Speech Terms

Alliteration:

The repetition of the same or similar sounds in a consecutive series of words, as in "Sweet sorrow brings such surreal serenity."

Anadiplosis:

A rhetorical device that consists of repeating the last word in the next thought, as in "Should I believe in his honesty: honesty such as his?"

Analogy:

A direct comparison based on the notion that if two things are similar in one regard they will be similar in other ways as well.

Anaphora:

The use of repetition in a song-like, poetic sense. "I came. I saw. I conquered." "I speak for those who are oppressed, for those who are mistreated, for those who dare to think they too might rise above the madness."

Anastrophe:

Inversion of normal syntax for effect. "Blessed are the meek" instead of "the meek are blessed."

Anchoring:

The technique of building ideas onto a point that is already fixed in the minds of the audience.

Antithesis:

Reversal of cause and effect within a sense to create an ironic effect. President Clinton's "There used to be three cops on the street for every crime. Now there's three crimes on the street for every cop."

Archetypal Metaphor:

Metaphors of archetypal themes: light versus dark, nature and the elements, the cycle of life and death, sickness and health--these are all archetpal themes which when used as metaphors in speech and conversation evoke a sense of the universal in an audience.

Archetype:

A universal theme or pattern representing common human experience. In Jungian psychology archetypes are symbols in the collective unconscious that can only be partly known to the individual. The archetypes manifest themselves in dreams and infuence individuals in an invisible fashion. In poetry archetypal themes are general patterns: birth, death, coming of age--these types of experiences are common across cultures, times, and places.

Catachresis:

The use of the wrong word for a certain context, as in "blind ears."

Deification:

Attributing God-like characteristics to a person or idea. "This new bill introduced by Congress is truly a miracle-an answer to all our prayers."

Elimination:

Pointing out the shortcomings of your competition. The idea is to strengthen your argument by pointing out all the weaknesses of the opposing view.

Ethos:

The character of a speaker. Also referred to as credibility.

Fear Appeal:

Scaring people into believing what you want them to believe.

Figurative Language:

The use of imagery in place of literal descriptions.

Hyperbole:

Obvious overstatement or exaggeration. "His performance caused the entire world to stop and take notice."

Identification:

Establishing common ground with the audience. The process of convincing the audience that you are one of them.

Innoculation:

Providing a small portion of the opposing view's side as a means of strengthening your own position. "There are those who would tell you that my tax bill will hurt your pocketbook."

Interrogatio:

The rhetorical question: a question asked for which no one expects an answer. "Is there anyone here among us who would not like a richer life?"

Logos:

The use of logic and reason.

Maximization:

Pointing out the strong points of your argument. The opposite of "elimination" as a strategy.

Metaphor:

Saying one thing to mean another. A metaphor takes a word that literally means one thing and uses it to describe something else.

Metonomy:

Using an attribute for a name as in "that decision must be made by the President's office." The office is substituted for the name of the President.

Pathos:

Appealing to the emotions of the audience.

Vilification:

Describing the opposition as evil.