AP LANG Rhetorical Devices, Choices, & Situation

Rhetorical Devices

Specific instances of rhetorical play at the sentence level

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one phrase, clause, or sentence at or very near the beginning of the next.

Ex.) This treatment plant has a record of uncommon reliability—a reliability envied by every other water treatment facility on the coast.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Ex.) He has refused his Assent to Laws… 

He has forbidden his Governors… 

He has refused to pass other Laws…

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

Ex.) What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

Antithesis

Juxtaposition of a contrasting relationship between two ideas.

Ex.) We shall support any friend, oppose any foe. 

To err is human; to forgive, divine. 

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

Asyndeton

Lack of conjunctions (and, or, but) between linked phrases, clauses, or words.

Ex.) He came, he saw, he conquered. 

They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.

Polysyndeton

Repeated use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause.

Ex.) He came and he saw and he conquered. 

They spent the day wondering and searching and thinking and understanding.

Chiasmus

Reversing the order of the structure from the first parallel clause in the second parallel clause.

Ex.) Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. 

Hypophora

Asking a question, then proceeding to answer it.

Rhetorical Question

Asking a question for which the answer is implied, not stated.

Ex.) After all, who doesn’t wish for eternal youth and inexhaustible wealth?

Zeugma

Linking of unexpected terms in a sentence by a shared word.

Ex.) The runner lost the race and his scholarship.

Rhetorical Choices

Bigger, broader moments of rhetorical strategies that may occur over a few sentences, a paragraph, multiple paragraphs, or an entire piece.

• When identifying rhetorical choices, try to think about what the author is doing to the reader. 

Allusions

References to other works of art, historical figures, texts, etc…

Anecdotes

Brief narrative stories. Can be personal, about the author, or about someone else.

Hypotheticals

Using hypothetical scenarios, most oftentimes to imagine the future or impact of a consequence.

Compare/Contrast

1. Comparison: Identifying meaningful similarities between two ideals, people , scenarios, etc…This could include an extended metaphor or analogy.   

2. Contrast: Identifying meaningful differences between two ideals, people, scenarios, etc… This could include antithesis, juxtaposition.

Diction

Word choice - especially if one word is repeated that directly relates to the author’s purpose

Metaphors

Extended? —> a figure of speech that compares two different things by stating that one thing is actually another.

Call to Action

An emotionally-packed, usually urgent call for the audience to take part in an important change.

Syntax Variation

Syntax: the set of rules that govern how words, phrases, and symbols are arranged to form well-structured sentences or code.

Ex.) Simple emphatic? Complex? Compound? Complex-compound?

Organization

General structure of the writing

Shifts to look out for

Tone, audience, point of view, appeals, etc…

Rhetorical Situation (RHS)

Individuals write within a particular situation and make strategic writing choices based on that situation.

• Meaning/purpose is contextual, situational—hence why the RHS is so crucially important.

Acronym: SPACECAT

Speaker

The speaker/author of the text and any pertinent information about them.

Purpose

The speaker’s intention/message. What do they want the audience to do/know/understand?

• Initial AND Nuanced/Deeper

Audience

The intended audience of the text. Is there a secondary audience? What values do they hold? What assumptions might they have about the subject and topic?

Context

The broader cultural/historical/political context.

Exigence

The event/issue that sparks a writer to create the text. (Inciting incident; hyper-specific context).

CAT

Choices - What choices does the author make?

Appeals - How does the author establish ethos and utilize pathos/logos?

Tone - How would you describe the tone of the text? Are there shifts?

Ethos

Appealing to the author’s credibility

Pathos

Appealing to the audience’s emotions

Logos

Appealing to logic (facts, study, indisputable truths)

Tone

The attitude of the speaker

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Formula

2-3 dominant choices + 1-2 purposes

Start with the what, end with the how

• What is an author saying or arguing for? 

• How are they saying or arguing for it?