AP Lang. Rhetorical Devices

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

Juxtaposition

Placing two elements/ideas side by side to present a comparison or contrast.

Tricolon

Sentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

Hypophora

Raising a question then immediately answering it.

Repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Pun

A play on words

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Sensory Language/Imagery

Descriptive language that attempts to invoke one or more of the five senses.

Figurative Language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.)

Ethos

Ethos can be shown in your speech or writing by sounding fair and demonstrating your expertise or credibility.

Pathos

When a writer appeals to the emotions of the intended audience to excite and involve them in the argument

Logos

A way of persuading an audience through reasoning by offering them facts, statistics, and examples.

Anecdote

A short story about a real incident or person

Verbal irony

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Mood

How the reader feels about the text while reading.

Direct Address

To speak directly to the audience; to remove any separation between speaker and audience

Facts and Statistics

When truthful evidence and detail is given to back up a point.

Colloquial Language

informal language; language that is "conversational"

Connotation

all the meanings, ideas, associations, or emotions that a word suggests

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word

Jargon

special words, terms, or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.

Situational Irony

when the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected.

Dramatic Irony

when the reader/audience knows something the characters do not

Personal pronouns

I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours, you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs

Inclusive language

language that makes the audience feel united with the speaker or reader