AP Lang Rhetorical Terms

Alliteration

Repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence

Allusion

Brief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art

Ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence or passage

Analogy

A comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things. Often, an analogy uses something simple or familiar to explain something unfamiliar or complex

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines

Anecdote

A brief story used to illustrate a point or claim

Annotation

The taking of notes directly on a text

Antimetabole

Repetition of words in reverse order

Antithesis

Opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth and moral principle

Archaic Diction

Old-fashioned or outdated choice of words

Argument

A process of reasoned inquiry; A persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and consideration movement from a claim to a conclusion

Assertion

A statement that presents a claim or thesis

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunction between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words

Audience

The listener, viewer, or reader of a text

Claim

an assertion or proposition, states the argument’s main idea or position

Closed Thesis

A closed thesis is a statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make

Colloquialism

Words or phrases that have a conversational feel and are not generally used in formal written English

Complex Sentence

A sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

Connotation

Meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation

Context

The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text

Cumulative Sentence

Sentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on

Denotation

The strict, literal dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude or color

Diction

A speaker’s choice of words. Analysis of diction looks at these choices and what they add to the speaker’s message

Emphasis

allows the writer to place importance on a particular idea. By positioning an idea in a certain place structurally, by proportioning a greater amount of words, by isolating a key word or phrase, or by repeating the wording. (types include Position,
Proportion, Isolation, Repetition).

Ethos

Greek for “character.” Established by both who you are and what you say

Euphemism

Greek for “good speech,” a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. May be used to adhere to political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement.

Figurative Language (figure of speech)

Nonliteral language, sometimes referred to as tropes or metaphorical language, often evoking strong imagery

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or ironic effect; an overstatement to make a point

Imagery

A description of how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds

Imperative sentence

Sentence used to command or enjoin

Inversion

Inverted order of words in a sentence (variation of the Subject-Verb-Object order)

Irony

A figure of speech that occurs when a speaker or character says one thing but means something else, or when what is said is the opposite of what is expected, creating a noticeable incongruity

Jargon

Specialized terminology used by a particular group of people. Obscure and often pretentious language

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences

Logos

Greek for “embodied thought.”

Metaphor

Figure of speech that compares two things without using like or as

Metonymy

Figure of speech in which something is represented by another thing that is related to it or emblematic of it

Modifier

An adjective, adverb, phrase, or clause that modifies a noun, pronoun, or verb

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere created by a text

Narration

In classical oration, the factual and background information, establishing why a subject or problem needs addressing; it precedes the confirmation, or laying out of evidence to support claims made in the argument. 

Nominalization

The process of changing a verb into a noun

Occasion

The time and place a speech is given or a piece is written

Open thesis

Does not list all of the points the writer intends to cover in an essay

Oxymoron

A paradox made up of two seemingly contradictory words

Paradox

A statement or situation that is seemingly contradictory on the surface, but delivers an ironic truth

Parallelism

Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

Pathos

Periodic sentence

 Sentence whose main clause is withheld until the end

Persona

Greek for “mask.” The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience

Personification

Attribution of a lifelike quality to an inanimate object or an idea

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words. 

Propaganda

The spread of ideas and information to further a cause.

Purpose

The goal the speaker wants to achieve.

Rhetoric

The art of finding ways of persuading an audience

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. (Ethos, logos, pathos)

Rhetorical Question

Figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer

Satire

The use of irony or sarcasm to critique society or an individual

Scheme

Artful syntax; a deviation from the normal order of words. (Ex: parallelism, juxtaposition)

Simile

A figure of speech used to explain or clarify an idea by comparing it explicitly to something else, using the words like, as, or as though.

Speaker

 The person or group who creates a text

Stance

A speaker’s attitude toward the audience (differing from tone, the speaker’s attitude toward the subject)

Style

A writer’s specific way of saying things (arrangement of ideas, word choice, syntax, and figurative language)

Subject

The topic of a text. What the text is about. 

Symbol

Generally, something that represents or stands for something else.

ARCHETYPAL SYMBOLS (Natural, conventional, literary)

Synecdoche

 Figure of speech that uses a part to represent the whole

Syntax

The arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences

Synthesize

Combining two or more ideas in order to create something more complex in support of a new idea

Text

Any cultural product that can be “read”— meaning not just consumed and comprehended, but investigated

Theme

A writer’s thoughts on a topic. It is not JUST the topic, but what the author develops in terms of what he believes about the topic.

Tone

A speaker’s attitude toward the subject conveyed by the speaker’s stylistic and rhetorical choices.

Trope

• Artful diction; from the Greek word for “turning,” a figure of speech such as metaphor, simile, hyperbole, metonymy, or synecdoche. 

Understatement

A figure of speech in which something is presented as less important, dire, urgent, good, and so on, than it actually is, often for satiric or comical effect. Also called litotes, it is the opposite of hyperbole. 

Vernacular

The speech patterns of a particular group of people or region.

Voice

The unique flavor of a piece based upon the author. An author adds his or her voice to a piece by creating a tone with diction, syntax, imagery, etc.

Wit

In rhetoric, the use of laughter, humor, irony, and satire in the confirmation or refutation of an argument.

Zeugma

Use of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous, meanings.