ap lang rhetorical devices

anaphora

repeating @ beginning of clause/sentence

anecdote

short narrative of interesting, amusing, or biographical information

antithesis

places two opposing or contrasting ideas side by side in a parallel structure to highlight their differences

asyndeton

conjunctions not added to create sense of urgency/fast pace

chiasmus

repetition of events in reverse order

colloquial

seeks to imitate informal speech

deductive reasoning

one starts with a general principle or rule and then applies it to reach a specific conclusion, “top-down” approach

inductive reasoning

one starts with specifics and applies to general principle, “bottom-up” approach

inclusive diction

the intentional use of words and phrases that avoid bias, stereotypes, or exclusion, thereby respecting and including all people

epistrophe

ending w same words/phrases

irony

rhetorical device (or literary technique) where the intended meaning is opposite (or very different) from the literal meaning or the expected outcome

paradox

self-contradictory statement