AP Language and Composition: Literary and Rhetorical Devices

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43 Terms

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Active Voice
A sentence structured so that the subject of the sentence performs the predicate, rather than the action being done to the subject.
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Allusion
A subtle reference to other media (another literary piece, songs, events, etc.) that the reader is familiar with.
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Alter-Ego
The representation of the author as a character, voicing the authors thoughts and often speaking to the audience.
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Anecdote
A short recounting of an event or occurrence relevant to the text, often used to develop a point or add humor.
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Antecedent
The noun, pronoun, clause, or phrase referred to by a pronoun.
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Classicism
Art characterized by realism and traditional morals/structures
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Comic Relief
A humorous scene or event used to lighten tension and mood
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Diction
The author’s choice of words and how they are used as a style (ex. formal/informal, ornate/plain).
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Colloquial
A familiar type conversation or exchange
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Connotation
The implications suggested by a word choice, as opposed to the literal meaning.
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Denotation
The literal meaning of a word
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Jargon
Diction often used within a specific group (often in a job or activity).
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Vernacular
The language or dialect of a specific location
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Didactic
Literature that teaches a lesson/moral or models the right way to think or behave
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Adage
A classic phrase that teaches a lesson
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Allegory
A story in which the characters and events reflect another concept, event, or quality.
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Aphorism
A statement that expresses a general principle or point (“a watched pot never boils”, “God helps them that help themselves", etc.).
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Ellipsis
The removal of a word, phrase, or clause in order to create a specific effect
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Euphemism
A more appropriate substitution for an offensive word, concept, or situation
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Figurative Language
Writing that is meant to represent something beyond face value
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Analogy
A comparison of relationships between one pair of variables to another (X is to Y as A is to B).
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Hyperbole
An extreme overexxageration
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Idiom
A non-literal expression that is widely used in conversation
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Metaphor
The comparison between two variables that is implied rather than outright stated.
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Metonymy
The replacement of an actual concept with one that is related (ex. using “The White House” in place of “The President’s Administration”).
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Synecdoche
Metonymy in which the whole is represented by one part, or one part is represented by the whole (“check out my new wheels”).
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Simile
A direct comparison between two variables using “like”, “as”, or other similar words
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Synesthesia
A description in which two senses are used to convey characteristics (“purplish scent”, “deafening colors”).
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Personification
The humanization or presence of human qualities in a variable that is not human
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Foreshadowing
The hinting of an event that will occur later in a story
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Genre
A categorization in which a literary work is sorted into: largely prose, poetry, and drama, however those can be further divided.
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Gothic
Writing with a strong presence of themes with gloom, mystery, fear, and death.
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Imagery
The use of words to create an image in the mind of the reader, typically done by invoking the senses.
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Invective
A long, highly critical, and/or rude use of language
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Irony
When the opposite of what one expects to happen occurs
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Verbal Irony
When something is said but the meaning is either opposite or different.
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Dramatic Irony
When the audience of a work knows more than the characters
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Situational Irony
When the outcome of a situation is entirely different than expected.
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Juxtaposition
The placing of two things next to each other in order to compare them
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Mood
The atmosphere created by the author through diction, syntax, and more.
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Motif
A recurring theme, idea, or feature in a piece of literature.
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Oxymoron
The grouping of two contradictory terms
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Pacing
The speed/tempo of the writing, often created through syntax, meter, anaphora, and more.