AP Lang - Rhetorical Moves Quiz

tricolon

three parallel phrases

ex. “a government of the people, by the people, for the people

asyndeton

listing without a conjunction (“a government of the people, by the people, for the people”)

anaphora

repeating the initial word or phrase in multiple sentences in a row

balanced sentences

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Metaphor

comparison without like or as

Rhyme

rhyming duh

hyperbole

an exaggeration

personification

making an non human thing have human traits

allusion

a reference to a well-known person, character, place, or event that a writer makes to deepen the reader's understanding of their work.

authority

the extent to which a writer or speaker's content resonates as credible and trustworthy to its audience

imagery

to appeal to the senses

dramatic irony

occurs when the audience knows something that the characters don't

situational irony

when the outcome of a situation is contrary to or different from what is expected

cosmic irony

the universe or deity seems to have a sense of humor and purposefully creates situations that are opposite of the expected outcome

verbal irony

using words to convey a meaning that is opposite to or markedly different from their literal interpretation

repetition

repeating words or phrases

alliteration

repetition of sounds at the start of words

“sally sells sea shells”

Rhetorical Questions

asking questions without expecting a response

Statistics

statistics duh

Juxtaposition

placing different things side by side for comparison or to create an interesting effect

Onomatopoeia

forming a word from a sound

Synecdoche

 a part of something is used to represent the whole (“New England won against Seattle” – New England and Seattle are used to replace the full team names)

Paradox

seemingly contradictory statement that may prove to be true (“fair is foul and foul is fair”)

Simile

a comparison using like or as

Assonance

repetition of vowel sounds within close proximity 

Foreshadowing

an indication of something that will happen in the end of the passage

Antithesis

contrasting ideas expressed in one sentence, usually in parallel form, i.e. “To err is human; to forgive divine

Epithet

 an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned

Subjugation

the action of bringing someone or something under domination or control