Rhetorical Choices Mega List

Rhetorical Choices and Stylistic Devices

Absolute: a word free from limitations or qualifications (best, all, unique, perfect, always, never, everyone) Ad Hominem argument: an argument attacking an individual’s character rather than his or her position on an issue Allegory: a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions Allusion: a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize Analogy: a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way Anaphora: repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses (Richard D. Bury: “In books I find the dead as if they were alive; in books I foresee things to come; in books warlike affairs are set forth; from books come forth the laws of peace.”) Anecdote: a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event Antithesis: a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” (Dickens) Aphorism: a concise, statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance. Ex.: “All’s well that ends well.” “ Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Argumentation: a pattern of writing or speaking that is characterized by reason and logic, and asserts a position, belief or conclusion

Assonance: Repetition of similar vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants, in the stressed syllables of adjacent words. Ex: The sergeant asked him to bomb the lawn with hotpots. Asyndeton: a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions (“They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.”) Balanced sentence: a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast (George Orwell: “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”) Chiasmus: a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (“Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.”) Climax: generally, the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of increasing importance, often in parallel structure (“The concerto was applauded at the house of Baron von Schnooty, it was praised highly at court, it was voted best concerto of the year by the Academy, it was considered by Mozart the highlight of his career, and it has become known today as the best concerto in the world.”) Colloquialism: informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing Complex sentence: a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause Compound sentence: a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions Compound-complex sentence: a sentence with two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses Concrete details: details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events Connotation: the implied or associative meaning of a word (slender vs. skinny; cheap vs. thrifty)

Cumulative sentence (loose sentence): a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases (Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal: “I have been assured by a very knowing American friend of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.”) Declarative sentence: a sentence that makes a statement or declaration Deductive reasoning: 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.) Denotation: the literal meaning of a word Details: Facts, observations, and incidents used to develop the topic; they bring life, color, and description, focusing the reader’s attention and drawing the reader in. Dialect: a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region (“Y’all” = Southern dialect)

Diction: the word choices made by a writer (diction can be described as: formal, semi-formal, ornate, informal, technical, etc.) The author’s choice of words and how such vocabulary choices contribute to the meaning and texture of the selection. To evaluate diction, you must read the words and infer how they reflect the writer’s vision.

Didactic statement: having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing Dissonance: harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds or ideas Ellipsis: the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (“Some people prefer cats; others...dogs.”) Use an ellipsis when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. Ellipses save space or remove material that is less relevant. They are useful in getting right to the point without delay or distraction. Epigram: a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying Epigraph: a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading of a chapter or other section of a work Ethos: the persuasive appeal of one’s character, or credibility Euphemism: an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant Exclamatory sentence: a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark Figurative language: language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)

Hyperbole: intentional exaggeration to create an effect. “It is so hot out here! I’m melting!” Idiom: an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect (“fly on the wall”, “cut to the chase”, etc.) Imagery: the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses.Sensory experience on paper. All five senses may be represented or intermingled. Images evoke a vivid experience, convey emotion, and suggest ideas Imperative sentence: a sentence that gives a command. “Go pick up your sister from school” (Mom). Implication: a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly. NOTE: the author/speaker implies; the reader/audience infers.

Inductive reasoning: deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (“Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals.) Inference: a conclusion on draws (infers) based on premises or evidence Interrogative sentence: a sentence that asks a question. “Why did you forget your sister at school?” (Mom) Invective: an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack Inverted syntax: a sentence constructed so that the predicate comes before the subject (ex: In the woods I am walking. Think Yoda!) Irony: the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs (situational, verbal, dramatic) Jargon: the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession. Juxtaposition: placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast Litotes: a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, “It was not a pretty picture.”) Logos: appeal to reason or logic by using logical reasoning, facts, statistics, etc. Malapropism: the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (“The doctor wrote a subscription.”) Maxim: a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage Metaphor: a direct comparison of two different things Metonymy: substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it (“The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting].) Mood: the emotional atmosphere of a work Motif: a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works Non sequitur: an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, “does not follow”) Paradox: an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth (“Whoever loses his life, shall find it.”) Parallelism: the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms Parody: a humorous imitation of a serious work (Weird Al Yankovic's songs, and the Scary Movie series are examples) Parenthetical Comment: a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to quality or explain Pathos: the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel emotion. Pedantic: often used to describe a writing style, characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship, characterized by being narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned Personification: endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics Polysyndeton: the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural (John Henry Newman: “And to set forth the right standard, and to train according to it, and to help forward all students towards it according to their various capacities, this I conceive to be the business of a University.”) Rhetoric: the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner Rhetorical choices: persuasive techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression Rhetorical pattern: format or structure followed by a writer such as comparison/contrast or process analysis.

Rhetorical question: a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer Sarcasm: harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule; from Greek “to tear at the flesh” Satire: the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions (Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, The Simpsons) Scheme: an artful deviation from the ordinary arrangement of words (anaphora, anastrophe, antithesis are some examples of schemes) Simile: a comparison of two things using “like,” “as,” or other specifically comparative words Simple sentence: a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause Solecism: non-standard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules, or a minor blunder in words, whether intentional or unintentional, usually for effect. ex: I ain't got no time for supper.

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter” (Yoda).

Stream of Consciousness: a technique characterized by the continuous unedited flow of conscious experience through the mind recorded on paper. Often used in “interior monologue,” when the reader is privy to a character or narrator’s thoughts. Structure: the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work Style: the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work (when analyzing style, one may consider diction, figurative language, sentence structure, etc.) Syllepsis: a construction in which one word is used in two different senses (“After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.”) Syllogism: a three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise (“All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal.”) Synecdoche: using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as “wheels”) Synesthesia (or synaesthesia): describing one kind of sensation in terms of another (“a loud color,” “a sweet sound”) Syntax: the manner in which words are arranged into sentences

Tautology: needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding (“Widow woman”, “free gift”) Theme: a central idea of a work Thesis: the primary position taken by a writer or speaker. Defensible and arguable Tone: the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience. Understanding tone is key to understanding meaning.

Trope: a commonplace, recognizable plot element, theme, or visual cue that conveys something in the arts. an artful deviation from the ordinary or principal signification of a word (hyperbole, metaphor, and personification are some examples of tropes).

Understatement: the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it Vernacular: the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage

For more detailed explanations and examples of a plethora of literary choices, go to http://literarydevices.net/

Structures or Patterns of Text

Cause/Effect: a pattern of writing or speaking which is characterized by its analysis of why something happens, in contrast to Process, which describes how something happens. Often links situations and events in time, with causes preceding events. Ex: the cause of a war and its effects on a national economy

Classification/Division: a pattern of text which is characterized by putting ideas or items into categories and/or separating ideas/items by characteristics

Comparison/Contrast: a pattern of writing or speaking which is characterized by, in its narrowest sense, how two or more things are similar (compare) and/or how two or more things are different (contrast). Definition: a pattern of writing or speaking which strives to inform the audience on what a term means and how it is different from other terms in its class.

Description: a pattern of writing or speaking which is characterized by physical descriptions of a person, place or thing. It is a pattern that relies on the five senses to inform it. Illustration/Exemplification: a pattern of writing or speaking which is characterized by using one or more particular cases, or examples, to illustrate or explain a general point or an abstract concept.

Narration: a pattern of writing or speaking which strives to tell a story by presenting events in an orderly, logical sequence. Conventionally utilizes the first or third person perspective.

Process: (a.k.a., Process Analysis) a pattern of writing or speaking which is characterized by its explanation of how to do something or how something occurs. It presents a sequence of steps and shows how those steps lead to a particular result. (Can be seen often in recipes or directional manuals, a discussion of steps)