A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms

by Richard A. Lanham

The first edition of this widely used work has been reprinted many times over two decades. With a unique combination of alphabetical and descriptive lists, it provides in one convenient, accessible volume all the rhetorical terms—mostly Greek and Latin—that students of Western literature and rhetoric are likely to come across in their reading or to find useful in their writing. Now the Second Edition offers new features that will make it still more useful:—A completely revised alphabetical listing that defines nearly 1,000 terms used by scholars of formal rhetoric from classical Greece to the present day.—A revised system of cross-references between terms.—Many new examples and new, extended entries for central terms.—A revised Terms-by-Type listing to identify unknown terms.—A new typographical design for easier access.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Writing, Language, Crafts, Communication, Academic

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without this book, I might not have known that Allen Ginsberg employs the anaphora in his poem "Howl", or that the dialogues of John Travolta's and Samuel L. Jackson's characters include instances of gradatio in a couple of scenes in Tarentino's film Pulp Fiction . Useful, of course, for definitions of figures of speech like metaphor and metonymy and rhetorical schemes like the zeugma, but particularly good for the less well-known verbal devices like the repetitio (Hamlet's "One may smile and smile and be a villain") and the catachresis (Hamlet's "I will speak daggers to her").

Acquired 1998
Cheap Thrills, Montreal, Quebec

[David Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most complete list of rhetorical terms and strategies I've been able to find. It presents some of the same information in several formats. This is actually quite helpful to understand and present this data that might have been otherwise a little too dry to read from start to finish.

[Quiver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference for rhetorical terms — both for obtaining definitions, and for finding alternative names for the same term and related terms. An overview of the Divisions of Rhetoric and a list of the Terms by Type is included at the back.

A richer examples set for each term and more detailed definitions would have bumped the rating up to five stars.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't leave home without it... lol.

[Taylor Swift Scholar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I read this dictionary of rhetorical terms cover to cover? Why yes, I did! There's a lot in here that is out of date and a HUGE number of definitions are just cross-references to other terms. I am definitely going to use this book though. The terms and examples are helpful. It turns out you can do a crazy number of things with language. There's an alphabetical listing in the front of the book with definitions and examples of each term. There are also groupings by type in the back, which I imagine I will use regularly if I want to find a specific figure that uses repetition, for example.

[Kevin Ells · Rating 5 out of 5]

An anthology of pithy and precise analyses of concepts and controversies in classical rhetoric for the contemporary student in the form of an alphabetical reference book. A classification of terms by type serves as a roadmap to the whole. Longer entries summarize core conceptual perspectives succinctly while taking clear positions. Examples range from medieval to modern (1990), with examples that still seem contemporary and readily adaptable to recent media of public communication.

[Benji Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best reference book on rhetorical terms out there.

[emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite helpful and very interesting, but also a bit dated. this makes terminology seem a bit pedantic and excessive.

[Jazmin Bacilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fun to hold. But really.

It's divided into three main parts: alphabetical list of terms, divisions of rhetoric, & The terms by type.

It's pretty straightforward but it kind of wordy and complicated for my taste but what can you say it's English textbook for this class I'm just happy I didn't really have to do I use it a lot. Some of the definitions that they give are out there and doesn't really seem to explain the term that much, and is just little hard to remember all these terms. My favorite section is the term by type because it gives you a nice set of The terms and advise them by sections of usefulness.

Under the (example, allusion, and citation of authority) it lists...aenos, analogy, anamnesis, etc. along with a simplified definition that was given in the second section.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful text for any student of rhetoric. Some of Lanham's explanations are difficult as they don't always seem to provide the entire context for the explanation. Overall, though, I'd say it's a pretty comprehensive list. The second portion of the book is useful for understanding the way Lanham ended up including all the terms he did. It's also useful for understanding rhetorical terms in general.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good reference for me while I worked my way through obtaining my undergraduate degree for literature of the American and English canons.

[Wythe Marschall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never leave home without it.

[Emma]

Will probably always be picking this up and down through out my reading/ writing career. It's been an extremely handy reference.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of terms and ways we use the English language. Not a book, but a reference manual of sorts.

[Kayla Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and practical for an introductory handbook.

[Sangeeta K · Rating 5 out of 5]

For would-be CML students: a perfect guide to all rhetorical and literary terms.

[Lyndon Bailey]

Indispensable glossary. The definitions do not agree always with other sources but it is a real robust attempt to make some order out of the morass.

[Tso William · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one-stop reference to rhetorical terms. Definitions are clear and examples well given.