AP Lang Analysis Terms

rhetoric

using language effectively to persuade, inform, educate, or entertain.

The Rhetorical Situation

several factors: context, which includes setting and occasion, exigence, purpose, audience, writer, and message.

Exigence

aspects of the rhetorical situation that make it urgent

occasion

the specific circumstances and events that necessitate the text

Purpose

goal the writer or speaker of a text wants to achieve

Persona

"mask"; it means the face or character that a writer shows to the audience

audience

listener, viewer, or reader of a text or performance

message

main idea or position the writer wants to convey to the audience about the subject of a text. It's important not to confuse the subject of a text with its message or its purpose, which is the goal the writer wants to achieve

rhetorical appeals

ways of making a message appealing to an audience

ethos

expertise, knowledge, experience, sincerity, shared values, or a combination of these factors (Greek word “character”)

pathos

an appeal to the audience's emotions, aiming to elicit feelings that support the argument.

logos

thinking logically- having a clear main idea and using specific details, examples, facts, statisics, or expert testimony to back it up (Greek words “embodied thought)

denotation

dictionary definition of a word

diction

a writer’s choice of words

syntax

how words are combined to create sentences