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AP Lang Rhetorical Devices
- Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words or syllables, often used for emphasis or to create rhythm.
- Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, event, place, literary work, or work of art, either directly or indirectly, to enrich the meaning of a text.
- Asyndeton: The deliberate omission of conjunctions (such as "and", "but", "or") in a series of related clauses to create a concise or emphatic effect.
- Connotation: The emotional or cultural association that a word carries beyond its explicit meaning, often influencing how it is perceived by readers.
- Diction: The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing, typically reflecting the author's style, tone, and purpose.
- Flashback: A narrative technique that interrupts the chronological sequence of events to depict an earlier occurrence, often providing context or insight into a character or plot.
- Foreshadowing: A literary device in which an author hints at future events or outcomes in a story, often creating suspense or dramatic tension.
- Imagery: Vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating mental images for the reader and enhancing the overall atmosphere or mood of a text.
- Irony (dramatic, situational, verbal): A literary device characterized by a contrast between expectation and reality, often resulting in humor, surprise, or deeper meaning.
- Juxtaposition: The placement of two or more contrasting elements (such as characters, settings, or ideas) side by side in a text to highlight their differences or create a specific effect.
- Metaphor: A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by stating that one thing is another, often used to convey abstract ideas or enhance descriptive language.
- Metonymy: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted with another word closely associated with it, often used to convey a related idea or emphasize a particular aspect.
- Modernism: A literary and artistic movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a break from traditional forms and conventions, experimentation with narrative techniques, and a focus on subjective experiences and perspectives.
- Mood: The emotional atmosphere or prevailing feeling created by a literary work, achieved through elements such as setting, tone, and imagery.
- Motif: A recurring theme, subject, or idea in a literary work, often serving to reinforce the central message or unify various elements of the text.
- Paradox: A statement or situation that appears contradictory or absurd but may reveal a deeper truth or meaning.
- Polysyndeton: The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions (such as "and", "but", "or") in close succession within a sentence or series of clauses, often to create a flowing or rhythmic effect.
- Point of View: The perspective from which a story is told, determining the narrator's proximity to the events and characters and influencing the reader's understanding and interpretation.
- Purpose: The reason or intention behind a particular literary work or element, which may include entertaining, informing, persuading, or expressing emotions or ideas.
- Simile: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as", often used to make descriptions more vivid or imaginative.
- Symbolism: The use of symbols or objects to represent ideas, concepts, or themes beyond their literal meaning, adding depth and layers of meaning to a text.
- Syntax: The arrangement and order of words and phrases in a sentence or passage, influencing the structure, rhythm, and emphasis of a text.
- Theme: The central message, insight, or underlying meaning of a literary work, often reflecting universal truths or addressing fundamental human experiences.
- Tone: The attitude or emotional disposition of the author or narrator toward the subject matter or audience, conveyed through language, style, and narrative voice.