AP Lang Literary Devices

Tone –

narrator’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject of the passage.

Exclamatory sentences

expresses a wish, a desire, a command – and is often, but not always, indicated with an exclamation point.

Interrogative sentences

– asks a question

Declarative sentences

– most common form of sentence, makes a factual statement

Syntax

– sentence structure, how sentence parts are arranged to convey meaning and affect a reader’s response

Diction

– word choice, an element of style that gives each person’s writing a quality that is uniquely his or her own.

Connotation

– the feelings we attach to ideas, events, and objects

Deductive

– organization pattern: general to specific, thesis to evidence

Inductive

– organization pattern: specific to general, evidence to thesis

Metaphor

- A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Simile

– A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike subjects using the words like or as

Personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. Potential effect: lend atmosphere to a setting or give lifelikeness to an object or animal that might otherwise seem dull.

Irony

- The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or empathetic effect. Potential effect: Bring complexity in the narrative structure, create suspense, and contrast knowledge and ignorance, expectation and reality

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Descriptive Imagery

- A word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses, including: taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound

Allusion

an implied or direct reference to something in history or culture

Analogy

a comparison of two objects or situations that have several common characteristics

Metonymy

an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it.

Synecdoche

a part is substituted for the whole, or vice versa.

Juxtaposition

involves placing two or more things side by side to create a contrast or comparison.

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Potential effect: Used to inject mood or emotion into a piece of writing so it's more striking and memorable

Rhetorical question

A question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. Example: "What's not to like?"