Glossary of Rhetorical Devices and Terms – AP English Lang and Comp

Vocabulary flashcards covering the glossary terms from the notes.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to a common work, event, person, or tradition to evoke comparison or shared values.

Analogy

A comparison that shows similarity between two different things to explain or clarify.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines.

Anecdote

A short narrative about a single incident or event used to illustrate a point.

Antecedent

The noun or other word that a pronoun refers to.

Antithesis

A balancing of opposing ideas in parallel structures for emphasis.

Analyze/Analysis

To break down a text into parts to interpret its meaning and purpose.

Asyndeton

A list that omits conjunctions, producing a concise or rapid effect.

Chiasmus

A criss-cross structure where the order of terms is reversed in the second clause.

Clause

A grammatical unit with a subject and a verb; independent can stand alone, dependent cannot.

Colloquial/colloquialism

Informal language or slang; conversational tone, often regional.

Connotation

The implied or associated meaning beyond the literal definition.

Denotation

The literal dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

The author's word choice, affecting formality, clarity, and effect.

Ethos

Credibility and character of the speaker or writer used to persuade.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect substitute for an unpleasant term.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or satirical effect.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Inversion/Inverted syntax

Reversing the usual word order for emphasis or poetic effect.

Irony/Ironic

A contrast between what is stated and what is meant; verbal, situational, or dramatic.

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things side by side for comparison or contrast.

Logos

Appeal to logic: use of reasoning, facts, and evidence to persuade.

Metaphor

A direct or implied comparison between unlike things.

Oxymoron

A two-word paradox combining opposite terms (e.g., jumbo shrimp).

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals truth upon closer inspection.

Parallelism

Use of similar grammatical structures to create rhythm and emphasize relationships.

Pathos

Appeal to the audience's emotions to persuade.

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human things or abstractions.

Polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions in a series to create multiplicity or intensity.

Repetition

Duplication of a word, phrase, clause, or sound for emphasis.

Rhetoric

The art of effective, persuasive writing or speaking; how choices suit audience and purpose.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not to be answered; implies a point.

Satire

A work that ridicules human folly or social norms to provoke reform; uses devices like irony and parody.

Syllogism

A deductive argument with major and minor premises leading to a conclusion.

Syntax

The arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences; sentence structure.

Tone

The author's attitude toward subject or audience; mood is the reader's experience.

Transition

A word or phrase linking ideas and signaling shifts in thought.

Understatement

The ironic minimization of fact; opposite of hyperbole; often humorous.