Technical and Rhetorical Terms; Terms of Prosody

• acatalectic- complete verse or series of metrical feet.
• ambiguity- multiple meaning, whereby two or more meanings of a word or phrase are relevant.
• amoeban-poems where one person or group exchanges remarks with another (Grk. amoebaios, "giving like for like").
• anaclasis- breaking up of rhythm by substituting different measures.
• anacrusis- the unaccented syllable or syllables which precede the rest of a verse.
• antistrophe- a series of verses corresponding to one which has gone before.
• allegory- other wording: disguising the true meaning of a passage by the use of symbolism.
• alliteration- a succession of two or more words beginning with the same sound.
• anachronism- the representation of something as existing or occurring at a time other than its proper time in the past.
• anacoluthon- a sudden change in the plan of a sentence, when it begins with one form of structure and ends with another.
• anaphora- the use of the same word to begin successive phrases.
• anastrophe- inversion of the order of words, especially placing a preposition after instead of before the word it governs.
• antithesis- such choice or placement of words as emphasizes a contrast.
• antonomasia- the substitution of an epithet or the name of an office or dignity for a person's proper name, as the Duke for Wellington. Also, conversely, the use of a proper name to convey a general idea, as in calling a greedy person a Midas or a wise judge a Daniel.
• aposiopesis- significant breaking of of a sentence so that the hearer must supply the unsaid words.
• apostrophe- words addressed to a present or absent person or thing and breaking the thread of discourse.
• archaism- the use of old forms of words.
• arsis- the unaccented part of a foot.
• assonance- grouping of words of more or less similar sounds.
• asyndeton- omission of conjunctions.
• brachyology- a brevity of expression.
• caesura- the ending of a word within a metrical foot is called caesura. When this coincides with a rhetorical pause, it is called thecaesura of the verse.
• catalectic- loss of a final syllable or syllables making a metrical series incomplete.
• chiasmus- an arrangement of phrases in which the order of words in one is reversed in the other: a criss-cross arrangement of words. The A,B,B,A arrangement includes such concentric arrangements as adjective followed by its noun contrasted with a noun followed by its adjective. Also included is "surrounding word order" where, for example, an adjective and noun surround two other related words.
• climax- arrangement of a series of notions in such an order that each is more impressive than the preceding.
• circumlocution (periphrasis)- a roundabout method of expressing a thought. contraction- the use of one long syllable for one short.
• correption- shortening of a long syllable for metrical purposes.
• diaeresis- the coincidence of the end of a foot with the end of a word within the verse.
• diastole- the lengthening of a short syllable by emphasis
• dimeter- consisting of two like meters.
• dipody- consisting of two like feet.
• distich- a system or series of two verses.
• ecthlipsis- elision of m before a word beginning with a vowel.
• elision- the cutting off of a final vowel before a following initial vowel.
• ellipsis- the omission of one or more words.
• epigram- originally an inscription but extended to include short poems, amorous, elegiac, meditative, complimentary, or satirical, always polished, terse, and pointed. The epigram often ends with a surprising or witty expression.
• epithalamium- a poem written to celebrate a marriage; lit. sung at the bridal chamber.
• epode- originally applied to shorter verse, or iambic dimeter, which served as a refrain to the longer iambic trimeter. Grammarians applied the term to Horace's iambi.
• euphemism- a mild expression of a painful or repulsive idea.
• euphony- the choice of words for their agreeable sound.
• genre- a literary form, e.g. epic, pasroral, lyric.
• hendiadys- the use of two words conected by a conjunction instead of a word modified by another.
• hiatus- the meeting of two vowels without contraction or elision.
• hypallage- the transferring of an epithet from the more to less natural part of a group of words. (Also called a transferred epithet.)
• hyperbole- use of exaggerated terms.
• hypocorisma- use of pet names, nursery words, or diminutives.
• hysteron proteron- putting the cart before the horse.
• ictus- the metrical accent.
• irrational syllable- not conforming strictly to the unit of time as substituting a long for a short syllable where the meter calls for the short.
• irony- a mode of speech, rhetorical and verbal, wherein the implied attitudes or evaluations are opposed to those literally expressed. On most occasions ostensible praise or approval implies the opposite. Irony includes understatement, hyperbole, oxymoron, and paradox.
• juxtaposition- placing words together for special emphasis.
• litotes- emphasis gained by a negative form of expressing a positive idea.
• lyric- song to be sung with a lyre. More modern usage includes short poems, usually involving a single speaker who expresses a state of mind involving thought and feeling.
• meiosis- any understatement.
• metaphor- the figurative use of words, indicating an object by some resemblance.
• metonymy- the use of the name of one thing to indicate some kindred thing.
• ode- a Greek word meaning song which is usually applied to a long lyric poem, serious in subject, elevated in style, and elaborate in stanzaic style.
• onomatopoeia- fitting sound to sense in the use of words.
• oxymoron- the use of contradictory words in the same phrase.
• parody- a term which implies the ridiculing of a particular work or style by imitation of its peculiar features and by applying them to a trivial or discordant subject.
• pleonasm- the use of unnecessary words.
• polysyndetyon- the liberal use of conjunctions.
• prolepsis- the anticipation of later words or thoughts by a word or reference coming before where it should naturally and logically appear.
• resolution- the use of two short syllables for one long.
• simile- a figurative comparison (usually introduced by "as" or "like").
• strophe- a series of verses making a recognizable metrical whole (stanza) which may be indefinitely repeated.
• synchysis- the interlocking of word order.
• syncope- the loss of a letter or syllable in a word.
• synecdoche- the use of a name of the part for the whole, or the reverse.
• synapheia- elision between two verses.
• synizesis- the running together of two vowels without full contraction.
• systole- shortening of a long syllable.
• thesis- the accented part of the foot.
• tmesis- the insertion of a word or words between the parts of a compound word.
• zeugma- using a verb with two subjects or objects where the verb's meaning with the first subject or object must be changed to fit the second.