AP Lit - Structural and stylistic devices

Syntax

The arrangement of words and sentences

Syntax

“He ran. He fell. He screamed.” Short sentences create urgency.

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases for emphasis

Repetition

“Never again. Never again would she trust him.”

Anaphora

Repeating words at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses

Anaphora

“I wanted freedom. I wanted happiness. I wanted a new life.”

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures

Parallelism

“She loved to sing, to dance, and to dream.”

Antithesis

Placing opposing ideas in balanced structures

Antithesis

“She wanted to forget, but he wanted to remember.”

Foreshadowing

Hinting at something that will happen later

Foreshadowing

A character mentions that the old bridge is unstable before another character attempts to cross it.

Flashback

Interrupting the present story to show an earlier event

Flashback

A character sees a childhood photograph, and the narrative shifts to a memory from ten years earlier.

In medias res

Beginning a story in the middle of the action

In medias res

“The building was already burning when Sarah realized her brother was still inside.”

Frame narrative

A story told within another story

Frame narrative

In Heart of Darkness, Marlow tells his story to passengers aboard the Nellie.

Stream of consciousness

Writing that follows a character’s continuous flow of thoughts

Stream of consciousness

“Where did I leave my keys? The kitchen, maybe. Mom always said I was forgetful. I wonder if she’s called.”

Ambiguity

Language or events that allow multiple interpretations

Ambiguity

“She smiled as he walked away.” Her smile might express happiness, relief, or sadness.

Tone shift

A change in the speaker’s attitude

Tone shift

“The garden had always been beautiful, filled with flowers and sunlight. But now, standing among the dead plants, she felt nothing but dread.”

Pacing

The speed at which events unfold

Pacing

“She reached for the door. Stopped. Listened. Something moved.” The short sentences slow the action into suspenseful moments.