AP Language - Terms List 1

Rhetoric

As Aristotle defined the term, "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." In other words, it is the art of finding ways to persuade an audience.

Speaker

The person or group who creates a text. This might be a politician who delivers a speech, a commentator who writes an article, an artist who draws a political cartoon, or even a company that commissions an advertisement.

Audience

The listener, viewer, or reader of a text. Most texts are likely to have multiple audiences

purpose

the goal the speaker wants to achieve

subject

The topic of a text. What the text is about.

Aristotle's rhetorical triangle

A diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in interpreting a text.

SOAPS Analysis

A mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, and Speaker. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation.

occasion

The reason that a speech is given at a particular time and place

context

The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events broadly surrounding a text.

text

While this term generally means the written word, in the humanities it has come to mean any cultural product that can be "read," meaning not just consumed and comprehended, but investigated. This includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, political cartoons, fine art, photography, performances, fashion, cultural trends, and much more.

rhetorical appeals

Rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are to ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion).

Ethos

Greek for "character." Speakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic. Ethos is established by both who you are and what you say.

Logos

Greek for "embodied thought." Speakers appeal to logos, or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back them up.

Pathos

Greek for "suffering" or "experience." Speakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience. More specific appeals to pathos might play on the audience's values, desires, and hopes, on the one hand, or fears and prejudices, on the other.

argument

a central claim, backed up by reasoning and evidence

counterargument

An opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward. Rather than ignoring a counterargument, a strong writer will usually address it through the process of concession and refutation

concession

An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable. In a strong argument, a concession is usually accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument

Refutation

The part of an argument in which the speaker disproves the validity of something the opposing party claims

polemic argument

"Polemic" is Greek for "hostile." An aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others. Polemics generally do not concede that opposing opinions have any merit

Rogerian Argument

a philosophy of argument which values listening to the other side and responding carefully (contrasts with polemical approach).

Propaganda

Ideas and information spread to further a cause. In its negative sense, propaganda is the use of rumors, lies, disinformation, and scare tactics in order to damage or promote a cause

Connotation

Meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation. Connotations are usually positive or negative, and they can greatly affect the author's tone

Persona

Greek for "mask." The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.