AP Lang Rhetoric

Rhetoric

principles governing art of writing or speaking effectively

Nonfiction

literature that is not fictional

Narration

the representation in writing of an event or a story

Description

descriptive writing intended to give a mental image of something

Exposition

discourse designed to convey information or explain

Persuasion

writing that is designed to persuade or convince someone or some group of something

Autobiography

a nonfictional account of the author's life

Biography

a nonfictional account of a person's life written by someone else

Diary

daily record, especially a personal record of experiences

Letter/Epistle

written communication directed to a person or group of people

Essay

a short literary composition on a single subject

Speech/Sermon

a talk or public address & a religious discourse delivered

Illustration

a comparison or example intended to make clear

Definition

process of stating a precise meaning

classification/division

the dividing and grouping of things by classes or categories

cause and effect

situation plus result based on evidence

compare and contrast

shows similarities, differences between 2 things

process analysis

a how-to essay with directions

order of importance (chronological, climatic, spacial)

writing is structured according to either time, or events

anecdote

short account of an interesting incident

digression/aside

instance of straying that has no bearing on the main subject

concession

acknowledging or admitting an opponent's point

apostrophe

the direct address of an absent or imaginary person

metaphor

a direct comparison of two unlike things

simile

a comparison using like or as

personification

a figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities

synechdoche

mentioning a part of something for the whole

metonymy

figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another

euphemism

substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh

pun

a play on words

allusion

an instance of indirect reference

images vs. details

concrete representations in literature

details

specific part or item in literature

motif

a recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work

archetype

an ideal example of a type

irony

use of words to express something different from and opposite to their literal meaning

SOAPSS

Subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, style

point of view

view point in which the story is told

mood/atmosphere

atmosphere created by the author

shift

a sharp change in a rhetorical strategy for effect

attitude

situation + opinion

tone

means by which the author conveys their attitude

analogy

comparison between ideas

symbol

a concrete item representing a different idea

litote

using the negative to assert a positive