Rhetorical Terms List #1

Allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence., Ex. Animal Farm George Orwell; The Wizard of Oz

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion. Allusion is used to lend authority to an idea, to make association with something the reader knows, to create a memorable phrase., Ex. "Plan ahead: it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark" - Richard Cushing

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging., Ex. "He that voluntarily continues ignorance is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces, as to him that should extinguish the tapers of a lighthouse might justly be imputed the calamities of shipwrecks." -Samuel Johnson

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP Language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.

Antithesis

Figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually through parallel structure; a contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences. Antithesis creates a definite and systematic relationship between ideas., Ex. "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.", "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." - Neil Armstrong, "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells). Although the term is not used frequently in the multiple-choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.

Ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage., Ex. "We saw her duck." "I can't recommend this book too highly."

Anaphora

One of the devices of repetition in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences. It is used to create a memorable powerful effect, to reinforce an idea through repetition., Ex. "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times."

Anecdote

A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person. Used to provide a concrete example or to humanize an abstract concept.

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle., Ex. "I think therefore I am." - Descartes, "People only see what they are prepared to see." - Emerson, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect is to give vent to or display intense emotion, which can no longer be held back., Ex. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, " Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee.", The poet Walt Whitman's poem, 'O Captain! My Captain!' is an elegy written to remember and honour the death of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. It is also a perfect example of the use of apostrophe: "O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, / The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won."

Asyndeton

Consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. This can give the effect of unpremeditated multiplicity, of an extemporaneous rather than a labored account. Asyndetic lists can be more emphatic than if a final conjunction were used., Ex. On his return he received medals, honors, treasures, titles, fame., They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood.

Chiasmus

A figure of speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words., Ex. "The land was ours before we were the land's" - Robert Frost, "Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure" - Lord Byron, "Sitting together at lunch, the kids talked incessantly; but they said nothing at all sitting in the dentist's office."

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element to the other. You should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing.

Colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.

Coherence

A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible. Words, phrases, clauses within the sentence; and sentences, paragraphs, and chapters in larger pieces of writing are the units that, by their progressive and logical arrangement, make for coherence.

Conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made, which is usually far-fetched, and often so far-fetched as to be strained., Ex. Shakespeare's Sonnet 130: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head."

Connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.