Rhetorical Terms AP Lang

Pun

a play on the meaning of words

Metaphor

an implied comparison between two unlike things (no like or as)

Simile

An explicit comparison between 2 unlike things (like or as)

Personification

attributing human qualities to an inanimate object

Irony

Contrast between reality and expectations + sarcasm

Hyperbole

exaggeration; deliberate exaggeration for emphasis

Litotes

type of understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

Synecdoche

related to classification and division—a part is substituted for thewhole, or the species for the genus

Metonymy

designation of one thing with something closely associated with it

Oxymoron

contradiction; two contradictory terms or ideas used together

Paradox

a statement that appears to be contradictory but, in face, has some truth

Onomatopoeia

refers to the use of words whose sound reinforces their meaning.

Rhetorical Question

questions that do not require an answer (asking the reader, asking the writer, criticizing, asking & answering)

Apostrophe (NOT ')

You "turn away" from your audience to address someone/something new- God, angels, heaven, the dead, or anyone not present

Euphemism

You substitute less pungent words for harsh ones, with excellent ironic effect.

Parallelism

expresses similar or related ideas in similar grammatical structures

Chiasmus

grammatical structure of the first clause/phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words

Antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas

Anastrophe

word order is reversed or rearranged

Apposition

the placing next to a noun another noun or phrase that explains it.

Parenthesis

The insertion of words, phrases or a sentence that is not syntactically related to the rest of the sentence. Uses dashes — or parenthesis ()

Asyndeton

Conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-pacedand rapid prose

Ellipsis

Omission of a word or short phrase easily understood in context; can also use 3 spaces periods to produce the same effect.

Epanalepsis

Repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning

Anaphora

The regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses.

Epistrophe

Repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses (opposite of anaphora)

Polysyndeton

The use of many conjunctions to slow the pace (and…and…and between many sentences)

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant at the beginning of successive words.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within words.

Consonance

Repetition of consonants in words stressed in the same place (but whose vowels differ).

Euphony

use of a sound device produces a pleasant, mellifluous sound

Cacophany

use of a sound device produces a harsh, discordant sound.

Allegory

work that functions on a symbolic function

Allusion

reference contained in a work to an event in history or to another piece of literature

Anecdote

a short, personal story told by a writer or character to illustrate a point

Attitude/Tone

The relationship an author has toward his or her subject and/or audience

Connotation

interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning

Denotation

the literal/dictionary definition of a word

Epigraph

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

Motif

The repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme/characters

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule

Symbol

something in a literary work that stands for something else, usually greater than the thing itself

Understatement

the opposite of exaggeration; used for developing irony and/or humor where the writer describes something as less than what it is