Rhetorical Devices/Fig Lang for AP Lang

Allusion

a reference to a historical / literary / religious event

Analogy

a comparison. synonymous with metaphor or simile

She's as blind as a bat.

Anecdote

a short story

Incorporating a fable to further a point or prove a moral

Colloquialism

informal but common words/phrases

“y’all”, “gonna”, “wanna”

Connotation

a word’s emotion/feeling it invokes

“unique” - special (+), peculiar (-), or different (neutral)?

Diction

word choice

“ ‘Could you be so kind as to pass me the milk?' Vs. ‘Give me that!’ ”

Hyperbole

An obvious, intended exaggeration.

'I was dying of laughter.'

Simile

Comparison using “like” or “as”

I ran like the wind.

Personification

A type of metaphor in which non-human objects or ideas are given human qualities.

The stars winked

Antithesis

A figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other

Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.
Keep your mouth closed and your eyes open.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Repetition

A repeated word of phase, used for emphasis.

Anaphora

Repetition at the beginning of a line

“You is kind, you is smart, and you is important,” (Repeated use of the word: “you”)

Epistrophe

Repetition at the end of a line

“I'm tired of this job. I'm over this job. I'm done with this job!” (Repetition of the words: “This job”)

Syntax

the ordering of words in a sentence; it describes sentence structure. Syntax in rhetorical strategies refers to the arrangement of words and phrases to achieve a desired effect.

For example:

Never was anything so gallant, so well outfitted, so brilliant, and so finely disposed as the two armies. The trumpets, fifes, reeds, drums, and cannon made such harmony as never was heard in Hell.

The first sentence depicts a beautiful battle.

• The second begins similarly, but its phrases are structured to maximize the surprise at the end.

Imagery

when an author uses vivid or metaphorical language to create a mental image that helps readers visualize what's being described.

Understatement

figurative language that presents the facts in a way that makes them appear much less significant than they really are.

For example:

After dinner, they came and took into custody Doctor Pangloss and his pupil Candide, the one for speaking his mind and the other for appearing to approve what he heard. They were

conducted to separate apartments, which were extremely cool and where they were never bothered by the sun.

• Taking the last statement literally will lead you wrong.

  • The understatement in this example ("They were brought to separate apartments, which were extremely cool and where they were never bothered by the sun") implies that the poor men were dumped into horrifyingly gloomy, dank, and frigid jail cells.

Metaphor

• A metaphor is a simile without a connecting term such as like or as.

  • For example: The birds are black arrows flying across the sky.

rhetorical question

a question whose answer is obvious; these types of questions do not need to be answered—and usually aren’t.

For example:

• Given how cheap the most fattening foods are, is it any wonder obesity is on the rise? (no irony)

• Aren’t AP Exams great fun? (with irony)

Irony

figure of speech in which words are used to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. It can be used to make a point, add humor or emphasize something.

For example, if it were a cold, rainy gray day, you might say, “What a beautiful day!”

Tone

• describes the speaker’s attitude toward the subject.

  • Tone describes how the author seems to be feeling (e.g., optimistic, ironic, or playful).

Mood

• describes how the text makes the audience feel.

• For example:

Our left fielder couldn’t hit the floor if he fell out of bed! After striking out twice (once with the bases loaded!), he grounded into a double-play. My grandmother runs faster than he does! In the eighth inning, he misjudged a routine fly ball, which brought in the winning run. What a jerk! Why didn’t the club

trade him last week when it was still possible? What’s wrong with you guys?

The mood is stressed and concerned.

Logos

an appeal to reason and logic.

Ethos

an appeal to the speaker’s credibility—whether he or she is to be believed on the basis of his or her character and expertise.

Pathos

an appeal to the emotions, values, or desires of the audience.

Juxtaposition

Putting two separate things/ideas next to or near each other to highlight their differences.

Examples:
The sweet and sour sauce.
All's fair in love and war