Glossary
Allusions
Brief, indirect references to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or historical period, relying on the audience's shared knowledge.
Example:
When the student called the challenging exam their 'Waterloo,' they made an allusion to Napoleon's final defeat.
Analogies
Extended comparisons that explain a complex or abstract idea by relating it to a simpler, more concrete one, often highlighting multiple points of similarity.
Example:
Explaining the human heart as a pump, with valves and chambers working in sequence, is a common analogy used in biology.
Audience Awareness
The writer's understanding of the characteristics, knowledge, values, and expectations of their intended readers, which informs their rhetorical and stylistic choices.
Example:
A political speechwriter demonstrates strong audience awareness by tailoring their language and examples to resonate with a specific demographic.
Comparisons
Rhetorical tools that help connect unfamiliar ideas to things an audience already understands, making arguments more relatable and persuasive.
Example:
The speaker used vivid comparisons to explain the complex economic theory, likening it to a household budget.
Metaphors
Indirect comparisons where one thing is described as being another, implying a deeper, non-literal identity between them without using 'like' or 'as'.
Example:
The classroom was a zoo during the substitute teacher's lesson.
Similes
Direct comparisons between two unlike things, explicitly using the words 'like' or 'as' to draw a resemblance.
Example:
Her voice was like a gentle melody, soothing the anxious crowd.
Stylistic Choices
The deliberate decisions a writer makes regarding word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and overall tone to achieve a specific effect or convey a particular message.
Example:
The author's use of short, declarative sentences and vivid imagery throughout the novel were key stylistic choices to build suspense.