AP Lang Rhetorical Devices

Allusion def.

Short, informal reference to a famous person or event.

Amplification def.

Involves repeating a word or expression while adding more detail to it and emphasizing information.

Analogy def.

Compares two things, which are alike in several ways, for the purpose of explaining some unfamiliar idea.

Anaphora def.

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning.

Antithesis def.

Establishes a clear contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them together. Linking of opposites.

Asyndeton def.

Taking the conjunctions out of a sentence (take fanboys out).

Diacope def.

Repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase (A, B, A)

Epistrophe def.

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive phrases or sentences.

Euphemism def.

Substitution of an agreeable or non-offensive expression to make the meaning less harsh.

Eponym def.

Analogy to the name of a famous person recognized for a particular attribute.

Hyperbaton def.

Departure from normal word order (how Yoda talks).

Irony def.

Expression of something which is contrary to intended meaning.

Metaphor def.

Compares two different things by saying that one thing IS another thing.

Metonymy def.

Comparison where the thing chosen for a metaphorical image is closely associated with (but not actually a part of) the subject with which it is to be compared.

Oxymoron def.

Paradox reduced to two words that have opposite meanings.

Paradox def.

Assertion seemingly opposite to common sense, but still holds some truth.

Parallelism def.

Repetition of sentence structure across multiple sentences.

Polysyndeton def.

Use of conjunctions between each word or phrase (using fanboys a lot).

Synecdoche def.

Type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for the part.

Zuegma def.

Two different words linked to a verb or an adjective which is strictly appropriate to only one of them (one literal use, one figurative use).

Allusion ex.

“If you take his parking place, you can expect World War II all over again.”

Amplification ex.

“He showed a rather simple taste, a taste for good art, good food, and good friends.

Analogy ex.

“Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna get.”

Anaphora ex.

“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France…”

Antithesis ex.

“It can’t be wrong if it feels so right.“

Asyndeton ex.

“They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.“

Diacope ex.

We will do it, I tell you; we will do it.

Epistrophe ex.

“He did nothing but weep Philoclea, sigh Philoclea, and cry out Philoclea.“

Euphemism ex.

“Your brother passed away yesterday and will be laid to rest on Friday.“

Eponym ex.

“You think your boyfriend is tight. I had a date with Scrooge himself last night.“

Hyperbaton ex.

“We will not, from this house, under any circumstances, be evicted.“

Irony ex.

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and Brutus is an honorable man.

Metaphor ex.

“Man is a stronger fortress in which to seek shelter and defy every assault.“

Metonymy ex.

“The White House declared war on the women.“

Oxymoron ex.

“Hideous laughter”

Paradox ex.

“Fair is foul and foul is fair.“

Parallelism ex.

“If you come to them, they are not asleep; if you ask and inquire of them, they do not withdraw themselves.“

Polysyndeton ex.

“They read and studied and wrote and drilled.”

Synecdoche ex.

“It sure is hard to earn a dollar these days.“

Zuegma ex.

“She donated her hair and hope to the cancer victims.“

Anadiplosis def.

Repeats the last word of one phrase at the start of the next sentence.

Anadiplosis ex.

Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain…

Epanalepsis def.

Repeats the beginning word of a clause at the end. (Exact last word)

Epanalepsis ex.

The king is dead, long live the king.

Hyperbole def.

Deliberately exaggerates conditions for emphasis or effect.

Hyperbole ex.

I’ve told you a million times not to cheat on your tests.

Rhetorical Question def.

A question that is proposed and not answered by the writer because the answer is obvious and used for effect.

Rhetorical Question ex.

Isn’t silence sometimes louder than words?