Rhetorical Terms

Rachel Weger, Tori Lewandowski, Conor Malloy, Nikita Rao, and

Jess Reindel

Personification

Definition: The attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects or abstract notions.

Examples The blizzard swallowed the town. The fire ran wild.

Polysyndeton

Definition: the use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted.

to create a sense of being overwhelmed or in fact directly overwhelm the audience by using conjunctions, rather than commas, leaving little room for a reader to breathe.

ExamplesHe ran and jumped and laughed for joy.Marge and Susan and Ann and Daisy and Barry all

plan to go for a picnic.

Pun

Definition: A joke making a play on words

Examples I wondered why the

baseball was getting bigger. And then it hit me.

I’m glad I know sign language. It’s pretty handy.

Rhetorical Question

Definition: Any question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information asked

Asked merely for effect or to make a point – implies an answer too obvious to require a reply

ExamplesWhy me?Are you kidding me?But who’s counting?

Syntax

Definition: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

ExamplesGood Syntax: The clever young girl adeptly

tripped the burglar in the hallway before he could turn on the light.

Bad Syntax: The burglar was tripped by the girl.

Zeugma

Definition: a figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.

Examples "She opened her door and her heart to the

orphan." “The disgruntled employee took his coat and

his vacation.”

Polysyndeton

“The bar is in full swing and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside until the air is alive with chatter and laughter and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names.”

Pun

The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

Zeugma

He fished for compliments and for trout.

Personification

The tsunami raced towards the coastline.

Rhetorical Question

How did that idiot ever get elected?

Syntax

The clown's short yellow hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above the eyes. The blue eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It has cherry-red cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into the wide, white ruffle around its neck.