AP Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Terms

allegory

A story with two (or more) levels of meaning--one literal and the other(s) symbolic.

allusion

A brief reference to literature, geographical locations, historical events, legends, traditions, and elements of popular culture.

amplification

Dramatic ordering of words to show a sort of expansion or progression: conceptual, valuative, poetic.

analogy

A comparison of two things, which are alike in several aspects, for clarification and explanation.

anecdote

A story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point.

aphorism

A brief saying embodying a moral, a concise statement of a principle or precept given in pointed words.

apology

Work written to defend a writer’s opinions or to elaborate and clarify a problem.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or thing.

colloquial

The use of slang or dialect in writing to create local color and provide an informal tone.

concession

To grant to be true in an argument; to yield a point.

connotation

The implied or suggested meaning of a word; association.

deduction

The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.

denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word; impartial, no emotion.

diction

Word choice; an author’s choice of diction contributes to the tone and mood of the piece.

didactic

Writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach, usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns.

dysphemism

A degenerative or less agreeable substitute for words or concepts.

ethos

Appeal based on the character of the speaker; relies on the author's reputation.

euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for an unpleasant word or concept.

form

The shape or structure of a literary work.

homily

A sermon or serious talk involving moral or spiritual advice.

hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis or humor.

induction

The process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization.

inference

A conclusion one can draw from the presented details.

invective

A verbally abusive attack.

logos

Appeal based on logic or reason; often used in scholarly documents.

motif

The repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters.

oxymoron

A combination of contradictory words and meanings.

pacing

The movement of a literary piece from one point or section to another.

pathos

The aspects of a literary work that elicits pity from the audience; an appeal to emotion.

pedantic

A term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing, often overly difficult.

rhetoric

The art of writing and speaking effectively and persuasively.

syllogism

A method of presenting a logical argument consisting of a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.

syntax

Sentence construction; the arrangement of words and phrases.

thesis

The sentence or group of sentences that express a writer’s opinion, purpose, idea, or meaning.

tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject and audience; reflected in the work.

understatement

The presentation of something as less significant than it is; the opposite of hyperbole.

voice

Refers to the relationship between a sentence’s subject and verb or the total sound of a writer’s style.

zeugma

Use of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous meanings.