APELAC Rhetorical Terms 1-16

Abstract Language

Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. The observable or "physical" is usually described in concrete language.

Ad Hominem Argument/Attack

A personal attack on the character or other traits of one's opponent rather than an argument against his/her ideas.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "She sells sea shells..."). Although the term is not used in the multiple choice section of the exam, alliteration may appear in an essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, and/or supply a musical sound. Be sure you state why the author wants such an effect!

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. ______ can be historical (like referring to Abraham Lincoln), literary (like referring to Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter), religious (like referring to Noah and the flood) or mythical (like referring to Atlas). There are, of course, many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.

Ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage. ______ implies that either meaning could be correct.

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. The comparison is often between two things in which the complex is explained in terms of the simple, or something unfamiliar is associated with something more familiar. The comparison suggests that if the two things are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well. _____ can make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging. They may be used effectively to persuade, but logically they prove nothing.

Anaphora

The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses

Anecdote

A brief recounting of a relevant episode, frequently personal or biographical. _______ are often inserted into fiction or nonfiction as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.

Anticlimax

A sudden drop from the dignified or important in thought or expression to the commonplace or trivial, often for humorous effect.

Antimetabole

The repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen the contrast.

Antithesis

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

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An _______ can be a memorable summation of an author's point, or it can be a focusing device at the beginning of the essay.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, a personified abstraction, or sometimes an inanimate object. The effect may add emotional intensity or familiarity. For example, Walt Whitman addresses the assassinated Abraham Lincoln as "O Captain! my Captain!"

Assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity.

Asyndeton

Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words. (The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, ______ speeds up the flow of the sentence.) _______ takes the form of X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z.