Literary & Rhetorical Devices: AP Literature

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

George Orwell's Animal Farm represents the Russian Revolution.

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Allusion

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

"Five score years ago..." in Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech alludes to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

"I have a dream... I have a dream..." (MLK's speech).

Anadiplosis

repeats the last word or phrase of one clause, sentence, or line at the beginning of the next.

"The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator." (Gladiator).

Antithesis

a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." (Neil Armstrong).

Appositive

a pair or occasionally a series of usually adjacent words, phrases, or clauses (especially nouns or noun equivalents) that have the same referent.

"My friend, the doctor, is coming over."

Archetype

a very typical example of a certain person or thing.

Luke Skywalker is the hero archetype in Star Wars.

Assonance

In poetry, the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in nonrhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible.

"Hear the mellow wedding bells" (Edgar Allan Poe).

Characterization

The process of describing and revealing a character's personality to an audience through methods like direct statements, physical descriptions, actions, dialogue, and inner thoughts.

In Harry Potter, Harry's actions and dialogue slowly reveal his true loyalty.

Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

"Hollywood" connotes fame, glamour, and the film industry.

Consonance

The recurrence of similar sounds, especially consonants, in proximity.

"The ship has sailed to the far off shores."

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

"Rose" literally means a flower, but it often connotes love or romance.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses simple diction to match the working-class characters.

Dialogue

Conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie. The banter between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson reveals their personalities.

Epigram

A short poem, especially a satirical one, having a witty or ingenious ending. I fear nothing in this world, except spiders.

Epistrophe

The repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences. I see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Epitaph

A phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone. Here lies Jayden, who loved and was loved.

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work. He cried and cried, his teardrops dripping down like paint running wild on a canvas.

Isocolon

A rhetorical device that involves a succession of sentences, phrases and clauses of grammatically equal length. The tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...'

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. My hand is an ice cube.

Metonymy

The substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example, a suit for a business executive, or the track for horse racing. The pen is mightier than the sword.

Motif

A recurring element, such as an image, object, sound, word, or concept, that repeats throughout a story to help develop the theme or mood. 'With great power comes great responsibility,' reminds Peter Parker of his duty as a hero.

Personification

A device that gives human traits, emotions, or characteristics to non-human subjects. 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Polyptoton

The repetition of a word in different forms or inflections within the same sentence. 'The Avengers avenged New York.'

Protagonist

The main character of a story, often the central figure with whom the audience empathizes and roots for. Peter Parker is the protagonist in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Setting

The time and place where a story occurs. Wakanda in Black Panther provides the story's cultural and technological backdrop.

Simile

A device used to compare two things using the words 'like,' 'as,' or 'than.' Tony Stark saying, 'You fight like a soldier, but you think like a scientist.'

Symbol/symbolism

The primary idea or underlying message in literature, writing, and other creative works. Captain America's shield symbolizes protection, hope, and American ideals.

Theme

The primary idea or underlying message in literature, writing, and other creative works. A theme in Avengers: Endgame is sacrifice for the greater good.