AP Lang Rhetorical Device List

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures of speech, and rhetorical concepts from the AP Lang Rhetorical Device List.

allusion

A reference in a written work or spoken text to another text or to some particular body of knowledge to create a resonance in the reader

analogy

A comparison of two seemingly different things; similes and metaphors are types of analogies

anaphora

The repetition of a word or a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses or phrases; anaphora is one way to create parallel sentence structure

anecdote

A brief narrative offered in a text to capture the audience's attention or to support a generalization or claim

antithesis

The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas, often in parallel structure – for example: “Place your virtues on a pedestal; put your vices under a rock.”

appeal to ethos

The appeal of a text to the credibility and/or character of the speaker, writer, or narrator; moral appeals to establish trust and authority

appeal to logos

The appeal of a text based on the logical structure of its argument or central ideas; this often comes in the form of data, reasons, definitions, and evidence to support a claim

appeal to pathos

The appeal of a text to the emotions or interests of the audience

chiasmus

A figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of parallel clauses is reversed in the second; note that it often has a “criss-cross” structure or a structure of A-B-B-A. Ex: “Has the Church failed mankind, or has mankind failed the Church?” - T.S. Eliot. Ex 2: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” - President John F. Kennedy

claim

The point, backed up by support, of an argument (the term is synonymous with thesis)

colloquialism

The use of informal words, phrases, or even slang in a piece of writing

concession

The acknowledgement of a point made by one's opponent; an inference with regard to what an opponent might argue

connotation

The implied meaning of a word, in contrast to its directly expressed “dictionary meaning”

denotation

The “dictionary” definition of a word, in contrast to its connotation, or implied meaning

diction

An author's word choice, especially when purposeful

euphemism

Polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant; a less offensive word. Ex. She passed away.

hyperbole

An exaggeration for effect

imagery

Language that evokes particular sensations or emotionally rich experiences in a reader

inference

A conclusion that a reader or listener reaches by means of his or her own thinking rather than by being told directly by a text

irony

Exists when there is a contrast between appearance and reality (the contrast between the way something seems – appearance – and the way something is – reality)

dramatic irony

When the reader of a work or one or more characters in a work knows something that one or more characters does not know

situational irony

When the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected

verbal irony

When a person says or writes one thing and means another or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning. Ex. "I can't wait to see you again," when the speaker is dreading the visit.

juxtaposition

The placement of two things side-by-side for the purpose of emphasis

metaphor

An implied comparison that does not use the words “like” or “as.” Ex: “His voice was a cascade of emotion.”

onomatopoeia

A word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes: “buzz” or “hiss”

paradox

A statement that seems untrue on the surface, but is true nevertheless

parallelism

A set of similarly structured words, phrases, or clauses that appears in a sentence or paragraph

persona

The voice or figure of the author who tells and structures the story and who may or may not share the values of the actual author

rhetoric

The art of analyzing all the choices involving language that a writer or speaker might make in a situation so that the text becomes meaningful, purposeful, and effective for the readers or listeners in a situation

rhetorical choices

The particular choices a writer of speaker makes to achieve meaning, purpose, or effect

rhetorical question

A question posed by the writer or speaker not to seek an answer but instead to affirm or deny a point simply by asking a question

rhetorical triangle

A diagram showing the relations of a writer or speaker, reader or listener, and the text/subject in a rhetorical situation including Ethos, Logos and Pathos

satire

An ironic composition which ridicules some aspect of humanity or society

syntax

The order of words in a sentence; the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. It is sentence structure and how it influences the way a reader perceives a piece of writing.

tone

The writer or speaker's attitude toward the subject matter

understatement

A figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is; often reflects an ironic, humorous, or sarcastic tone

Exigence

An urgent situation or a specific problem that demands immediate attention and a response. The “why” behind an author exploring an idea; the spirit of urgency.

SOAPSTone

An acronym for Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone; a framework for analyzing texts and understanding the elements that shape communication.