AP English Rhetorical devices

Rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
ex: life is like a race

Anecdote

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.
ex: Obama's speech on the first day back to school about his own childhood.

Audience

One's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed, or written for.

Author's purpose

the author's intent either to inform/teach, to entertain, or to persuade/convince the audience

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

Ethos

a persuasion based on credibility of the speaker

Pathos

a persuasion based on emotions

Logos

a persuasion based on logic or reason

Evidence

proof

Metaphor

A comparison of two different subjects without using like or as

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses
ex: ask not what your country could do for you, but what you can do for your country

Repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

Bias

A particular preference or point of view that is personal, rather than scientific.

Connotation

All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests

Denotation

literal, dictionary meaning of a word

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in writing or speeches

Loaded Language

Words or phrases that attempt to influence the reader through emotion and/or stereotype.

Irony

language/ vocabulary that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Juxtaposition

placing two elements or words side by side and letting the reader or viewer compare them to show irony, humor or sadness.

Stereotype

a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Figurative Language

use of words or phrases that does not have its normal everyday, literal meaning. common types: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, allusion, and idiom.

Imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language using the senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste) to make it lively.

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Credibility

the quality of being trusted and believed in

Rhetorical Shift

Refers to a change or movement in a text resulting from an epiphany, realization, or insight gained by the speaker, a character, or the reader.

Thesis

a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise/ basis to be maintained or proved.

Writer's style

The unique way an author uses literary and rhetorical devices.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Text structure

Organization of a text

Cause and Effect

noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.

Problem and Solution

A text structure that presents a problem and offers solutions to solve the problem.

Claim and Stance

Your basic belief about a particular topic, issue, event, or idea

Aphorism

a concise statement of a truth or principle
ex: if you lie with dogs your going to get fleas

Example of alliteration

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Example of allusion

"I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio's."

Example of analogy

Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer.

Example of Antithesis

Speech is silver, but silence is gold.

Example of bias

remembering past attitudes as similar to current attitudes even though the past attitudes have changed

Example of Ethos

He is a forensics and ballistics expert for the federal government - if anyone's qualified to determine the murder weapon, it's him.

Example of Hyperbole

I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

Hypophora

a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question

Example of Hypophora

How do we know this to be true? We have observed it in the lab.

Example of imagery

"A shaggy brown dog rubbed its back on the white picket fence"

Example of juxtaposition

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness

Example of Logos

The data is perfectly clear: this investment has consistently turned a profit year-over-year, even in spite of market declines in other areas.

Example of paradox

You can save money by spending it.

Example of pathos

If we don't move soon, we're all going to die! Can't you see how dangerous it would be to stay?

Example of repetition

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Example of simile

Life is like a box of chocolates

Synechdoche

Uses a part to explain a whole or a whole to explain a part.

Example of synecdoche

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.