1. Rhetorical Terms Review

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

3. Allusion
Brief reference to a person, event, place (real or fictional) designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

4. Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

5. Antimetabole
Repetition of words in reverse order eg. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country

6. Antithesis
Opposition or contrast of ideas in a balanced or parallel construction

7. Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words

8. Concession
An acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable.

9. Connotation
Meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation.

10. Context
The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.

11. Enthymeme
An argument in which one premise is not explicitly stated

12. Juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparison or contrast

13. Metaphor
Figure of speech that says one thing in order to explain by comparison (Differs from Simile, which uses like or as

14. Occasion
The time and place a speech is given or a piece is written.

15. Oxymoron
Paradoxical juxtaposition of words that seem to contradict one another

16. Parallelism
Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

17. Persona
The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.

18. Purpose
The goal the speaker wants to achieve

19. Refutation
A denial of the validity of an opposing argument

20. Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos—appeal to the character and credibility of the speaker
Logos—appeal to logic and reason
Pathos—appeal to emotion

21. Speaker
The person or group who creates a text

22. Subject
The topic of a text. What the text is about.

23. Syllogism
A formal argument with a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion
All men are mortal.
Socrates is a man.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

24. Toulmin Model Classical argument arranged in standard English Claim
Grounds
Warrant
Backing
Counter Argument/Rebuttal
Qualification

25. Claim
Assertion the speaker wishes to prove

26. Grounds
Support or rationale for the claim The “because” clause that accompanies the claim

27. Warrant
 The underlying connection between the claim and groungs, or why the evidence supports the claim

28. Backing
Tells audience why the warrant is a rational one.

29. Counterargument/Rebuttal
Addresses potential objections to the claim

30. Qualifier
Additions to the claim that add nuance and specificity to its assumption, helping to counter rebuttals.

31. Zuegma
Use of two different words in a grammatically similar way but producing different, often incongruous, meanings
Ex.
All over Ireland the farmers grew potatoes, barley, and bored.
In quick succession, Susan lost her job, her house and her mind!