RHETORICAL DEVICES

allusion

• An indirect reference to something found in another work of art (film, painting, history, Bible, literature, etc) to make a comparison

anecdote

• A brief recounting of a relevant episode inserted into fictional or

nonfictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.

diction

• Word choice, particularly as an element of style.

colloquial

a casual, informal style of speech used in everyday conversations

connotation

words that contain an emotional meaning or are more likely to resonate with the audience based on the audience's perspective or the context of the situation

denotation

• The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.

jargon

• The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity.

vernacular

1. Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional group

adage

A folk saying with a lesson. "A rolling stone gathers no moss."

allegory

• A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts

aphorism

blunt statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle.

ellipsis

• The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author. Symbolized by 3 periods.

euphemism

• A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.

analogy

• a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables.

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally. "I got chewed out by my coach."

metaphor

A comparison of two unlike things not using "like" or "as"

metonymy

• Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept. "Relations between London and Washington have been strained," does not literally mean relations between the two cities, but between the leaders of The United States and England. Metonymy is often used with body parts: "I could not understand his tongue," means his language or his speech.

personification

Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human. "The tired old truck groaned as it inched up the hill."

foreshadowing

• When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.

genre -

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, genres can be subdivided as well (poetry can be classified into lyric, dramatic, narrative, etc.). The AP Language exam deals primarily with the following genres: autobiography, biography, diaries, criticism, essays, and journalistic, political, scientific, and nature writing.

imagery

Word or words that create a picture in the reader's mind. Usually this involves the five senses

invective

• A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.

irony

• When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.

verbal irony

• When you say something and mean the opposite/something different - also described as sarcasm

dramatic irony

• When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn't and would be surprised to find out.

juxtaposition

• Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. Authors often use juxtaposition of ideas or examples in order to make a point.(For example, an author my juxtapose the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world in order to make a point of social commentary).

mood

• The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). Syntax is often a creator of mood since word order, sentence length and strength and complexity also affect pacing and therefore mood. Setting, tone, and events can all affect the mood.

motif

• a recurring idea in a piece of literature. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea that "you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view" is a motif, because the idea is brought up several times over the course of the novel.

oxymoron -

When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox - "wise fool," "eloquent silence," "jumbo shrimp."

pacing

• The speed or tempo of an author's writing. Writers can use a variety of devices (syntax, polysyndeton, anaphora, meter) to change the pacing of their words. An author's pacing can be fast, sluggish, stabbing, vibrato, staccato, measured, etc.

paradox

• A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true."You can't get a job without experience, and you can't get experience without getting a job."

parallelism

• (Also known as parallel structure or balanced sentences.) Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.

anaphora

-Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent. "I came, I saw, I conquered."

chiasmus

• When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed. "Fair is foul and foul is fair."

antithesis

• Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

parody

• An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original, and pokes fun at it

persona

• The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story. Do not confuse with alter-ego.

alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words. "Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore"

onomatopoeia

The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes.

pun

• When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way.

rhetoric

The art of effective communication.

rhetorical question

-Question not asked for information but for effect.

sarcasm

A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded.

satire

A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect. It targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions.

declarative sentence

States an idea. It does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question. "The ball is round."

imperative sentence

Issues a command. "Kick the ball."

interrogative sentence

Sentences incorporating interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, and whose). "To whom did you kick the ball?"

style

The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes. Style may be conscious or unconscious.

symbol

Anything that represents or stands for something else.

Syntax/sentence variety

Grammatical arrangement of words. This is perhaps one of the most difficult concepts to master. First, a reader should examine the length of sentences (short or long). How does sentence length and structure relate to tone and meaning.

theme

The central idea or message of a work.

thesis

The sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning,

tone

A writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and organization

understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant

ethos

-(credibility) means being convinced by the credibility of the author. We tend to

believe people whom we respect.

pathos

(emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions.

logos

(logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning, using true premises and valid arguments. This is generally considered the strongest form of persuasion.

concession

Accepting at least part or all of an opposing viewpoint. Often used to make one's own argument stronger by demonstrating that one is willing to accept what is obviously true and reasonable, even if it is presented by the opposition.

conditional statement

A conditional statement is an if-then statement and consists of two parts, an antecedent and a consequent. "If you studied hard, then you will pass the test." Conditional statements are often used as premises in an argument.

deductive argument

An argument in which it is thought that the premises provide a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion. In a deductive argument, the premises are intended to provide support for the conclusion that is so strong that, if the premises are true, it would be impossible for the conclusion to be false.

fallacy

A fallacy is an attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.

AD HOMINEM

Latin for "against the man". Personally attacking your opponents instead of their arguments.

APPEAL TO AUTHORITY

The claim that because somebody famous supports an idea, the idea must be right

APPEAL TO THE BANDWAGON

The claim, as evidence for an idea, that many people believe it, or right.

APPEAL TO EMOTION

An attempt to replace a logical argument with an appeal to the audience's emotions. Common emotional appeals are an appeal to sympathy, an appeal to revenge, an appeal to patriotism - basically any emotion can be used as an appeal.

BAD ANALOGY

Claiming that two situations are highly similar, when they aren't. "We have pure food and drug laws regulating what we put in our bodies; why can't we have laws to keep musicians from giving us filth for the mind?"

FALSE CAUSE

Assuming that because two things happened, the first one caused the second one. (Sequence is not causation.) "Before women got the vote, there were no nuclear weapons. Therefore women's suffrage must have led to nuclear weapons."

HASTY GENERALIZATION

A generalization based on too little or unrepresentative data. "My uncle didn't go to college, and he makes a lot of money. So, people who don't go to college do just as well as those who do."

NON SEQUITUR

A conclusion that does not follow from its premises; an invalid argument. "Hinduism is one of the world's largest religious groups. It is also one of the world's oldest religions. Hinduism helps millions of people lead happier, more productive lives. Therefore the principles of Hinduism must be true."

SLIPPERY SLOPE

The assumption that once started, a situation will continue to its most extreme possible outcome. "If you drink a glass of wine, then you'll soon be drinking all the time, and then you'll become a homeless alcoholic."