Literary Terms

A claim or argument is rejected on the basis of some irrelevant fact about the author of or the person presenting the claim or argument

Insincere ond/or excessively sentimental demonstration of pathos

Rhetorical strategy of extending a metaphor through an entire narration so that objects, persons, and actions in the text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text

Repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables

An indirect reference, often to another text or historic event

Repetition of the last word of one line or clause to begin the next

Extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things

Repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses

Short account of an interesting event

Explanatory or critical notes added to the text

Noun to which a later pronoun refers

Repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast

Parallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas

Person in question is not a legitimate authority on the subject

Short, astute statement of a general truth

Figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding

Word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun

Use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language

Statement put forth and supported by evidence

Diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience

Repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in neighboring words

Beelief or statement taken for granted without proof

Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses

Speaker's position on subject as revealed through his or her tone

One's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed

A reliable, respected source - someone with knowledge

Threat of rejection by one's peers is substituted for evidence in an "argument"

Making an argument, the conclusion of which is based on an unstated or unproven assumption

Predjudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue

Harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

Repetition of ideas in inverted order

Identifying a part of a piece of writing as being derived from a source

Assertion, usually supported by evidence

Trite or overused expression or idea

Careful reading that is attentive to organization, figurative language, sentence structure, vocabulary, and other literary and structural elements of the text

Informal or conversational use of language

Shared beliefs, values, or positions

Includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

Elaborate or strained figure of speech, usually a metaphor or simile

Reluctant acknowledgement or yielding

That which is implied by a word, as apposed to the word's literal meaning

Words, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning

Argument that draws a conclusion from inconsistent or incompatible premises

Grammatical equivalence between parts of a sentence, often through a coordinating conjunction such as and, or but

A challenge to a position; on opposing argument

Worthy of belief; trustworthy

An independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional details

A sentence that makes a statement

Reasoning from general to specific

Literal meaning of a word; it's dictionary definition

Double-column journal in which one writes a quotation in one column and reflections on that quotation in the other column

Word choice

General rule is treated as universally true regardless of the circumstances

Writing that has the primary purpose of teaching a lesson or moral

Biographic information about the sources used in a piece of writing

Pushing one doctrine as the only possible approach at a topic