AP Language Terms

ad hominem

ad hominem

Attacking the person instead of the argument proposed by that individual.
An argument directed to the personality, prejudices, previous words and actions of an opponent rather than an appeal to pure reason.

allegory

A fiction or nonfiction narrative, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities, moral values, or concepts.

alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound, especially at the beginning of words.

allusion

A reference, explicit or indirect, to a person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage.
Generally speaking, the writer assumes the educated reader will recognize the reference.

analogy

A comparison made between two things that may initially seem to have little in common but can offer fresh insights when compared.

anaphora

Repetition of a word, phrase or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.

anticlimax

denotes a writer's intentional drop from the serious and elevated to the trivial and lowly, in order to achieve a comic or satiric effect.
An event (as at the end of a series) that is strikingly less important than what has preceded it.

antithesis

A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases or clauses.

anecdote

A brief recounting of a relevant episode. Commonly used as an illustration for an abstract point being made.

archaic

Language that is old-fashioned -not completely obsolete but no longer in current use.

cacophony

Harsh clashing, or dissonant sounds, often produced by combinations of words that require a clipped, explosive delivery or words that contain a number of plosive consonants. Opposite of Euphony

connotation

An implication or association attached to a word or phrase.

contrast

A traditional rhetorical strategy based on the assumption that a subject may be shown more clearly by pointing out ways in which it is unlike another subject

consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.
Sometimes refers to repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words.

diction

word choice as a reflection of style.

pathos

Appealing to the emotions of the reader in order to excite and involve them in the argument.

epistrophe

The repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses;

epithet

An adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing to emphasize a characteristic quality or attribute

ethos

appeals to credibility

exposition

An adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing to emphasize a characteristic quality or attribute

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

figurative language

Language that is symbolic or metaphorical and not meant to be taken literally.

hyperbole

A bold overstatement or extravagant expression of fact, used for serious or comic effect.
Easily recognized as exaggeration for effect.

imagery

Use of images, especially in a pattern of related images, often figurative, to create a strong, unified sensory impression.

juxtaposition

A poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, often creating an effect of surprise and wit.

metaphor

A figure of speech that compares two things which are basically dissimilar. Many metaphors are implied or suggested.

onomatopoeia

The use of words whose sound copies the sound of the thing or process that they describe.

oxymoron

A figure of speech in which two contradictory words are placed side-by-side for effect.

paradox

A statement that reveals a kind of truth, although it seems at first to be self-contradictory and untrue.

parallelism

Sentence construction which places in close proximity two or more equal grammatical constructions.

repetition

A device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and to create emphasis.

rhetoric

The art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse.
Focuses on the interrelationship of invention, arrangement, and style in order to create fitting and appropriate discourse.

simile

A figure of speech, comparing two essentially unlike things through the use of a specific word of comparison (like, as, or than, for example).

syntax

The way in which sentences are structured
Sentences can be structured in different ways to achieve different effects

tone

Author's attitude toward subject matter as revealed through style, syntax, diction, figurative language, and organization. Is created, not used.

chiasmus

Arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of X Y Y X.
Usually short and summarizes the main idea.