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AP Language Rhetorical Terms Flashcards

Rhetorical Terms and Definitions for Mrs. Martenson's AP Language and Composition Class.

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14010794611AllegoryThe device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.0
14010794612AlliterationThe repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not used in the multiple choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, and/or supply a musical sound.1
14010794613AllusionA direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical (like referring to Hitler), literary (like referring to Kurtz in Heart of Darkness), religious (like referring to Noah and the flood), or mythical 9like referring to Atlas). There are, of course, many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.2
14010794614AmbiguityThe Multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, or a word, phrase, sentence or passage.3
14010794615AnadiplosisThe repetition of a key word, especially the last one, at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. For example, "He gave his life; life was all he could give."4
14010794616AnalogyA similarity or comparison between tow different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.5
14010794617AnapesticA foot in poetry with two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.6
14010794618AnaphoraThe rhetorical device of repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis and rhythm.7
14010794619AnathemaA thing or person accursed or damned; a thing or person greatly detested; a formal curse or condemnation excommunicating a person from a church or damning something; any strong curse.8
14010794620AntecedentThe word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long complex sentence or in a group of sentences.9
14010794621AnticlimaxUsing a sequence of ideas that abruptly diminish in dignity or importance at the end of a sentence, generally for satirical effect.10
14010794622AntimetaboleRepeating words in reverse order for surprise and emphasis. Same as Chiasmus.11
14010794623AntithesisA contrast or opposition of thoughts, usually in two phrases, clauses, or sentences. For example, You are going; I am staying. The exact opposite (Joy is the antithesis of sorrow).12
14010794624AphorismA terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb). An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author's point.13
14010794625ApostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, "Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee.14
14010794626ArchetypeThe original pattern, or model from which all other things of the same kind of thing are made; a perfect example of a type or group.15
14010794627AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words; e.g., the words "cry and "side" have the same vowel sound and so are said to be in assonance.16
14010794628AsyndetonThe practice of leaving out the usual conjunctions between coordinate sentence elements. For example: smile, shake hands, part.17
14010794629AtmosphereThe emotional mood created by the entirety of the literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently, atmosphere foreshadows events.18
14010794630AttitudeThe position or posture assumed in connection with an action, feeling, mood. For example, to kneel in an attitude of prayer. Also a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that shows one's disposition, opinion or mental set, etc.19
14010794631Balanced SentenceIn a balanced sentence, the phrases or clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness in structure, meaning, or length: e.g., He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.20
14010794632BathosAn abrupt change from the lofty to the ordinary or trivial in writing or speech; anticlimax.21
14010794633Blank VerseBlank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. An iamb is a poetic foot consisting of one weak stress followed by one strong stress. A pentameter line is a line of five poetic feet.22
14010794634CacophonyHarsh sounding, jarring sound; dissonance.23
14010794635CaesuraA pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry24
14010794636ChiasmusSimilar to antimetabole, but reversing the grammatical elements rather than just words, for emphasis.25
14010794637ClauseA grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate, clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. Examine this sample sentence: "Because I practiced hard, my AP scores were high." In this sentence, the independent clause is "my AP scores were high," and the dependent clause is "Because I practiced hard."26
14010794638ClicheAn overused, worn-out, hackneyed expression that used to be fresh but is no more. "Blushing bride" and "clinging vine" are clichés used to describe people.27
14010794639ClimaxArranging words, clauses, or sentences in the order of their importance, the least forcible coming first and the others rising in poser until the last.28
14010794640ColloquialThe use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local and regional dialects.29
14010794641Complex SentenceA complex sentence contains two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses: e.g., You said that you would tell the truth.30
14010794642Compound SentenceA compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or) or by a semicolon: e.g., The singer bowed to the audience, but she sang no encores.31
14010794643Compound-Complex SentenceA compound-complex sentence contains two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses: e.g., The singer bowed while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores.32
14010794644ConceitA fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness due to the unusual comparison made.33
14010794645ConnotationThe nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.34
14010794646ConsonanceThe repetition of a constant sound within a series of words to produce a harmonious effect: e.g., And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. The "d" sound is in consonance. The "s" sound is also in consonance.35
14010794647Cumulative sentenceAn independent clause followed by a series of subordinate constructions that gather details about a person, place, event, or idea36
14010794648DactylicA foot in poetry with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.37
14010794649Declarative SentenceA sentence that makes a statement: e.g., The king is sick.38
14010794650DenotationThe strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.39
14010794651DeviceA plan. Something used to gain an artistic effect.40
14010794652DictionRelated to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you should be able to describe an author's diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author's purpose. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices etc., creates the author's style.41
14010794653DidacticFrom the Greek, didactic literally means "teaching." Didactic works have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.42
14010794654DimeterA verse written in two-foot lines.43
14010794655DirgeA funeral hymn; a slow, sad song, poem, or musical composition expressing grief or mourning.44
14010794656ElegyA poem or song of lament and praise for the dead.45
14010794657EllipsisThe omission of a word or words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context. For example, "if possible" for "if it is possible." Also an intentional omission of words or letters or an abrupt change of thought, lapse of time, incomplete statement, etc.46
14010794658EnjambmentIn poetry, the running on of a sentence from one line or couplet to the next with little or no pause.47
14010794659EpanalepsisOpening and closing a sentence with the same word or praise for surprise and emphasis. For example, Buster is deeply concerned to promote the health and well being of Buster.48
14010794660EpicA long narrative poem in a dignified style about the deeds of a tradition or historical hero or heroes.49
14010794661EpigramA short poem with a witty or satirical point; any terse, witty, pointed statement, often antithetical. For example: "Experience is the name everyone gives to his mistakes."50
14010794662EpistlesAn epistle, or literary letter, is a formal composition written in the form of a letter addressed to a distant person or group of people. Unlike common personal letters, which tend to be conversational and private compositions, epistles are carefully-crafted works of literature, intended for a general audience.51
14010794663EpitaghAn inscription on a tomb or gravestone in memory of the person buried there; short composition in prose or verse, written in attribute to a person.52
14010794664EuphemismForm the Greek for "good speech," euphemisms are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. The euphemism may be used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement. Saying "earthly remains" rather than "corpse" is an example of euphemism.53
14010794665EuphonyThe quality of having a pleasant sound; pleasant combination of agreeable sounds.54
14010794666Extended ParallelismThe repetition of words or grammatical elements to achieve cumulative force and rhythm. For example, in a single sentence: I photographed the living things of the Mojave Desert: cactus flowers in yellow bloom , an indigo bush with dark blue flowers, kangaroo rats hopping frantically over the sand, a vulture circling overhead, a rattlesnake basking in the sun.55
14010794667Extended MetaphorA metaphor developed at great length , occurring frequently in or throughout a work.56
14010794668FableA brief history, usually with animal characters, that teaches a lesson or moral.57
14010794669Figurative LanguageA device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Figures of speech include, for example, apostrophe, hyperbole. Irony, metaphor, metonymy, onomatopoeia etc.58
14010794670GenreKinds of types of literature. For example, poetry, drama, novel, short story, nonfiction, etc.59
14010794671HomilyA solemn, moralizing talk or writing; a sermon ( especially a long, boring one.)60
14010794672Hortative SentenceA sentence meant to encourage61
14010794673HyperboleAn overstatement or exaggerated way of saying something. Example: "This book weighs a ton." In literature, hyperbole is classified a s a figure of speech.62
14010794674IambicA foot in poetry with one unstressed syllable, followed by one stressed syllable.63
14010794675ImageryAnything in a literary work that calls up sensations of sight, taste, smell, touch, heat, pressure. In the expression, "My heart is like a singing bird", both the singing bird and the heart are images64
14010794676Infer/InferenceTo conclude or decide from something known or assumed; derive by reasoning.65
14010794677InvectiveA violent verbal attack; strong criticism, curses; an abusive term.66
14010794678Inverted order of a sentenceThis involves constructing a sentence so the predicate comes before the subject: e.g., In California grow oranges. This is a device in which normal sentence patterns are reversed to create an emphatic or rhythmic effect.67
14010794679Imperative sentenceA sentence that commands68
14010794680IronyGeneral, irony is an implied contrast. In verbal irony the contrast is between what is said and what is intended, as when one says in disgust, "That's just great." In dramatic irony, a character in a play, short story, or novel expects one outcome of a situation that the audience knows will end a different way. In situational irony the opposite or something very different happens than what is expected.69
14010794681Juxtapositiona poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit: e.g., "The apparition of these face sin the crowd;/petals on a wet, black bough."70
14010794682LanguageThe entire body of words used in a text, not simply bits of isolated diction; for example: an invitation to a graduation might use formal language, where as a biology text would use scientific and clinical language.71
14010794683Literal/ FigurativeLiteral is based on the actual words in the ordinary meaning. Figurative gives a more symbolic meaning or representing one concept in terms of another that may be thought of as analogous within sense of reference. In the words "screaming headlines," screaming is a figurative use. Litotes- Understatement employed for the purpose of enhancing the effect of the ideas expressed. Contains a negative.72
14010794684LitotesIronical understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary73
14010794685Loose Sentencea loose sentence makes sense if brought to a close before the actual ending: e.g., We reached Edmonton/ that morning/ after a turbulent flight/ and some exciting experiences74
14010794686LyricA melodic poem that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker. Unlike a narrative poem, a lyric focuses on a single, united effect. Types of lyrics include elegy, the ode, and the sonnet. Among contemporary American poets, the lyrics is the most common poetic form.75
14010794687MetaphorA comparison, like a simile but usually implied and without a comparative word such as like or as. Example: "My heart is a singing bird"; "He wolfed his food"76
14010794688MetonymyThe use of the name of one thing for that of another associated with or suggested by it. For example "the White House" of the "President."77
14010794689Mock Heroicburlesquing or mocking heroic manner, action, or character.78
14010794690MonometerA verse written in one-foot lines.79
14010794691MoodThe atmosphere of the literary work. In verbs, an expression of the manner in which the action is done. The three moods in English are indicative, the most common, which states the action is an actual fact ("Tony hit the ball"), imperative, stating a command ("Tony, hit the ball!"). A third mood, the subjunctive, is now rare in English. It is used to express a wish or a conditional statement: "If I were you...", "It is required that the applicant be under twenty-one."80
14010794692MotifA main theme or subject.81
14010794693MythA fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the causes of natural phenomena. Some myths are a kind of primitive science, explaining how and why natural phenomena came about. Other myths express the central values of the people who created them.82
14010794694NarrativeThe telling of any story, or the story itself, the plot.83
14010794695Natural order of a sentenceThis involves constructing a sentence so the subject comes before the predicate: e.g., Oranges grow in California.84
14010794696NovelA fictional prose narrative, usually long enough to be published in a book by itself.85
14010794697OnomatopoeiaThe use of words that sound like what they mean. Buzz, clang, and hiss are onomatopoeia.86
14010794698OxymoronA figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined; for example: thunderous silence, sweet sorrow and jumbo shrimp are oxymorons.87
14010794699ParableA parable is a brief story, usually with human characters, that teaches a moral lesson. The most famous parables are those told by Christ in the Bible.88
14010794700Paradoxa statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but that may actually be true in fact.89
14010794701Parellelismrefers to a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence. It involves an arrangement of words, phrase, sentences, and paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and similarly phrased: e.g., He was walking, running, and jumping for joy. I learned to swim, to play tennis, and to ride a horse.90
14010794702ParodyA literary that imitates and makes fun of another type of work, or specific author.91
14010794703PedanticAn unnecessary display of scholarship lacking in judgment or sense of proportion.92
14010794704PentameterA verse written in five-foot lines.93
14010794705Periodic SentenceA periodic sentence makes sense only hen the end of the sentence is reached. E.g., that morning, after a turbulent flight and some exciting experiences, we reached Edmonton.94
14010794706PersonificationThe treatment of an object or an abstract idea as if it were a person, as in Tennyson's "Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white," and Shakespeare's "Time's cruel hand."95
14010794707Point of ViewIn fiction, point of view is the person or intelligence the writer creates to tell the story to the reader. The point of view may be that of a character in the story or of an outside observer who is not part of the action.96
14010794708ProseThe ordinary form of written or spoken language, without rhyme or meter; speech or writing that is not poetry.97
14010794709ProsodyThe science or art of versification, including the study of metrical structure, rhyme, stanza forms, etc.98
14010794710Punplay on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings. Puns can have serious as well as humorous uses: e.g., When Mercutio is bleeding to death in Romeo and Juliet, he says to his friends, "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me grave man."99
14010794711RepetitionA device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and create emphasis: e.g., "...government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall perish form the earth"100
14010794712RhetoricThe skill of using spoken or written communication effectively. It is the art of guiding the reader or listener to agreement with the writer or speaker. Spoken rhetoric is called oratory.101
14010794713Rhetorical ModesNarrative, descriptive, expository & argumentative.102
14010794714Rhetorical Questiona question that expects no answer. It is used to draw attention as a point and is generally stronger than the direct statement: e.g., "If Mr. Ferchoff is always fair, as you have said, why did he refuse to listen to Mr. Baldwing's arguments?"103
14010794715Rhyme SchemeA rhyme scheme is a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. To describe rhyme scheme, one uses a letter of the alphabet to represent each rhyming sound in a poem or stanza.104
14010794716RomanceA story that presents a remote or imaginative incidents rather than ordinary, commonplace experiences. Although the events in a romance are improbable or impossible, the characters still reflect "truth of heart."105
14010794717SarcasmA taunting, sneering, cutting or caustic remark; gibe or jeer.106
14010794718SatireA literary work that ridicules various aspects of human behavior. Its purpose is often to correct certain faults, but underneath the surface it is sometimes pure personal attack. Gulliver's Travels and Animal Farm and both satires.107
14010794719SchemeFigures of speech that deal with word order, syntax, letters, and sounds108
14010794720SemanticsThe nature, structure, development and changes of the meanings of speech forms with contextual meaning.109
14010794721Sentence Inversionany sentence in which the normal word order is reversed, with the verb coming before the subject or the complete subject and predicate coming after another clause.110
14010794722Sentence StructureHow a speaker or author constructs a sentence affects what the audience understands. The inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader or listener to a question and creates a tension between speaker and listener. Similarly short sentences ar e often emphatic, passionate or flippant, whereas longer sentences suggest the writer's thoughtful response.111
14010794723ShiftA change of feelings by the speaker from the beginning to the end, paying particular attention to the conclusion of the literature. (Progression)112
14010794724SimileThe comparison of two different things or ideas through the use of words like or as. It is a definitely stated comparison in which the poet says one thing is like another; e,g,, The warrior fought like a lion.113
14010794725Simple Sentencea simple sentence contains one subject and one verb: e.g., The singer bowed to her adoring audience.114
14010794726SoliloquyLines in a drama in which a character reveals his thoughts to the audience, but not to the other characters, by speaking as if to himself.115
14010794727Sonneta fourteen-line lyric poem focused on a single theme. Sonnets have many variations, but are usually written in iambic pentameter, following one or two traditional patterns. The Petrarchan, or Italian, or the Shakespearean, or English.116
14010794728Split order of a sentenceThis divides the predicate into two parts with the subject coming in the middle: e.g., In California oranges grow117
14010794729Stream of ConscioiusnessA narrative technique that presents thoughts as if they were coming directly from a character's mind. Instead of being arranged in chronological order, the events of the story are presented from the character's point of view, mixed in character's feelings and memories just as they might spontaneously occur in the mind of a real person.118
14010794730Stylea group of different aspects of writing that have to do with the writer's way of saying something. Diction, sentence structure, figurative language, and various sound patterns all enter into style.119
14010794731SyllogismAn argument or form of reasoning in which two statements or premises are made and a logical conclusion drawn form them. Example: All mammals are warm blooded. Whales are mammals. Therefore whales are warm blooded.120
14010794732Symbol/SymbolismA thing or action that is made to mean more than itself. A rose, for instance, is used to symbolize love. Writers of ten use symbols to express ideas that are too complicated, too elusive, or too deep for words.121
14010794733SynecdocheA from of a metaphor, In synecdoche , a part of something is used to signify the whole: e.g., All hands on deck. Also, the reverse, whereby the whole can represent a part, is synecdoche: e.g., Canada played the United States in the Olympic hockey finals. Another form of synecdoche involves the container representing the thing be contained: e.g., The pot is boiling. In one last form of synecdoche, the material from which an objects is made stands for the object itself: e.g., The quarterback tossed the pigskin. In metonymy, the name of one thing is applied to another thing with which is closely associated: e.g., I love Shakespeare.122
14010794734Synesthetic ImageryDetail that moves from the simulation of one sense to a response by another sense, as a certain odor induces the visualization of a certain color. Here the act of reading, a visual stimulus, produces sound. e.g., "the cinnamon beat of the music," "yellow cocktail music," "the sparkling odor of jonquils," etc.123
14010794735SyntaxAt its simplest level, syntax consists of sentence structure and word order, but analysis of style and meaning never relies on one concept alone. Syntax should not be studied in isolation, but rather it should be examined in conjunction with other stylistic techniques that work together to develop meaning.124
14010794736TetrameterA verse written in four lines.125
14010794737ThemeWhat the author is saying bout the subjects in his work.126
14010794738ToneThe writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject and the audience.127
14010794739TragedyA serious play typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending brought on as in ancient drama, by fate and a tragic flaw in this character, or, in modern drama, usually by moral weakness, psychological maladjustment, or social pressures.128
14010794740TrimeterA verse written in three-foot lines.129
14010794741Triteis applied to something, especially a n expression or idea which through repeated use or application has lost its origin freshness.130
14010794742TropeA figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression131
14010794743TrochaicA foot in poetry with one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.132
14010794744Understatement (meiosis)The opposite of hyperbole. It is a king of irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is: e.g., I could probably manage to survive on a salary of two million dollars a year.133
14010794745VernacularUsing the native language of a country or place; commonly spoken by the people of a particular country or place.134
14010794746VignetteA short, delicate literary sketch.135
14010794747ZeugmaFigure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses136
14010794748Rhetorical Strategiesmethods of development137
14010794749Argument and persuasionstating opinions and proposals138
14010794750Cause and Effectasking why139
14010794751Classificationsorting into kinds140
14010794752Definitiontracing boundaries141
14010794753begging the questionOften called circular reasoning, occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim.142
14010794754ad hominemIn an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."143
14010794755ad populumThis fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to "everybody's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do."144
14010794756Red HerringA fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion145
14010794757Complex Question FallacyA fallacy of form where a question is crafted to exclude any possible legitimate response - also known as a "loaded question." Something unstated is being assumed which causes a fallacy.146
14010794758Enthymemean argument in which one premise is not explicitly stated147
14010794759Enthymeme example"He is a US citizen, so he is entitled to due process." (There is an unstated assumption that US citizens are entitled to due process.)148
14010794760ThesisFocus statement of an essay; premise statement upon which the point of view or discussion in the essay is based.149
14010794761AntithesisDirect opposite150
14010794762Synthesiscombining parts into a whole151
14010794763Synthesis EssaySimilar to argument essay, but uses given sources to argue a point152

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