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Rhetorical Analysis
AP Lang. Rhetorical Analysis Terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Rhetoric | The art of using language effectively and persuasively; the art of argumentation/persuasion |
| Rhetor | Greek term for “orator” - anyone who composed discourse that is intended to affect community thinking about events |
| Ethos | Greek for "character." Speaker demonstrates he/she is credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic. Established by both who you are and what you say. |
| Logos | Greek for "embodied thought" - an appeal based on logic or reason |
| Pathos | Appeal to emotion |
| Absolutes | Words such as "always," "never," "all," and "none." |
| Allegory | A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a symbolic meaning, typically a moral or political one; an extended metaphor |
| Alliteration | Repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| Allusion | A brief, often indirect, reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art |
| Analogy | A comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Expresses an abstract idea in terms of a familiar one. |
| Anecdote | A brief story used to illustrate a point |
| Amplification | General term for all the ways in which an argument can be expanded or enriched |
| Anaphora | Repetition of the same word or phrase at the BEGINNING of several successive clauses or verses. |
| Chiasmus | A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed. |
| Antithesis | Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced, parallel phrases. |
| Asyndeton | Omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words |
| Bias | To feel or show inclination of prejudice for or against someone or something |
| Concession | An acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable. In a strong argument, a concession is accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument |
| Connotation | The emotional implication that words may carry. Can be personal/private, group-based, or universal |
| Denotation | The dictionary definition of a word |
| Concision | The quality of being concise, brevity, tenseness, expressing ideas in few words |
| Counterargument | An opposing argument to the one a writer puts forth |
| Cumulative sentence | The independent clause is at the beginning, followed by one or more dependent clauses |
| Deductive reasoning | Method of reasoning that moves from a general observation to a specific conclusion (major premise, minor premise, conclusion) |
| Diatribe | Bitter, abusive criticism or denunciation of a person, group, or organization, idea, etc. |
| Diction | Word choice |
| Didactic | Writing teaches a specific lesson or moral to provide a correct model of behavior; instructive writing |
| Digression | Straying away from the main point under discussion |
| Denigrate | To criticize unfairly; to disparage |
| Editorial “we” | Use of the first person plural pronouns (we, us, our). The speaker includes himself in a group, often as the spokesperson |
| Enumeration | Listing of items/ideas in order, often by naming steps such as first, second, third, etc. |
| Epiphora | Repetition of a word or phrase at the END of several clauses |
| Euphemism | An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant. |
| Exhortation | Discourse that provides advice or warning to do what is proper and required |
| Flawed assumption | The argument incorrectly assumes some information (could occur consciously or unconsciously) |
| Hortative sentence | Sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action |
| Hyperbole | Extreme exaggeration |
| Imagery | Language that appeals to one or more of the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste), utilizing descriptive detail |
| Inductive reasoning | A form of reasoning that moves from specific observations to a general conclusion |
| Invective | A discourse that casts blame on someone or something; highly critical or insulting language |
| Imperative sentence | Sentence used to command or enjoin |
| Juxtaposition | Placement of two things closely together to emphasize differences (contrasting effect) |
| Limitation | Occurs when a writer limits what she/he is claiming in order to clarify their points and defend against counterarguments. |
| Line of reasoning | This is commentary (i.e. explanation and analysis) that ties the evidence back to the thesis |
| Metaphor | Figure of speech that compares two things WITHOUT using “like” or “as” |
| Metonymy | Figure of speech using a word that is CLOSELY RELATED to the term it replaces |
| Modifier | Clarifies, alters, qualifies, or limits the claim (usually adjectives or adverbs do this). |
| Oxymoron | Paradoxical juxtaposition of two contradictory terms |
| Parallelism | Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses |
| Paradox | A statement that appears contradictory at first but then reveals a deeper truth upon examination |
| Periodic sentence | The main point (independent clause) occurs at the end of the sentence, after one or more side points (dependent clauses) lead up to the main point. |
| Persona | Greek for "mask." The face or character that a speaker shows to his/her audience |
| Personification | Giving human characteristics to inanimate objects or ideas |
| Polemic | Greek for "hostile." An aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion above all others. |
| Polysyndeton | The use of many conjunctions in quick succession, often with no commas |
| Qualifier | like "probably, typically, often, in many cases, likely," etc.; these words "limit" the argument, framing "to what extent" something is true |
| Redundancy | Needless repetition |
| Refutation | When a rhetor anticipates an opposing argument and offers a counterargument |
| Rhetorical question | A question posed for rhetorical effect ( a dramatic effect or to make a point) rather than for the purpose of getting an answer |
| Satire | The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, and/or ridicule to expose or to criticize flaws/faults in people/society |
| Simile | Figure of speech that compares two things USING “like” or “as” |
| Subordination | Process of connecting two sentences or parts of a sentence together to show that w one part is more important than the other. |
| Synecdoche | Figure of speech that used a PART to represent the WHOLE |
| Syntax | Sentence structure |
| Symbolism | Concrete object, character, setting, etc. holds abstract meaning outside of its literal meaning |
| Jargon | A collection of words and phrases that people use in specific industries/lines of work. Those outside of the industry would likely be unfamiliar with the terms. |
| Testimony | An individual's account of an event or state of affairs (expert, witness, and ordinary citizens can provide testimony) |
| Tone | The writer’s/speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter |
| Tricolon | A series of three words/idea, phrases written in parallel form |
| Understatement | When a rhetor deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is |
| Undermine | To lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of someone or something |
| Verbal irony | When what is said the opposite of what is meant (also known as sarcasm) |
| Rhetorical strategy | BROAD and OVERARCHING rhetorical choices that govern whole section of the text. |
| Rhetorical device | A SMALLER rhetorical choice. These choices develop the strategy. |
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