1. Rhetorical Analysis Terminology
AP English Language and Composition

2. Definition of Rhetoric
The art of persuasion and argumentation
The study and practice of effective communication
“Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion” (Aristotle)
Rhetoric is “acting on another through words” (James Moffet)
“The duty and office of rhetoric is to apply reason to imagination for the better moving of the will” (Francis Bacon)

3. Greek term for “orator”
Rhetor
Greek term for “orator”
Anyone who composes discourse that is intended to affect community thinking about events

4. Trilogy of Rhetoric
Ethos: persuasive appeal based on projected character of the speaker/writer. Also refers to the speaker/writer’s credibility/authority on the topic
Logos: persuasive appeal based on logic (inductive and deductive reasoning, facts, statistics, cause-effect, expert testimony, etc.)
Pathos: persuasive appeal to the audience’s emotions (use of powerful words/images, sensory details, figurative language, anecdotes, religious appeals, etc.)

5. Allegory
A text (story, speech, poem, etc.)or art that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
In the most general sense, an allegory is an extended metaphor throughout the course of a text

6. Analogy
A comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

7. To “amplify” an argument
Amplification
General term for all the ways in which an argument can be expanded or enriched
To “amplify” an argument

8. Anaphora
Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several successive clauses or verses

9. Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases
Antithesis
Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases
Ex.) “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…” (Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities)

10. Apostrophe
Address to an absent or dead person (or a non-existent character)
Ex.) “O Captain, My Captain!” by Walt Whitman (address to deceased Abraham Lincoln)

11. Ex.) “I flee who chases me, and chase who flees me” (Ovid)
Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed.
Ex.) “I flee who chases me, and chase who flees me” (Ovid)
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Shakespeare, Macbeth)

12. Connotation vs. Denotation
Connotation - The emotional implication that words may carry. Connotations may be:
Private and personal, the result of individual experience
Group-based (national, linguistic, ethnic)
General or universal (held by all or most people)
Denotation – the dictionary definition of a word

13. Preferred method of reasoning (more reliable)
Deductive Reasoning
Method of reasoning that moves from a general observation to a specific conclusion
Preferred method of reasoning (more reliable)

14. Diatribe
Bitter, abusive criticism or denunciation of a person, group, organization, idea, etc.

15. Didactic
Writing which teaches a specific lesson or moral to provide a correct model of behavior

16. Straying away from the main point under discussion
Digression
Straying away from the main point under discussion

17. Usually serves as a “unifying” function
Editorial “we”
When the speaker/writer includes himself in a group, often as the spokesperson
Usually serves as a “unifying” function

18. Omission of one or more words (…)
Ellipsis
Omission of one or more words (…)

19. Enumeration
Listing of items/ideas in order, often by naming steps such as first, second, third, etc.

20. Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses
Epiphora
Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses
Also called “epistrophe” (know both terms)

21. Ex.) “veal” instead of “tender dead flesh of a baby cow”
Euphemism
Substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered unpleasant and/or offensive
Ex.) “veal” instead of “tender dead flesh of a baby cow”
“Friendly fire” instead of “you killed your comrade in battle”
“glistening” instead of “sweating”

22. Exhortation
Discourse that provides advice or warning to do what is proper and required
Ex.) Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech advises the nation on how to proceed with Civil Rights acquisition

23. Development or full treatment of a topic with use of multiple examples
Expansion
Development or full treatment of a topic with use of multiple examples
“Expanding” the argument

24. Hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration
Figure of speech

25. Inductive reasoning
A form of reasoning that moves from specific observations to a general conclusion
Not as reliable

26. A discourse that casts blame on someone or something
Invective
A discourse that casts blame on someone or something

27. Situational: when the unexpected occurs
Main Types of Irony
Situational: when the unexpected occurs
Dramatic: when the audience knows something the characters do not
Verbal: sarcasm

28. Loose/Cumulative Sentence
A sentence that combines numerous clauses that is grammatically complete before the end (opposite of a periodic sentence).
Clauses may give the appearance of being tacked on haphazardly

29. Using a word that is closely related to the term it replaces
Metonymy
Using a word that is closely related to the term it replaces
Ex.) “crown” for “king”
“suits” for “businessmen”
Remember…metonymy, CLOSELY RELATED
…synecdoche, PART OF THE WHOLE

30. Juxtaposition of two contradictory terms
Oxymoron
Comes from two Greek words meaning “sharp” and “dull,” which is itself an oxymoron
Juxtaposition of two contradictory terms
Ex.) “jumbo shrimp,” “original copy,” “bitter sweet,” “icy hot,” “exact estimate,” “paid volunteer”

31. “The swiftest traveler is he that goes afoot” (Thoreau, Walden)
Paradox
A statement that appears contradictory at first but then reveals a deeper truth upon examination
“The swiftest traveler is he that goes afoot” (Thoreau, Walden)
“War is peace” (Orwell, 1984)

32. Remember: Periodic sentence complete with the period
A long and involved sentence which is not grammatically complete until the final word (usually builds toward an emphatic climax)
Remember: Periodic sentence complete with the period

33. “Concession and refutation”
When a rhetor anticipates an opposing argument and offers a counter-argument
“Concession and refutation”
Concession = recognizing that an opposing argument/viewpoint exists
Essential in all successful argumentation

34. An individual’s account of an event or state of affairs
Testimony
An individual’s account of an event or state of affairs
Could be expert testimony, witness testimony, personal testimony, etc.

35. A series of three written in parallel form
Tricolon
A series of three written in parallel form
Ex.) “A happy life is one spent learning, earning, and yearning” (Lillian Gish)

36. Understatement
When a rhetor deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is
Ex.) “The grave’s a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace.” (Andrew Marvell)

37. Other terms you are expected to know:
Ambiguity (unclear references; open to multiple interpretations)
Imagery (language that appeals to the five senses)
Personification (giving human characteristics to inanimate objects)
Simile and metaphor (figurative language that compares two unlike objects/ideas/etc. Simile utilizes “like” or “as”)
Tone (author’s attitude) and Mood (the feeling evoked from the reader; atmosphere of the piece of literature)
Alliteration (repetition of initial consonant sounds)
Allusion (reference to a well-known person, place, event, etc. May be literary, historical, or Biblical)
Satire (to mock or criticize someone or something in society, usually using humor)
Symbolism (object holds meaning outside of its literal meaning)