AP English Literature Rhetorical Devices

allegory

story or poem that can be used to reveal a hidden meaning

allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

anaphora

repetition in first part of a sentence , to have an artistic meaning

apostrophe

figure of speech used to adresss an imaginary character

approximate rhyme

words in rhyming pattern that sound alike

aside

when a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by other actors on the stage

blank verse

poetry written in meter without an ending rhyme

cacophony

blend of unharmonious sounds

caesura

pause in the middle of a line

catharsis

the release of emotions through art (emotional cleanse)

characterization

process of revealing characters personality

comedy

drama that is amusing or funny

didactic writing

writing with a primary purpose to teach or preach

dramatic exposition

prose commentaries, to provide background information about the characters and their world

end stopped line

line ending in regular punctuation

epiphany

when a character receives a spiritual insight into their life

euphony

smooth choice and arrangement of sounds

extended figure

A figure of speech sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines or through a whole poem.

figurative language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

figure of speech

a way of saying something other than the ordinary way

foot

basic unit in the scansion or measurement of verse , stressed and un stressed syllables

form

external pattern or shape of a poem

hamartia

tragic flaw which causes a character's downfall

verbal irony

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

dramatic irony

Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.

situational irony

refers to an occurrence that is contrary to what is expected or intended

meter

A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry

metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

motivation

A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

hyperbole

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

paradox

A contradiction or dilemma

rhythm

A regularly recurring sequence of events or actions.

sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

satire

A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.

simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

stream of consciousness

private thoughts of a character without commentary

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

synesthesia

describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound")

theme

Central idea of a work of literature

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

understatement

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis

polysyndeton

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural

asyndeton

a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions

ambiguity

An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way.

archetype

an original model on which something is patterned

antecedent action

action or events which occur before the story begins

aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

analogy

method of comparing two similar things using parallelism to show similarities

anecdote

a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

antithesis

an exact opposite; an opposite extreme

colloquial

characteristic of informal conversation

chiasmus

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed

coherence

the quality of being logical, orderly, and clearly connected

conceit

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

diacope

repetition of a word or phrase with one or two intervening words

explication

a detailed explanation of the meaning of a text

juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

hypophora

the technique of asking a question, then proceeding to answer it

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

enumeratio

detailing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point more forcibly

enjambment

line of poetry that ends with no punctuation and consequently runs over into the next line

invective

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

litotes

A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite

motif

A recurring theme, subject or idea

parallelism

the use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical form

syntax

the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

volta

the shift or point of dramatic change in a poem

rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

parody

a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner

inference

A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

tragedy

A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow

undertone

a hidden or implied meaning

dissonance

lack of agreement or harmony

frame story

story that contains another story/stories that is/are usually significant to the main story

expletive

an exclamation or oath, often obscene

atmosphere/mood

the mood/ feeling of the literary work created for the reader by the writer.

auditory imagery

use of language to represent an experience pertaining to sound

universal theme

A message about life that can be understood by most cultures

implied meaning

the meaning of a word understood, though unexpressed, usually through connotations and imagery; where you have to read between the lines to get the underlying meaning/subtext of a text

character sketch

a short piece of writing that reveals or shows something important about a person or fictional character

epilogue

a short passage added at the end of a literary work

epistle

a letter or literary composition in letter form

hexameter

a line of poetry containing six feet

tetrameter

a line of poetry containing four feet

pentameter

a line of poetry containing five feet

lament

a passionate expression of grief or sorrow