english ap exam prep: literary terms/rhetoric devices

term defintions + their purpose

analogy

comparison of two objects/situations that have several common characteristics

\
ex. “Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you're gonna get.

\
purpose: to create lasting effect, simplifies complex ideas

allegory

narrative with multiple levels of meaning, not explicit, interpretations

\
purpose: express large, complex ideas in an approachable manner. allows writers to create some distance between themselves and the issues they are discussing, especially when those issues are strong critiques of political or societal realities

alliteration

sequential repetition of similar initial sound

\
ex. “sweet birds sang”

\
purpose: to provide an audible pulse that gives a piece of writing a lulling, lyrical, and/or emotive effect.

allusion

a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference

\
purpose: to convey complex emotions, thoughts, and ideas in a simple and concise manner by referencing an idea or story that the reader is familiar with; powerful impression if reader knows what it is alluding to

anaphora

repetition of words at start of successive clauses

\
ex. "we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground"

\
purpose: to create a rhythm or add emphasis

antithesis

juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced/parallel words

\
ex. “my only love sprung from my only hate” or “Keep your mouth closed and your eyes open” or ““Art is long, and Time is fleeting.”

\
purpose: to strengthen an argument by using either exact opposites or simply contrasting ideas. typically make a sentence more memorable through balance and emphasis of the words.

aphorism

concise statement designed to make a point/illustrate commonly held belief

\
ex. “Easy come, easy go” or “The early bird gets the worm”

\
purpose: to reveal truths that are relevant to human experiences through metaphors and communicate messages that are easily remembered

apostrophe

address to something inanimate

\
ex. ““Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!”

\
purpose: to direct the reader's attention to something other than the person who's speaking.

assonance

repetition of identical/similar vowel sounds

\
ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers — repetition of the short “e” and long “i” sounds.

\
purpose: in poetry is to create rhythm

asyndeton

style where conjunctions are omitted (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet)

\
ex. I came, I saw, I conquered

\
purpose: make a speech more dramatic and effective by speeding up its rhythm and pace

attitude

tone, voice/mood of writing

\
purpose: helps the reader understand how the author or characters feel

begging the question

ploy where the arguer sidesteps question/conflict, evading/ignoring question

\
ex. Chocolate is healthful because it's good for you.

\
purpose: circular reasoning, attempt to support a claim with a premise that itself restates or presupposes the claim

canon

that which has been accepted as authentic

claim

an assertion of something as fact, potentially arguable

\
ex. A liberal arts education prepares students best" is a claim, while "I didn't like the book" is not.

\
purpose: persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or provocatively suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you.

colloquial

ordinary language

\
purpose: used in informal writing situations and creates a conversational tone

conceit

prolonged comparison of two unlikely things

\
ex. If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head; My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun

\
purpose: allow readers to look at things in a new way, cross between a __metaphor__ or a __simile__ (comparison)

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word __invokes__ in addition to its __literal__ or primary meaning

\
ex. Positive: confident. Negative: cocky

\
purpose: helps establish the mood or context in writing

consonance

repetition of two or more consonants

\
ex.Paddy's potatoes were prepared to perfection

\
purpose: to communicate rhythm, mood, and flow

convention

accepted manner, model, or tradition/features of literary work that define its genre

\
ex. tropes, arcs, clichés, or certain devices

deductive reasoning

argument in which specific statements/conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement from general to specific

\
ex. All dogs have ears; golden retrievers are dogs, therefore they have ears.

\
purpose: a way to build a successful argument.

dialect

language and speech idiosyncrasies (mode of behavior or way of thought __peculiar__ to an individual) of a specific area, region, group of people

diction

specific word choice to persuade or convey tone

didactic

containing instructive purpose or a lesson

\
ex. the tale told in the story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

elegy

meditative lyric poem lamenting the death of a public personage or of a friend or loved one; by extension, any reflective lyric on the broader theme of human mortality.

\
purpose: to express grief, sadness, or loss

epistrophe

repetition of a phrase at the end of sentences

\
purpose: add emphasis

epitaph

praise for a dead person, usually on a headstone

\
ex. Rest in Peace. In Loving Memory. Until We Meet Again. A Life Measured in Memories.

\
purpose: to honour and remember the dead

ethos

appeal of text to credibility and character of writer

\
ex. As a three-time Olympic gold medalist, I can assure you that this energy drink will improve your fitness and stamina

eulogy

speech or prose (written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without __metrical__ structure) in praise of a deceased person

euphemism

kinder way to give unpleasant information

\
purpose: help neutralize words that can come off as harsh, insensitive, or “improper.”

expository

explains its own meaning or purpose

\
ex. Cookbooks. The World Almanac. Scientific reports. An expository writer can't assume that potential readers have prior knowledge or understanding about the information that they present.

\
purpose: provides a clear, focused explanation of a particular topic, process, or set of ideas. It doesn't set out to prove a point, just to give a balanced view of its subject matter.

extended metaphor

series of comparisons within a piece of writing

\
ex. “You’re a snake! Everything you hiss out of your mouth is a lie. You frighten children, and you have no spine.”

\
purpose: to break down complex ideas for the audience to comprehend in simpler and more compelling terms

figurative language/figure of speech

levels of meaning expressed through personification, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, oxymoron, litote, etc.

genre

type or class of literature

ex. fiction, poetry, non fiction

homily

sermon, talk, lecture on moral or spiritual life

\
purpose: to reflect, encourage, and teach those about religion

hyperbole

overstatement using exaggerated language

\
ex. “I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse,” “I've seen this movie a hundred times,” or“It cost an arm and a leg.”

purpose: emphasis, dramatic effect, exaggerate

imagery

use of figurative language to evoke a feeling/idea, describe an object

\
purpose: enhances emotional and sensory experience

inductive reasoning

argument in which general conclusion are drawn from specific facts

\
ex. Data: I tend to catch colds when people around me are sick. Hypothesis: Colds are infectious.

purpose: to predict a likely outcome

inference

conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts/observations/data

\
ex. if you notice someone making a disgusted face after they've taken a bite of their lunch, you can infer that they do not like it.

purpose: to decipher

irony

contrast between what is stated and what is meant

\
ex. if it were a cold, rainy gray day, you might say, “What a beautiful day!”

purpose: ring complexity in the narrative structure, create suspense, and contrast knowledge and ignorance, expectation and reality, fitting the writers message

jargon

specialized/technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group

juxtaposition

location of one thing adjacent to another/emphasizing opposing qualities

\
ex. You can see the light of the stars at night only because of the darkness of space or tortoise and the hare, beauty and ugliness

purpose: to highlight their differences

litote

figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement

\
ex. "It's not the best weather today" during a hurricane

purpose: using double negatives to affirm a positive, emphasize meaning without using the direct language correlated to that meaning

metaphor

one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting likeness; an implied comparison

\
ex. Her eyes were diamonds.

purpose: helping us to see things in a different way, understand, pay attention, remember

metonymy

figure of speech in which an attribute/feature is used to name/designate something

\
ex. hollywood used for the film industry, crown used for king, the pen is mightier than the sword,”

purpose:gives writers the ability to make single words or phrases more powerful; simplifies idea

mood

feeling resulting from tone and writer/narrators attitude/point of view, creates atmosphere

\
ex. curious, melancholy, joyful

narrative

mode of discourse that tells a story based on sequences of connected events, usually chronological

onomatopoeia

word that sounds like what it describes

\
ex. boing, gargle, clap, zap

purpose:helps heighten language beyond the literal words on the page, vivid imagery

oxymoron

figure of speech combining two apparently contradictory elements, often humorous

\
ex. “Awfully good,” “bittersweet,” “same difference,” “original copy”

purpose: create emphasis

paradox

seemingly contradictory statement

\
ex. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”

purpose: draw in the reader to think unconventionally about an idea or concept presented in the text

pathos

element in literature that stimulates **pity** or sorrow

personification

giving human qualities to abstract idea/non human object

\
ex. Stars winked in the midnight sky.

purpose: to convey abstract ideas in a relatable way, adds life

point of view

relation of narrator/author to subject (first, second, and third person)

prose

ordinary form of written language, not poetry

\
ex. most human conversation, textbooks, lectures, novels, short stories, fairy tales, newspaper articles, and essays.

\
purpose: convey an idea, deliver information, or tell a story in a basic way

realism

describing nature/life without idealization

\
ex. Representing subjects “as they were”, Focusing on everyday people, settings, and situations.

purpose: how life as it really was and the fair/unfair social conditions

rebuttal/refutation

countering of anticipated arguments

rhetorical question

question asked for stylistic effect, answer not expected

\
purpose: to emphasize and cause reader to think

rhetoric

the art of using words to persuade (ethos, pathos, logos)

\
ex. Politicians deliver rallying cries to inspire people to act.

sarcasm

verbal irony in which “praise is actually critical

\
purpose: to mock someone or something or convey contempt (worthless feeling)

satire

literary work that ridicules human failings

\
purpose: to mock someone or something or convey contempt

simile

direct comparison usually using like or as

\
purpose: makes writing descriptive and poetic

style

distinctive manner of expression

\
ex. expository (explain of describe), descriptive, persuasive, and narrative

symbolism

element of literary work that figuratively stands for something else

\
ex. red symbolizes love

purpose: allows writers to express complex ideas while giving the reader a visual, sensory experience

synecdoche

when a part is used to signify a whole

\
ex. "The captain commands one hundred sails" (sails = ships)

purpose: allow speakers to emphasize certain parts of a whole, highlighting their importance by substituting them for the whole.

syntax

sentence structure (meanings behind word order, structure, and punctuation)

theme

central or dominant idea or focus of work

ex. good vs evil, society, love, coming of age, revenge, science vs nature

tone

attitude (atmosphere created) literary work takes towards its subject/theme

\
ex. lighthearted, serious, angry, laid-back

purpose: helps reader understand and connect with literature

voice

source of the words of the story