Quiz List 1: Rhetorical Terms

juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity

consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds

adage

a proverb, wise saying

anecdote

a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines

metonymy

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it

personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

ellipsis

the deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author

alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

jargon

vocabulary distinctive to a particular group of people

mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event that is not explicitly explained

paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

allegory

A story in which each aspect of the story has a symbolic meaning outside the tale itself.

satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.

tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant