Rhetorical Terms for AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Timed Writings!

Q1 Lit terms

Term

Definition

Example

Definition of Terms

A word or expression that has a specific meaning.

Using specific or real-world examples or utilizing theoretical ideas.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, event, or work, assuming that the audience is already familiar with the context.

Mentioning Shakespeare while discussing literature to draw comparisons.

Ambiguity (Purposeful)

An author’s intentional lack of clarity, prompting the audience to engage with the text to derive meaning.

Presenting multiple viewpoints without clear support for one, requiring analysis to uncover hidden meanings.

Antithesis & Juxtaposition

Antithesis: Directly contrasting ideas represented within the same sentence. Juxtaposition: Placing opposing symbols, ideas, or characters side by side to highlight differences.

Comparing light and darkness in literature to emphasize themes.

Assonance & Consonance

Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Consonance: The recurrence of consonant sounds in close proximity.

Assonance Example: "Mike likes his new bike." Consonance Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Chiasmus

The inversion of words or concepts in a sentence for rhetorical effect.

"Home is where the great are small, and the small are great."

Colloquialism/Dialect

Colloquialism: Informal language characteristic of a specific region or group.

Variations in English, such as "bin" vs. "can" for garbage containers.

Connotation & Denotation

Denotation: The literal dictionary definition of a word. Connotation: The emotional or cultural implications associated with a word.

The word “aroma” has a pleasant connotation, while “stench” is negative.

Epithet

A descriptive term or label for a person or thing, indicating the author's attitude.

Calling someone who enjoys mathematics a "nerd" reflects a bias.

Euphemism

A softer phrase used to replace a blunt or harsh statement.

Saying “We are going to let you go” instead of “You are fired.”

Hyperbole/Understatement

Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration for emphasis. Understatement: Minimizing something to make it less serious.

Hyperbole Example: “I’m never talking to you again.” Understatement Example: Referring to a significant injury as “just a scratch.”

Idiom

A phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definitions of the words alone.

“It's raining cats and dogs!” conveys a heavy downpour of rain.

Imagery (5 Kinds)

Types of Imagery: Visual: Description of sights. Auditory: Description of sounds. Olfactory (smell): Description of scents. Tactile (touch): Description of textures. Gustatory (taste): Description of flavors.

Visual Example: “The green, flowering garden.” Auditory Example: “The sharp ring of the bell.” Olfactory Example: “The rotten fruit smell of the trash.” Tactile Example: “The sandpaper-like texture.” Gustatory Example: “The lemon-sour taste of the candy.”

Irony (Dramatic/Situational/Verbal)

Dramatic Irony: Audience knows more than the character. Situational Irony: Unexpected outcomes occur. Verbal Irony: Saying the opposite of what one means.

"What lovely weather we’re having" during a storm.

Litotes

An understated way of expressing a positive idea through negative phrasing.

“That wasn’t half bad.”

Simile

A comparison between two things using “like” or “as.”

“She’s as graceful as a swan.”

Mood/Tone

Mood: The atmosphere created in a story through description and setting. Tone: The author’s attitude towards the subject, expressed through their word choice and style.

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Motif

A recurring symbol or idea within a work.

The use of red to symbolize danger in a narrative.

Onomatopoeia

Words that phonetically imitate sounds.

“Boom!”, “Splash!”, “Swoosh!”

Oxymoron/Paradox

Oxymoron: A two-word phrase with contradictory terms. Paradox: A statement that appears self-contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth.

Oxymoron Example: “Bittersweet.” Paradox Example: “Less is more.”

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures throughout a passage.

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Personification

Assigning human qualities to inanimate objects.

“The wind howled.”

Pun

A humorous play on words exploiting different meanings.

“What do you call sourdough made in a zoo? Bread in captivity.”

Symbol

An object or action that represents a larger concept

The Statue of Liberty symbolizes freedom.

Theme

The underlying message or central idea in a piece of literature.

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Sic/Id est (i.e.)

Sic: Indicates a transcription error from the original text. Id est (i.e.): Provides clarification.

“I saw many tree (sic)” or “Odd days contain my favorite class (i.e.) AP Lang.”

Ibidem (ibid) & Et alli (et al.)

Ibidem (ibid): Refers to a source already mentioned. Et alli (et al.): Refers to additional authors contributing to a work.

“(Dobbs, Almond, Chen, et al., 2009).”

Et cetera (etc.) & Exempli gratia (e.g.)

Et cetera (etc.): Means “and others.” Exempli gratia (e.g.): Means “for example.”

“The farm contained pigs, cows, goats, etc.” “We can visit different countries, e.g., France and Italy.”

Magnum Opus

An artist’s or author’s foremost achievement.

“The Grapes of Wrath is often cited as Steinbeck’s magnum opus.”

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in close succession.

“In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.”

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unrelated things.

“All the world’s a stage.”

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Q2 Lit terms

Q3 Lit terms

Q4 Lit Terms

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