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Rhetorical devices for AP Language and Composition

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Term
Definition
Allegory   a narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance  
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Alliteration   the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables  
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Allusion   a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference  
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Anaphora   the regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses.  
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Antithesis   the juxtaposition of a sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas  
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Aphorism   a concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief.  
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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.  
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Assonance   the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds  
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Asyndeton   a syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series  
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Attitude   the sense expressed by the time of voice or the mood of a piece of writing  
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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.  
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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.  
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Claim   in argumentation, an assertion of something as fact  
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Colloquial   a term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area.  
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Conceit   a comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem.  
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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  
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Consonance   the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels, such as pitter-patter, splish-splash, and click-clack.  
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Convention   an accepted manner, model, or tradition  
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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).  
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Diction   the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect.  
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Didactic   writing or speech is didactic when it has an instructive purpose or a lesson  
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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.  
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Epistrophe   in rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the END of successive sentences.  
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Epitaph   writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone.  
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Ethos   the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator. (ETHICS)  
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Euphemism   an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information.  
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Exposition   writing that explains its own meaning or purpose  
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Extended metaphor   a series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they consistently involve one concept, this is also known as a conceit.  
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Homily   a sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life.  
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Imperative sentence   a type of sentence that gives instructions, advice, or commands  
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Flashback   an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration.  
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Genre   a type or class of literature  
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Hyperbole   overstatement characterised by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention.  
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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.  
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Inference   a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data.  
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Isocolon   parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure but also in length.  
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Jargon   specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group  
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Juxtaposition   the location of one thing adjacent to or juxtaposed with another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose  
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Litote   a figure of speech the emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement  
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Loose sentence   a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases  
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Metonymy   a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something.  
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Mode of discourse   the way in which information is presented in written or spoken form  
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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.  
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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.  
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Oxymoron   a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements  
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Paradox   a statement that seems contradictory but is probably true  
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Parallel structure   the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts  
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Pathos   the element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow (EMOTION)  
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Periodic sentence   a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end  
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Realism   attempting to describe nature in life without idealization and with attention to detail  
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Rebuttal/refutation   an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered  
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Rhetoric   the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking.  
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Rhetorical question   a question that is a simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered  
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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.  
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Satire   a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure  
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Simile   a direct explicit comparison of one thing to another usually using the words like or as to draw the connection  
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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.  
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Symbolism   use a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or "stands for" something else  
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Synecdoche   a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole  
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Syntax   the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.  
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Theme   the central or dominant idea or focus of a work; the statement a passage makes about its subject.  
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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.  
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Zeugma   a grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated.  
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Logos   persuading by the use of reasoning (LOGIC)  
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