anacoenosis

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anacoenosis

in debate, an appeal by the speaker to his opponents or to the audience for an opinion of the point.

Mentioned in ?

Rhetoric and Rhetorical Devices

References in periodicals archive ?

ANACOENOSIS: Dupriez discusses this term under the heading communicatio, noting that it refers to a rhetorical "debating trick" by which one appears to consult one's hearers for their advice or opinions as a way of gaining their good will (103-04).

Going with this broader understanding of the term, surely we can consider Taji's apostrophe to the stars as anacoenosis as well:

For example, that Ahab uses the clever debating trick anacoenosis (see above) can easily go unnoticed, but someone who is familiar with the term and what it means is more likely to identify (and appreciate) Ahab's use of that oratorical de vice.