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AP English Rhetorical Devices Flashcards

Here are your terms! We will be studying these throughout the semester, so calm down after you see how many there are. :)

Terms : Hide Images
4888850933Abstract Languagedescribes ideas and qualities, rather than observable or specific things0
4888850934Ad Hominemattack on one's opponent, rather than the opponent's argument1
4888850935Allegorysymbolic story that has a second meaning beneath the surface one2
4888850936Alliterationrepetition of initial consonant sounds in words3
4888850937Allusionindirect reference to famous events or characters from history, literature, or mythology4
4888850938Ambiguityevent or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way; intentional vagueness5
4888850939Anachronismplacement of an event, person, thing out of its proper place in time6
4888850940Anaphorarepetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row7
4888850941Antithesisjuxtaposition of two contrasting ideas8
4888850942Ethosappeals to the audience's sense of morals or principles9
4888850943Logosappeals to the audience's sense of logic and reasoning10
4888850944Pathosappeals to the audience's emotions11
4888850945Apostropheaddress to the dead as though they were living; to the inanimate as if animate; to the absent as if present12
4888850946Argumentationexploring a problem by examining all sides of it; persuasion through reason13
4888850947Archetypestereotype of literature14
4888850948Assonancerepetition of similar vowel sounds15
4888850949Assumptionwhen details are not stated but must be inferred by the reader16
4888850950Asyndetonseries of words separated by commas without conjunctions17
4888850951Balanceconstruction in which both halves of the sentence have the same length and importance18
4888850952Catharsiscleansing release of unhealthy emotions19
4888850953Causal Relationshipone thing results from another20
4888850954Chiasmusarrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern XY-YX21
4888850955Clicheexpression so often used its freshness and originality have worn off22
4888850956Comic Reliefhumor in the serious action of a tragedy; enriches the quality of the work23
4888850957Concrete Languagedescribes specific, observable things rather than ideas or qualities24
4888850958Connotationemotions associated with a word25
4888850959Consonancerepetition of consonant sounds; not limited to the first letter of words26
4888850960Conventionalfollowing traditional techniques of writing27
4888850961Cumulativesentence that begins with the main idea and expands on that idea with a series of details28
4888850962Denotationdictionary definition of a word29
4888850963Formal Dictionused in serious books and lofty discourse30
4888850964Informal Dictionfound in relaxed but polite and cultivated conversation31
4888850965Colloquial Dictioneveryday usage that may contain terms accepted in a group but not universally acceptable32
4888850966Slangnewly coined words that are not yet a part of formal usage33
4888850967Didacticliterature designed to teach or instruct34
4888850968Digressiontemporary departure from the main subject in speaking or writing35
4888850969Elegyformal poem lamenting the death of a particular person36
4888850970Ellipticaldeliberate omission of words implied by context37
4888850971Empathyreader understands closely what the character is feeling38
4888850972Enthymemesyllogism (logical argument) in which the major premise is unstated but meant to be understood39
4888850973Epithetadjective used to point out a characteristic of a person or thing40
4888850974Euphemismmild word used to substitute an unpleasant or offensive word41
4888850975Foreshadowingmethod used to build suspense by providing hints of what is to come42
4888850976Figurative Languagewords that are inaccurate literally, but describe by calling to mind sensations or responses that the thing described evokes43
4888850977Freight Trainsentence consisting of three or more short independent clauses joined by conjunctions44
4888850978Generalizationbasing a claim upon an isolated example or asserting that a claim is true rather than probable45
4888850979Genremajor category into which a literary work fits46
4888850980Grotesquebizarre, incongruous, ugly, unnatural, or abnormal47
4888850981Hyperboleoverstatement or exaggeration of facts48
4888850982Idiomuse of words or grammatical construction peculiar to a given language, or an expression that cannot be translated literally into a second language49
4888850983Imageryuse of language to represent sense experience50
4888850984Auditory Imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to sound51
4888850985Gustatory Imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to taste52
4888850986Kinesthetic Imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to the movement of muscles, tendons, or joints53
4888850987Olfactory Imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to smell54
4888850988Tactile Imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to touch55
4888850989Visual Imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to sight56
4888850990Inversionword order that places a modifier or verb before the subject57
4888850991Situational Ironycontrast between what is normally expected and what actually occurs58
4888850992Dramatic Ironyreader or audience knows more about the events of a story than the character in the story59
4888850993Verbal Ironywhat is said is the opposite of what is meant60
4888850994Juxtapositionplacement of two things side by side for the purposes of examination61
4888850995Litoteunderstatement that purposefully represents something as much less significant as it is, achieving an ironic effect62
4888850996Loose Sentencemain clause comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units63
4888850997Metaphorcomparison without using "like" or "as"64
4888850998Metonymydesignation of one thing with something closely associated with it65
4888850999Moodatmosphere or feeling created by a literary work66
4888851000Motiffrequently recurring character, incident, or concept in a work of literature67
4888851001Negative-Positivesentence that begins by stating what is not true and then ending by stating what is true68
4888851002Onomatopoeiaword whose sound suggests its meaning69
4888851003Oxymoronparadox that combines terms normally seen as opposites70
4888851004Parallelismsimilarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses71
4888851005Paradoxstatement that appears contradictory yet expresses a truth when viewed from another angle72
4888851006Parodycomic imitation of another work often for ridicule73
4888851007Pedanticscholarly, academic writing that borders on lecturing74
4888851008Parenthesisinsertion of some verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal flow of the sentence75
4888851009Periodic Sentencemain clause comes last, preceded by dependent grammatical units76
4888851010Polysyndetonsentence that uses "and" or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate items in a series; X and Y and Z77
4888851011Personificationattribution of human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts78
4888851012Punplay on words that utilizes a word's multiple meanings79
4888851013Realismfaithful representation of reality to make a story more believable80
4888851014Red Herringwhen an author raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue81
4888851015Rhetoricart of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse82
4888851016Rhetorical Criticismanalyses the techniques employed in a literary work to impose the author's view on the reader83
4888851017Sarcasmverbal irony that uses insincere praise to express bitter and caustic disapproval84
4888851018Satireused to arouse laughter at targets such as people or groups to expose human folly85
4888851019Similecomparison using "like" or "as"86
4888851020Stream of Consciousnesswriting technique that uses frequent illogical and incoherent digressions to reproduce the raw flow of consciousness87
4888851021Structureorganization or arrangement of various elements in a work88
4888851022Narrative Structurechronological organization used to convey a story89
4888851023Dramatic Structureorganization used in plays that consists of a series of scenes, each of which is presented in vivid detail90
4888851024Discursive Structureorganization used in an argument or essay91
4888851025Stylearrangement of words in a manner that expresses the author's individuality and his or her intent92
4888851026Rhetorical Questionquestion used to emphasize a point; no answer is expected93
4888851027Syllepsisgrammatical construction in which one word relates to two words in very different ways94
4888851028Syllogismformat of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion95
4888851029Symbolcharacter, object, or event in literature that represents something larger than itself96
4888851030Synecdochefigure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole97
4888851031Synesthesiaone sensory experience is described in terms of another sensory experience98
4888851032Syntaxmanner in which words are joined to make phrases, clauses, and sentences99
4888851033Thememain idea that the author expresses in a literary work100
4888851034Thesisclaim or proposition that a writer must strive to prove effectively and thoroughly101
4888851035Toneattitude of the speaker of a work of literature expresses to the reader through language102
4888851036Voicetotal "sound" or "feel" of a writer's style that is present behind characters, narrators, and personae of literature103
4888851037Witintellectual humor that suggests the speaker's verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks104
4888851038Zeugmawriter uses one word to govern several successive words or clauses105

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