AP LANG Rhetorical Terms

Abstract Language

Language describing ideas and qualities is rather than observable or specific things people or places.

• “The American people possess an undying love for liberty and freedom”

Allegory

A story in which the characters things and events represent qualities or concepts. The interaction with these characters in events is meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth. The characters and other elements may be symbolic of the ideas referred to.

• Animal Farm in the Bolshevik revolution

Alliteration

The repetition of constant consonant sounds into or more neighboring words or syllables

• “ Live laugh, love”

• “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”

Allusion

An implied or indirect reference to a person event thing or part of another text. These are mostly based on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge that is shared between the author in the reader, and that the reader will understand the authors reference. Often seen with biblical figures and mythology.

• “She’s like kryptonite to me”

• “That guy was young, scrappy, and hungry”

Anecdote

Usually shorten narrative of an interesting amusing or biographical incident

• Adrienne Rich’s interaction with the seamstress tailoring her dress in “Spilt at the root” (bros example not mine cause wtf does that mean that interaction wasn’t funny in the slightest in fact it was lowkey sad to read and ur telling me that was supposed to be a funny interaction bro like what the fart dawg like omg nahhhhh lock in ayo)

Antecedent

A noun referred to by a pronoun that takes its place

Antithesis

Opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a balance or parallel construction

• “ Extremism and defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” - Barry Goldwater (wtf does that mean)

Circumlocution

The use of an unnecessarily large number of words or an indirect means of expression to express an idea so as the effect of invasion in speech.

• The Pinocchio and Prince charming dialogue from Shrek the third

Conceit

An extended elaborate or surprisingly unusual metaphor

• Metaphors that are lowkey a stretch

• “ Shall I compare the to a Summers day?” Am I sweaty?

• The United States is a vulnerable sea turtle silently gliding to the blue depths - now wtf is that supposed to mean

Concrete language

Language that describes specific observable things, people or places rather than ideas or qualities

• Abstract: to excel in college, you’ll have to work hard

• Concrete: to excel in college, you’ll need to go to every class, do all your reading before you go, write several drafts of each paper and review your notes for each class weekly

Controlling metaphor

A metaphor that runs through an entire work in determines the form or nature of that work

• Bros emc coins 🪙

Diction

The selection of words an oral or written discourse - root of the word dictionary

Ellipsis

The omission of one or more words that must be supplied to make the construction grammatically complete

• He is taller than I (am)

Exemplification

This is a type of exposition. The writer uses examples such as specific facts, opinions, samples, and those are stories to support generalization to make it more vivid, understandable, and persuasive.

• the act of using specific examples to support a claim or argument

• Bro did not in fact have an example for this

Figurative language

A word or words that are in accurate literally but describe by calling to mind sensations or responses, but the thing described evokes. This May be in the form of metaphors or similes, both of which are non-literal comparisons. Other kinds of the speech are hyperboles, personification, metonymy and synecdoche.

Hyperbole

Conscious exaggeration used to heighten effect. Not intended literally, this is often humorous.

• I’m dying of laughter

• This box weighs a ton

Idiom

A word or phrase that is used habitually with particular meaning in language

• Catch a cold

• Hold a job

• Make up your mind

Imagery

Instances of writing that enable a reader to create a individual image of what the writer is describing

Dramatic irony

When a reader is aware of a reality that differs from a characters perception of reality

• Poor pook Oedipus Rex and the silly times with his mother

Situational irony

When an event turns out to be the opposite of what is expected

• if we didn’t know, Oedipus was the killer of King lies in the beginning of the play. The Oedipus would be an example of situational irony.

Juxtaposition

The act or instance of placing two or more things side-by-side

• This is a matter of life or death

• It was a case of good versus evil

• With justice or revenge prevail?

• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Metaphor

Figurative speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, and so changes our apprehension of either of both without using like or as

Onomatopoeia

The naming of a thing or association by vocal imitation of the sound associated with it

• sound words like bang and pow

Oxymoron

A rhetorical antithesis, the juxtaposition of two contradictory terms

• Wise fool

• Jumbo shrimp

• Awfully good

• Same difference

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement, which is actually true. This rhetorical device is often use for emphasis or simply to attract attention.

• “We had to destroy the village to save it”

Parallelism

Sentence construction, which places two or more equally grammatical constructions in close proximity

• Reading to the mind is what exercise is the body

• Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country - jfk

Personification

Figurative language in which inanimate objects, animals, ideas, or abstractions are endowed with human traits or human form

• The stars winked in the night sky

Rhetorical purpose

The intention behind the choice of diction, syntax, figurative, language, detail, and other formal features of writing by which the writer creates his or her meaning and effect

Satire

An exaggeration of mistaken beliefs, or actions to the point where they are obviously ridiculous. This corrects, by exposure or ridicule, deviations from normal conduct or reasonable opinion

• a comical piece of writing which makes fun of an individual or a society, to expose its stupidity and shortcomings

• the puke video on overconsumption

Simile

A figure of speech that uses like or as to make a comparison between two and like things and so changes our comprehension of either or both

• she was a slice as a Fox

• That knife was as sharp as a razor

• He was as bright as the sun

Synecdoche

The rhetorical or metaphorical substitution of part for the whole or vice versa

• All hands on deck - “hands” refers to the whole body of a sailor

• I need a headcount by morning - “head” to represent the whole person

• Nice wheels - “wheels” refers to the whole car