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Rhetorical Devices
Rhetorical devices for AP Language and Composition
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Allegory | a narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance |
| Alliteration | the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables |
| Allusion | a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference |
| Anaphora | the regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses. |
| Antithesis | the juxtaposition of a sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas |
| Aphorism | a concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief. |
| Apostrophe | the act of addressing some inanimate abstraction or person that is not physically present: it often helps the speaker to be able to express his or her thoughts aloud. |
| Assonance | the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds |
| Asyndeton | a syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series |
| Attitude | the sense expressed by the time of voice or the mood of a piece of writing |
| Begging the question | an argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evading or ignoring the real questions, similar to what politicians do. |
| Chiasmus | a figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms on the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second. |
| Claim | in argumentation, an assertion of something as fact |
| Colloquial | a term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area. |
| Conceit | a comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem. |
| Connotation | the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase. It is the opposite of denotation, which is the "dictionary definition" of the word |
| Consonance | the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels, such as pitter-patter, splish-splash, and click-clack. |
| Convention | an accepted manner, model, or tradition |
| Deductive reasoning (deduction) | the method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles; movement from general to the specific, in contrast to inductive reasoning (induction). |
| Diction | the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect. |
| Didactic | writing or speech is didactic when it has an instructive purpose or a lesson |
| Elegy | a poem or prose work the laments, or meditates upon the death, a person or persons. Sometimes an elegy will end with words of consolation. |
| Epistrophe | in rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the END of successive sentences. |
| Epitaph | writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone. |
| Ethos | the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator. (ETHICS) |
| Euphemism | an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information. |
| Exposition | writing that explains its own meaning or purpose |
| Extended metaphor | a series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they consistently involve one concept, this is also known as a conceit. |
| Homily | a sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life. |
| Imperative sentence | a type of sentence that gives instructions, advice, or commands |
| Flashback | an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration. |
| Genre | a type or class of literature |
| Hyperbole | overstatement characterised by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention. |
| Inductive reasoning (induction) | the method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles; movement from the specific to the general. |
| Inference | a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data. |
| Isocolon | parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure but also in length. |
| Jargon | specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group |
| Juxtaposition | the location of one thing adjacent to or juxtaposed with another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose |
| Litote | a figure of speech the emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement |
| Loose sentence | a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases |
| Metonymy | a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something. |
| Mode of discourse | the way in which information is presented in written or spoken form |
| Mood | a feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer / narrator's attitude and point of view. Its a "feeling" that establishes the atmosphere in a work of literature or other discourse. |
| Narrative | a mode of discourse that tells a story story of some sort. It is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward chronological framework. |
| Oxymoron | a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements |
| Paradox | a statement that seems contradictory but is probably true |
| Parallel structure | the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts |
| Pathos | the element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow (EMOTION) |
| Periodic sentence | a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end |
| Realism | attempting to describe nature in life without idealization and with attention to detail |
| Rebuttal/refutation | an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered |
| Rhetoric | the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking. |
| Rhetorical question | a question that is a simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered |
| Sarcasm | a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical. sarcasm can be light and gently poke fun at something, or it can be harsh, caustics, and mean. |
| Satire | a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure |
| Simile | a direct explicit comparison of one thing to another usually using the words like or as to draw the connection |
| Style | the manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure. It is the distinctive manner of expression that represents that author's typical writing style. |
| Symbolism | use a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or "stands for" something else |
| Synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole |
| Syntax | the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. |
| Theme | the central or dominant idea or focus of a work; the statement a passage makes about its subject. |
| Tone | the attitude the narrator/writer takes toward a subject and theme; the tenor of a piece of writing based on particular stylistic devices employed by the writer. Tone reflects the narrator/author's attitude. |
| Zeugma | a grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated. |
| Logos | persuading by the use of reasoning (LOGIC) |
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