AP English Language Basic Rhetorical Devices

Repetition

Repeating word or phrase

Anaphora

Repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences or phrases

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Ethos

Appeal to credibility

Pathos

Appeal to emotion

Logos

Appeal to logic and reason (usually in the form of statistics)

Hypophora

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

Imagery/Symbolism

is a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader

Simile

a comparison that uses like or as

Metaphor

a comparison that does NOT use like or as

Personification

a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human

Juxtaposition

placing two things close together for a contrasting effect

Diction

the author’s choice of words; always use a descriptor to describe the author’s diction