1. Jennifer = she or her 2. Bob and Chris = they or them 3. Kevin = he or him

colloquial/colloquialism

the use of informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing. tend to sneak in as writers, being part of a society, are influenced by the way people speak in that society. ex: a bunch of numpties - a group of idiots to bamboozle - to deceive go bananas - go insane or be very angry wanna - want to gonna - going to y'all - you all go nuts - go insane or be very angry look blue -look sad buzz off - go away