Vocab and Rhetorical devices AP Lang and Comp (copy)

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Allusion

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

Anecdote

A short, personal story used to illustrate a point or engage the audience.

Anaphora

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

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.

Connotation

The implied or emotional meaning of a word beyond its dictionary definition.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered harsh or blunt.

Diction

The author’s choice of words.

Ethos

Appeal to credibility or character.

Pathos

Appeal to emotion.

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that builds toward the end with the main clause at the end.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Hypophora

Asking a question and immediately answering it.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Juxtaposition

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

Logos

Appeal to logic or reason.

Loose Sentence

A sentence that begins with the main idea and adds details afterward.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences

satire

a work that targets human vices or social institutes to ridicule

symbolism

anything that represents itself or something else

anadiplosis

the repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause

parallelism

same structure for multiple parts of a sentence to link

denotation

the literal, dictionary definition of a word to devoid any emotion

prose

fiction and nonfiction. including all its forms

rhetor

the speaker who uses elements of rhetoric effectively

distincio

elaborating on the definition of a word to make sure there is no misunderstanding

antithesis

using a contrast in language to bring out contrast in ideas

diction

the writers word choice

epiphora/ antistrophe

the repetition of the same word or words at the end of a phrase