44-81 AP Language and Composition Glossary of Literary and Rhetorical Devices

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.“My weakness is my strength.”

Parallelism

(Also known as parallel structure or balanced sentences.) Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns. Is used to add emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing. “I like kayaking, singing, dancing.”

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. “give me liberty or give me death”

Chiasmus

When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed. “One should live to eat, not eat to live.” Also called antimetabole.

Antithesis

Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure. “go big or go home”

Zuegma (Syllepsis)

When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, the first word's meaning must change for each of the other words it manages or modifies. “He opened his mind and then his wallet every time he went out with her.”

Parenthetical Idea

are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence. It is almost considered an aside...a whisper and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly. can also be used to set off dates and numbers. “Ella promised to pay me back (yeah, right)”

Parody

An exaggerated imitation of backbreaking work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original and pokes fun at it. This is also a form of allusion since it references a previous text, event, etc. Saturday Night Live also parodies famous persons and events. (ex. Pride and Prejudice With Zombies)

Persona

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

Poetic device

A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words. “Peter piper picked a pack of peppers””

Assonance

The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.“Mike's bike has white strips.”

Consonance

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words. “A bond that transcends the beyond."

Onomatopoeia

The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes. Snap, rustle, boom, murmur

Internal rhyme

When a line of poetry contains a rhyme within a single line.
“There is fun to be done. There is glue in my shoes!”

Slant rhyme

When a poet creates a rhyme, but the two words do not rhyme exactly – they are merely similar. “If love is like a bridge or maybe like a grudge.”

End rhyme

When the last word of two different lines of poetry rhyme. “My last defense/ Is the present tense'.”

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of a poem’s end rhymes. For example, the following lines have a rhyme scheme of a b a b c d c d

“True friends are by your side / Through it all / True friends are there / To catch you when you fall.

Stressed and unstressed syllables

In every word of more than one syllable, one of the syllables is stressed or said with more force than the other syllable(s). In the name “Nathan,” the first syllable is stressed. In the word “unhappiness,” the second of the four syllables are stressed.

Meter

A regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poetry.

Free verse

Poetry that doesn’t have much meter or rhyme.

Iambic pentameter

Poetry is written in lines of 10 syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. “To be or not to be; that is the question”

Sonnet

A 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter. Usually divided into three quatrains and a couplet.

Polysyndeton

When a writer creates a list of items that are all separated by conjunctions. Normally, a conjunction is used only before the last item in a list. (Ex: “He is brave and honest and good and decent.”)

Pun

When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way. “DENIAL is a river in Egypt.”

Rhetoric

The art of effective communication.

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

The relationships, in any piece of writing, between the writer, the audience, and the subject. All analysis of writing is essentially an analysis of the relationships between the points on the triangle.

(ex. Logos, pathos, and ethos)

Rhetorical Question

The question not asked for information but for effect. “The angry parent asked the child, ‘Are you finished interrupting me?’” In this case, the parent does not expect a reply, but simply wants to draw the child’s attention to the rudeness of interrupting.

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(ex: “Why are we here?” “What are you, insane?”)

Romanticism

Art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature. Does not rely on traditional themes and structures (see classicism).

Sarcasm

A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded. However, not all satire and irony are sarcastic. It is the bitter, mocking tone that separates sarcasm from mere verbal irony or satire.

(ex: “nice perfume. Did you get it from the garbage?)

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. Usually has three layers

(ex: The Simpsons, Election)

Sentence

A sentence is group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.

Appositive

A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning. “Bill, your ex-wife, killed your girlfriend..”

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. (ex. “I enjoy eating at the restaurant because its fancy”)

Balanced sentence

A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale. Both parts are parallel grammatically. “I liked her and she liked me” “I love to play and swim". AKA Parallelism

Compound sentence

Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent
clauses.

“I enjoy restaurant food, but my mom’s cooking is better”

Complex sentence

Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

“I ate the pizza because I was hungry”

Cumulative sentence

(also called a loose sentence) When the writer begins with an
independent clause, then adds subordinate elements.

“I knew I had found a friend in the woman, who herself was a lonely soul, never having known the love of man or child.”

Periodic sentence

Sentence where the main clause appears at the end.

“Suddenly, for no apparent reason, they started arguing.”

“they started arguing” was the main clause/action.