AP Language and Literature: Rhetorical Terms

Rhetorical Terms (40)

Anecdote

A short story that appeals to readers and is usually exciting

Allegory

 A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning which is usually political or a moral

Allusion

A word or phrase that references or hints at something else without stating it clearly

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a clause.

Aphorism

  a concise, memorable expression that states a general principle

Analogy

a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification

Assonance,  Consonance, and Alliteration

the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds in a series of words, phrases, or syllables

the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in a series of words, phrases or syllables

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. (Assonance and consonance are types of alliteration.)

Coherence

 the connection and flow of ideas in an argument in a fashion that makes sense to the reader

Colloquialism and Dialect

a slang or informal term, used in conversation more often than literature

  A difference in speech within a language used by a certain ethnic or regional group

Connotation and Denotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes aside from its original meaning

The literal meaning of a word.

Epithet

A word or phrase given to a noun to describe a quality about the given noun.

 Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

 Hyperbole and Understatement

an exaggerated statement, an overstatement

a statement that is made less important, or smaller than it is

Idiom

 a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase

Imagery – 5 kinds

A type of figurative language that evokes one or more of the five senses through usage of descriptors. The five types being visual (sight), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (feel), and auditory (hearing).

Irony: dramatic, situational, and verbal

• Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows information that the characters in the novel do not.

• Situational Irony is when the situation is different than what is expected.

• Verbal Irony is when the speaker says the opposite of what is actually occurring.

Sentence types: declarative, exclamatory, imperative, interrogative

Sentence types

Declarative: states a fact or opinion always ends with a period.

Exclamatory: Makes a statement, but conveys emotion. Ends in an exclamation point.

Imperative: Used to make a command. Usually end in a period or an exclamation point.

Interrogative: Used to ask a question. Ends with a question mark.

 Metaphor and Simile

a figure of speech that makes an implied/hidden comparison between two unrelated things, yet share common characteristics.

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid

(uses “like” or “as”)

Mood and Tone

The atmosphere of a work or passage; feeling invoked in the reader.

The writer’s attitude towards a subject/audience; the intended feel of the work

Motif

a recurrent image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme, while a theme is a central idea or message.

Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Parallelism

The use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or prose which correspond in grammatical structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc.

Personification

The attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions.

Pun

A joke exploiting the different meanings of words and how some words sound alike.

Dad jokes. Groaners. (Unless Shakespeare does it -- then it’s awesome.)

Symbol

A literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone.

Theme

The main idea, lesson, message, or underlying meaning of a literary work, stated in a complete sentence. 

Careful: some sources, like Shmoop, use it differently.  But we’re right!

Farce, Parody & Satire

a comedy with horseplay, crude characterization, and ludicrously impossible situation

an imitation of style, usually to a dramatic exaggeration and comical effect

use of exaggeration, irony, ridicule, or humor to criticize people’s views, typically on political or topical issues.

Foil

 A character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character; can also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things

Caricature

a device used in descriptive writing and visual arts in which particular aspects of a subject are exaggerated to create a silly/comic effect (can be an exaggeration of natural features, plastic illustration, derisive drawing)

Inference v. implication

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

the conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.

Juxtaposition

The placement of two things close together in order to compare and contrast them and to imply a relationship between them

Metonymy & Synecdoche

Metonymy is when two objects are so closely related but distinct, you can use them interchangeably. 

Synecdoche is when a word or phrase that refers to a part of something is substituted to stand in for the whole, or vice versa.

Non-sequitur

A statement that holds little to no relevance to its predecessor and/or contain a logical fallacy.

Rhetorical Question

A question someone asks without expecting an answer. The question might not have an answer, or it might have an obvious answer.

Stream of Consciousness

A style of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character’s thought process, often through the incorporation of sensory impressions, incomplete ideas, unusual syntax, and/or rough grammar.

Digression

Used to create a temporary departure from the main subject of the narrative to focus on apparently unrelated topics, explaining background details.

Cautionary Tale

A story meant to warn its readers

Parable

 A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson