Onomatopoeia

onomatopoeia (n.): formation of words in imitation of natural sounds; the use of words whose sound suggests the sense

other examples: clop, hiss, buzz, click, tick

Euphemism!

(noun)
1.
the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.

“To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”
"Birthmark" or "Beautymark" is a euphemism for "mole."

Paradox

Definition: A tenet contrary to received opinion.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox

1. Criminals are smarter than law abiding citizens.
-People assume that criminals are unintelligent and break the law as a last resort. The reality is criminals do not limit themselves by the confines of the law and have more chances to excel. They have figured out how to beat the system and exploit its weaknesses for their own advantage.

2. The less you speak the more others listen.
-It would seem that people would pay more attention to someone who talks a lot but in reality less is more. If a quiet person expresses an idea they have obviously thought it out and think that it is worthwhile enough to explain. Just like anything else the less there is of something the more value it has.

Pun

Definition:

A play on words or the humorous use of a word emphasizing a different meaning or application; often referred to as the "lowest form of humor."

Examples:

1) A dog gave birth to puppies on the side of the road and was cited for littering.

2) I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

3) A horse is a very stable animal.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron (n): A figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in "cruel kindness" or "to make haste slowly."

Examples of an Oxymoron:
The wise old man was a big fool.
The Hell's Angels appeared at my door.
The hot tea was very cold.

Analogy

Definition: a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based.

Examples:
1. Up is to down as in is to out
2. Happiness is to sadness
3. Clothing to dresser
4. Apples to pie

Ellipsis – An ellipsis is a powerful writing tool that enables words to be omitted in a quote in order to make the sentence concise.

Ex:
1. The elderly man, whose background consisted of a long life living in the South, could not adjust well to Northern life.  The elderly man […] could not adjust well to Northern life.
2. He looked out towards the sun wondering about life and feeling the lies of a dream. 
He looked out towards the sun […] feeling the lies of a dream.
3. An ellipsis […] enables words to be omitted in a quote […]. (I wonder where this is from ;3)

Parenthesis

Parenthesis (n.) is a qualifying, explanatory, or appositive word, phrase, clause, or sentence that interrupts a syntactic construction without otherwise affecting it, having often a characteristic intonation and indicated in writing by commas, parentheses, or dashes. Example: William Smith—you must know him—is coming tonight.

Synecdoche

A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a small aspect of an object or person is used to represent that person. Synecdoche could also be using a larger object to refer to a specific aspect of it. For example, when someone calls "All hands on deck!" he is referring to all of the people who work to come up on deck, not just their hands.

Another example would be saying that "We took the wheels for a spin." The wheels on a car are not the only things that are moving, but are an aspect of the larger object (the car) that is going for a ride.

parallelism

Parallelism: similar syntactical structure

She ran quickly and happily out of the store.

The table shook and the lights flickered as the earthquake hit.

Didactic

Didactic- Intended or inclined to teach or instruct, often excessively.
Example: A play that tries to indoctrinate the audience with a political or moral lesson

Antithesis

Antithesis: Definition-1.opposition;contrast

2. The placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas.
Examples: "Give me liberty or give me death."
"You're easy on the eyes, hard on the heart."

Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what it means. It is a disparity of expression and intention, and when a literal meaning is contrary to its intended effect. This picture shows the guy on the right using a form of irony, sarcasm, when he says "Good morning sir, nice day, isn't it?" and the guy on the left responding by saying: "Sure is, it's as clear as mud."

Other examples of verbal irony are "as pleasant as a coiled rattlesnake" and "as solid as a foam pit".

Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of a phrase or word at the beginning of a sentence, often for poetic effect. This picture represents Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. Lincoln used anaphora in his speech when he said “With malice towards none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right”.

Another example of anaphora is Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. The words “I have a dream” are repeated multiple times for poetic emphasis.

Rhetoric Visual

Metonymy: Substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself

Another Example would be "We await word from the crown". "Crown" replaces royalty.

Rhetoric Visual - Understatement

To understate something would be to state something or describe something in restrained terms that downplay the extent of the thing. This picture represents an understatement by playing down how serious the DOW has fallen. In real life, things would be going horribly if the DOW ever fell that low or that quickly. By saying "that's not so bad", the man is understating the situation.

An alternate example would be to say that George W. Bush was kind of unpopular. This would be an understatement in the sense that he is regarded as one of our country's most unpopular presidents. Additionally, it would be an understatement to say that during hurricanes, it rains a bit.

What is Rhetoric?

Simple: It is the practice of using language effectively to please or persuade.
This is the blog/wiki for 4th period Honors English at Albany High School. This site will provide a common location for the class to define and explore all things rhetorical. All class members are contributors to the site.

Rhetoric Visual Assignment

The following is a list of key rhetorical strategies.  First, define your term.  Then create an 8 ½” x 11” illustration of your device that will be presented in class.  Do not write the device name on the illustration.  These will later be scanned in and can be used as a study guide for the AP test.  In addition to the illustration and definition, please come up with an additional written example of your device.  Within your class, every one of the below devices must be covered.
(Note: We will look at fallacies at a later date.)

Analogy

Anaphora

Antithesis
Deductive reasoning
Didactic
Ellipsis
Euphemism
Exclamation
Inductive reasoning
Situational Irony
Dramatic Irony
Verbal Irony
Metonymy
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Parallelism
Parenthesis
Pun
Synecdoche
Understatement

This assignment is worth 40 points.