AP Language and Composition Rhetorical Term List for the Midterm Exam

Vocabulary flashcards covering key rhetorical terms for the AP Language and Composition midterm exam.

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, or work of art.

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

Anaphora

A sub-type of parallelism involving the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences.

Anecdote

A short, simple narrative of an incident, often used for humorous effect or to make a point.

Antithesis

The opposition or contrast of ideas, presenting two contrasting images.

Assonance

The repetition of similar vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of adjacent words.

Colloquialism

A word or phrase used in everyday conversation that is often inappropriate in formal writing.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied or suggested meaning.

Consonance

Repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity.

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of emotion.

Ellipsis

Deliberate omission of a word or words that are easily implied by the context.

Epigraph

The use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.

Ethical appeal (ethos)

When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on a presentation of themselves through the text.

Euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

Imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe and evoke emotion.

Irony/Ironic

The contrast between what is stated and what is really meant, or the difference between appearance and reality.

Juxtaposition

When two ideas or images are placed close together for comparison or contrast.

Logical appeal (logos)

When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on statistics, facts, and reasons.

Metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech wherein contradictory terms are grouped together to suggest a paradox.

Paradox

A statement that appears self-contradictory but may contain some degree of truth.

Parallelism

The grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

Parody

A work that ridicules the style of another work by imitating and exaggerating its elements.

Pathos

When a writer tries to persuade the audience by appealing to their emotions.

Personification

A figure of speech where concepts, animals, or inanimate objects are described with human attributes.

Repetition

A word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity.

Rhetorical question

A question that does not expect an explicit answer, used to pose an idea to consider.

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies for reform or ridicule, often using irony and exaggeration.

Simile

A figure of speech that uses 'like' or 'as' for comparison.

Symbol/Symbolism

Anything that represents itself and stands for something else.