Rhetorical Terms AP English III

Vocabulary flashcards covering key rhetorical terms from the lecture notes (Pages 1–6).

allegory

A narrative that uses symbolic figures and actions to convey hidden meanings beyond the literal surface.

alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words, often for emphasis or musical effect.

allusion

A reference, indirect or implied, to a person, event, or text outside the work.

ambiguity

The use of language that allows for more than one interpretation; in prose it can be a flaw, but in literature it can enrich meaning.

anachronism

Something out of its proper chronological time; often used deliberately in historical fiction.

analogy

A comparison between two things that are alike in certain respects.

anaphora

Repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive clauses or lines.

anecdote

A brief narrative about an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident.

antecedent

What comes before; the word or phrase a pronoun refers to.

antithesis

A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced in parallel structure.

aphorism

A concise statement expressing a general truth, often with rhyme or balance.

apostrophe

A speech or address to a person not present or to an inanimate object that cannot respond.

archetype

A recurring symbol, character, or situation that appeals to universal patterns of human nature.

assonance

Repetition of stressed vowel sounds within nearby words with different end consonants.

asyndeton

An expression in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions.

bathos

Insincere or overly sentimental pathos.

blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

cacophony

Harsh or discordant sounds; dissonance; opposite of euphony.

chiasmus

Two parallel parts where the second is structurally reversed.

clause

A group of words containing a subject and its verb; may or may not be a complete sentence.

cliché

A trite expression or idea.

colloquial

Typical of informal spoken language; vernacular.

conceit

An extended, unusual comparison between two unlike things.

concrete poetry

Poetry where the visual arrangement conveys meaning as much as the words.

connotation

An association that a word calls to mind beyond its dictionary meaning.

consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds; often at ends of words; may involve similar endings.

convention

A widely observed practice or procedure in a group or genre.

denotation

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word.

diction

Choice of words; level of formality and effectiveness in language.

didactic

Literature intended to instruct; sometimes overly instructional or dull.

digression

Straying from the main subject.

elegy

A song or poem expressing sorrow, often for the dead.

ellipsis

The omission of one or more words necessary for a complete construction.

end-stopped

A line of poetry with a pause at the end.

enjambment

The continuation of the sense and grammatical construction from one line to the next.

epigram

A short, witty poem or a terse, intelligent saying.

epigraph

A quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its motif or theme.

epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight.

euphemism

A mild or indirect expression used to avoid bluntness.

euphony

Pleasant, harmonious sounds in language.

figurative language

Language using figures of speech rather than literal meaning.

figure of speech

A rhetorical device used to convey meaning or heighten effect.

flashback

A scene that interrupts the sequence to relate an earlier event.

foil

A character whose traits contrast with another's to highlight the latter's qualities.

foot, feet

A basic metrical unit in poetry; examples include iamb, trochaic, anapestic, and dactylic.

free verse

Poetry without a regular meter; relies on natural cadences.

gerund

The -ing form of a verb used as a noun.

grotesque

A decorative style with interwoven, deformed forms for dramatic effect.

heroic couplet

Two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter forming a unit.

hyperbole

An intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect.

imagery

Vivid sensory details that create mental pictures or evoke mood.

imperative

The mood of a verb that gives a command.

inference

A conclusion drawn from facts or evidence.

irony

A contrast between what is stated and what is meant; can be verbal, situational, or dramatic.

jargon

Specialized language of a profession or group; often opaque to outsiders.

juxtaposition

To place side by side for contrast or comparison.

litotes

Understatement achieved by negating the opposite; e.g., not bad.

malapropism

A mistaken substitution of a similar-sounding word.

metaphor

A direct comparison where one thing is described as if it were another.

meter

Rhythm determined by the number and type of feet in a line.

metonymy

Using the name of one thing to stand for something related (e.g., crown for monarchy).

monosyllabic

Having one syllable.

narrative techniques

The methods used to tell a story, such as point of view, pacing, and interior monologue.

onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound associated with the thing or action.

oxymoron

A self-contradictory combination of words for effect.

paradox

A seemingly self-contradictory statement whose underlying meaning is revealed by analysis.

parallel structure

A balance of grammatical constructions in phrases, sentences, or paragraphs.

parody

A literary work that imitates another's style for comic or satirical effect.

pathos

Quality that evokes pity or compassion.

persona

The speaker or narrator in a literary work, distinct from the author.

personification

Giving human traits to nonhuman things.

point of view

The perspective from which a story is told (first person, third person, etc.).

polysyllabic

Having more than one syllable.

polysyndeton

The use of more conjunctions than necessary for rhetorical effect.

pun

A humorous play on words exploiting different meanings or sounds.

reverie

A period of daydreaming or abstract thinking.

rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing; study of language use.

rhetorical question

A question asked for effect with no expectation of an answer.

rhetorical strategy

The management of language for a specific effect.

rhetorical techniques

Devices used to persuade or create emphasis, such as contrast, repetition, paradox, and irony.

rhyme

Identity of terminal sounds in verse; many types (end, internal, slant, etc.).

rhyme scheme

Pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a stanza.

satire

A work that ridicules vices or follies to provoke improvement, often using irony or parody.

setting

The time and place of a story; the social environment.

simile

A comparison using like or as.

sonnet

A 14-line poem in iambic pentameter with a prescribed rhyme scheme.

speaker

The voice assumed by the poet in a lyric poem.

stanza

A grouping of lines forming a division in a poem; a unit of lines.

stream of consciousness

A narrative technique that depicts the flow of thoughts and sensations as they occur.

structure

The arrangement of materials within a work; organization of parts.

style

The author's distinctive manner of expression.

syllogism

A three-part deductive argument: major premise, minor premise, conclusion.

symbol

Something that stands for or suggests something else by convention or association.

synesthesia

Describing one sense in terms of another (e.g., a loud color).

synecdoche

A part represents the whole, or the whole represents a part.

syntax

The arrangement of words in a sentence; sentence structure.

theme

The central idea or message of a work.

tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.

understatement

A restrained portrayal that downplays a thing or quality.

zeugma

A figure of speech in which one word governs multiple words or phrases (yoking them).