AP Lang Rhetorical Devices from Fiveable

aesthetic

This rhetorical device references to artistic elements or expressions within a textual work. Example: The sunset in the novel was described with such detail, it felt like a painting.

allegory

This rhetorical device references the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence. Example: Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.

alliteration

This rhetorical device references the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of successive words. Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

allusion

This rhetorical device is a reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history. Example: 'Don't act like a Romeo in front of her.' - 'Romeo' is a reference to Shakespeare's Romeo.

ambiguity

This rhetorical device references a word, phrase, or sentence whose meaning can be interpreted in more than one way. Example: The ambiguity of the ending left readers wondering whether the character was alive or dead.

analogy

This rhetorical device references an extended comparison between two things/instances/people etc. that share some similarity to make a point. Example: He drew an analogy between the human heart and a pump.

anaphora

This rhetorical device references repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines. Example: 'We shall not fail. We shall not yield.'

anecdote

This rhetorical device references a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident. Example: The speaker shared an anecdote about his childhood to connect with the audience.

antithesis

This rhetorical device references the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences. Example: 'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.'

assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant sounds. Example: 'The cat sat back.'

asyndeton

Conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose. Example: I came, I saw, I conquered.

chiasmus

Repetition of ideas in inverted order. Example: 'Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?'

colloquial

Characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech. Example: Using 'gonna' instead of 'going to'.

connotation

The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning. Example: The word 'home' connotes warmth and comfort.

consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds, but not vowels, as in assonance. Example: 'Mike likes his new bike'

deductive reasoning

Reasoning that works from the more general to the more specific, beginning with a theory that becomes a hypothesis, and using observations to confirm the original theory. Example: All men are mortal, Socrates is a man, therefore Socrates is mortal.

denotation

The literal meaning of a word, the dictionary definition. Example: The denotation of 'blue' is the color between green and violet on the spectrum.

diction

A writer's choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning. Example: A writer using formal diction in a serious essay.

didactic

Tone; instructional, designed to teach an ethical, moral, or religious lesson. Example: A fable that teaches a moral lesson.

elegiac

A tone involving mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past. Example: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray.

epistrophe

Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words. Example: '…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'

ethos

Appealing to credibility. Example: A doctor giving medical advice.

extended metaphor

Differs from a regular metaphor in that several comparisons similar in theme are being made. Example: 'All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances…'

imagery

Descriptive language that provides vivid images that evoke the senses. Example: 'The crimson sun sank slowly in the West.'

inductive reasoning

Reasoning that moves from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories; uses observations to detect patterns and develop hypotheses. Example: Every cat I have ever seen has fur; therefore, cats have fur.

irony

Stating the opposite of what is said or meant. Example: Saying 'Nice weather we're having' during a hurricane.

juxtaposition

Placing two or more things side by side for comparison or contrast. Example: A poem that juxtaposes youth and old age.

logos

Appealing to logic. Example: Presenting statistical data to support an argument.

metonymy

A figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated. Example: 'The pen is mightier than the sword' - 'pen' refers to written words, and 'sword' to military force.

pacing

The speed at which a piece of writing flows — use when discussing organization. Example: A fast pace in an action scene.

paradox

Apparently self-contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is revealed only by careful scrutiny. Example: 'Less is more.'

parallelism (parallel structure)

A repetition of sentences using the same grammatical structure emphasizing all aspects of the sentence equally. Example: '…that government of the people, by the people, for the people…'

pathos

Appealing to emotion. Example: Showing images of suffering animals to evoke sympathy.

polysyndeton

The use of many conjunctions has the effect of slowing the pace or emphasizing the numerous words or clauses. Example: '…and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights and windows broke and boats all up in the town.'

rhetorical question

A question presented by the author that is not meant to be answered. Example: 'Is water wet?'

stream of consciousness

A technique that records the thoughts and feelings of a character without regard to logical argument or narrative sequence. Example: Common in the novels of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.

synecdoche

The rhetorical substitution of a part for the whole. Example: 'Wheels' meaning a car.

syntax

The structure of sentences and/or phrases. Example: Using a complex syntax to create a sophisticated tone.

thesis

A statement of purpose, intent, or main idea in a literary work. Example: 'This essay will discuss the effects of social media on society.'

tone

The use of stylistic devices that reveal an author’s attitude towards a subject. Example: A sarcastic tone.