Literary and Rhetorical Terms

Front

Voice (in writing)

Back

The style or way in which an author or narrator expresses themselves. Writing is one's thinking made visible.  Writers listen to the voice in their head as they write, and we hear that voice when we read their work.

Front

Subject

Back

What a piece is about, or "The main topic or theme being discussed or described."

Front

Denotation

Back

The literal meaning of a word; the dictionary definition.

Front

Tone

Back

The attitude with which an author write a piece.

Front

Purpose

Back

The reason for which something is done or created. In our context, it's the reason someone writes a piece.

Front

Connotation

Back

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. In other words, the extra layer of meaning a word carries; the emotional or cultural associations of a word.

Front

Context

Back

The circumstances surrounding a piece of writing which can affect its meaning or understanding.

• *In our lessons, we establish context by identifying the audience, occasion, subject and purpose of a piece of writing.

Front

Genre

Back

A category of artistic composition, as in literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

*In our notes, we discussed genres as the different types literary texts. There are three primary genres: fiction, poetry, and drama.

*Can you think of an example text from your own reading experience to illustrate each genre?

Front

Loaded Term

Back

A word or phrase that is emotionally charged and can influence an audience's perception. Sometimes strong, "loaded" connotations can distract your reader and discredit your message.

*We need to be aware of potentially loaded terms so that we can maintain control of our message as writers!

Front

Audience

Back

Who the piece is written for, or

"The intended readership for a piece of writing."