Rhetorical Devices

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11th grade English Flashcards on Rhetorical Devices, created by Arieanna Nazir on 09/04/2019.
Arieanna Nazir
Flashcards by Arieanna Nazir, updated more than 1 year ago
Arieanna Nazir
Created by Arieanna Nazir over 5 years ago
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Imagery language that describes something in detail and which appeals to one’s senses. Imagery is the use of vivid, descriptive language to represent objects, actions, and ideas. Example: "The wind blew through the window and painted the walls with frost" is another way of saying the room was cold. It plays on your sense of touch by describing a feeling in visual terms.
Allusion is a short reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work. Well-known works of literature, such as Greek and Roman myths, the Bible, Shakespearean plays, and fairy tales, are common sources of allusion. Example: A common Greek allusion is "Achilles' heel" referring to a weak spot, and a common Biblical allusion is "Armageddon" referring to a battle between good and evil.
Simile is an explicit comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as." Example: "And money is like muck, not good except it be spread."—Francis Bacon Example: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun . . ."—Shakespeare
Metaphor is a direct comparison between two seemingly unlike things in terms of hidden or subtle qualities common to each. Two things are compared by speaking of one in terms of another. A metaphor is a more developed comparison than a simile. The comparison does not use like or as, but rather makes a comparison by stating that one thing is something else. Example: "A man may break a word with you, sir, and words are but wind."—William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors Example: "Men's words are bullets, that their enemies take up and make use of against them."—George Savile, Maxims of State
Personification is a figure of speech in which an animal or inanimate object is endowed with human qualities or is represented as possessing human form. Example: The snowflakes danced on white rooftops and sat on the narrow fence.
Analogy is a comparison between two things which are alike in several respects. An analogy will often compare a familiar object or idea to an unfamiliar one in an attempt to explain the unfamiliar. An analogy is sometimes expressed in the form of a simile. Analogies can show similarities or differences between text, ideas, or situations. Example: "Memory is to love what the saucer is to the cup."—Elizabeth Bowen, The House in Paris, 1949 Example: "Knowledge always desires increase: it is like fire, which must first be kindled by some external agent, but which will afterwards propagate itself."—Samuel Johnson
Symbolism occurs when an object or image is used to represent another idea. A symbol is usually something tangible or visible (something you can touch or feel), but the idea it symbolizes may be something abstract or universal, such as love or hate. Example: A phoenix might symbolize "rebirth" and a dove might symbolize "peace."
Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which all of the elements of the story have meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. In other words, the story is symbolic of another story. Example: The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan is among the most famous allegories. The story involves the journey of Christian, an everyman character, from the City of Destruction (earth) to the Celestial City (heaven).
Irony is a figure of speech in which the actual intent of a word or phrase is the exact opposite of its literal meaning. It is the difference between what appears to be and what actually is. Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony where a speaker or character strongly states the opposite of the truth. People sometimes use sarcasm to ridicule or mock someone or something.
Satire is irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity. Satire is a verbal or visual mode of expression that uses ridicule to diminish its subject in the eyes of its audience. A defining feature of satire is its strong element of irony or sarcasm. Satire involves the fusion of laughter and contempt. Example: Many of Jonathan Swift's works are examples of satire because they portray harsh views of the world, including A Tale of a Tub, Gulliver's Travels, and "A Modest Proposal." Many of Mark Twain's works as well, such as The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg, are written in this mode.
Paradox is a statement that appears to be contradictory, but contains or reveals a degree of truth. A paradox is a statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements that upon closer inspection might have a deeper connection. Paradox attracts the reader's attention and therefore emphasizes a point. Example: We must sometimes be cruel in order to be kind. Example: "Art is a form of lying in order to tell the truth."—Pablo Picasso
Apostrophe is an interruption during a discussion in which the speaker directly addresses a person or personified thing. Many of Homer's epics, such as the Iliad, employ apostrophe to address the "goddess" or "Muse." Example: "O books who alone are liberal and free, who give to all who ask of you and enfranchise all who serve you faithfully!"— Richard de Bury
Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. This device calls attention to the phrase and is therefore useful for emphasis as well as art. Example: "Full fathom five thy father lies"—Shakespeare, The Tempest Example: "I shall delight to hear the ocean roar, or see the stars twinkle, in the company of men to whom Nature does not spread her volumes or utter her voice in vain."—Samuel Johnson
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