AP language rhetorical terms definitions Flashcards

6411600905	Allegory	Device of using character and/or story elements symbollically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning	0
6411600906	Alliteration	Repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants in neighboring words	1
6411600907	Allusion	Reference to something which is commonly known	2
6411600908	Anaphora	Device of repetition, same expression is repeated at the beginning or two or more lines	3
6411600909	Antecedent	Word, phrase, clause referred to by a pronoun	4
6411600910	Antithesis	Two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed; creates a definite and systematic relationship between ideas	5
6411600911	Apostrophe	Figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction that cannot answer back	6
6411600912	Asyndeton	Omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for an effect of inpremeditated multiplicity	7
6411600913	Atmosphere	Emotional mood created by entirety of literary work	8
6411600914	Chiasmus	Successive phrases or clauses parallel in syntax but reverse in order of the analogous words	9
6411600915	Colloquial	Use of slang or informalities in speech or writing	10
6411600916	Conceit	Fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar object	11
6411600917	Connotation	Non-literal associative meaning of a word	12
6411600918	Denotation	Strict, literal dictionary definition of a word; devoid of emotion	13
6411600919	Diacope	Repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase	14
6411600920	Didactic	Having the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles	15
6411600921	Enumeration	Figure of amplification in which a subject is divided into constituent parts or details; listing or detailing parts of something	16
6411600922	Expletive	Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase is used to lend emphasis to the words on the other side of the explative (Ex: in fact)	17
6411600923	Extended metaphor	Metaphor developed at great length	18
6411600924	Generic conventions	traditions for each genre, they are the conventions that define a genre	19
6429979080	genre	major category into which a literary work fits; basically divided into prose, poetry, and drama	20
6430071115	homily	serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice; literally means "sermon"	21
6430075081	hyperbole	deliberate exaggeration or overstatement	22
6430077490	hypophora	one or more questions is/are asked and then ANSWERED, often by the same one that raised the question	23
6430082252	imagery	sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions; physically, it appeals to the 5 senses	24
6430087835	inference/infer	Act of drawing a reasonable conclusion from the information presented	25
6430089670	invective	emotionally violent, verbal denunciation, or attach using strong abusive language	26
6430092467	irony	contrast between what is stated and what is really meant; three major types: verbal, dramatic, and situational	27
6430097199	juxtaposition	two words, phrases, images, or ideas are placed close together or side-by-side for comparison or contrast	28
6430100686	litotes	figure of thought in which a point is affirmed by negating its opposite; something is true because the opposite is false	29
6430105624	loose sentence	A sentence structure where the main idea comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses; often seems informal, relaxed, and conversational	30
6430108880	metaphor	Figurative language with an implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the others	31
6430111463	metonymy	Figurative language where the name of one object is substituted for that of another closed associated with it; means "changed label"	32
6430115303	mood	Writing characteristic with two major forms: grammatical and literary; grammatical comes in the form of indicative, subjective, or imperative while literary is the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work	33
6430131945	narrative	telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events	34
6430134303	onomatopoeia	figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words; ex: buzz	35
6430139063	oxymoron	figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox; ex: jumbo shrimp	36
6430143673	paradox	Figure of thought that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity	37
6430146483	parallelism	grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity; means "beside one another"	38
6430151655	parody	work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule; distorts or exaggerates distinctive features of the original	39
6430157463	pedantic	adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish	40
6430160625	periodic sentence	sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. this independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone; adds emphasis and structural variety	41
6430167303	personification	Figure of speech where the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions	42
6430170728	polysyndeton	figure of addition and emphasis which intentionally employs a series of conjunctions not normally found in successive words, phrases, or clauses; deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses	43
6430181336	point of view	perspective from which a story is told; appears as first person or third person and third person comes in the form of omniscient or limited	44
6430185985	prose	major division of genre that refers to fictions and non-fictions including all its forms	45
6430192579	rhetoric	principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively	46
6430194577	rhetorical modes	describes the variety, the conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing; four most common modes: exposition, argumentation, description, and narration	47
6430200532	rhetorical question	used for effect, emphasis, provocation, or for drawing a conclusionary statement from the fact at hand; differs from hypophora in that it is not answered by the writer because the answer is meant to be obvious	48
6430211526	sarcasm	bitter caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something; can be witty and insightful or simply cruel; means "to tear flesh"	49
6430216864	satire	work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule; more of a style of writing than a purpose for writing; uses: irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm	50
6430229013	style	evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices; classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors	51
6437931995	syllogism	deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises, a major and a minor, that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion	52
6437936793	symbolism	anything that represents itself and stands for something else; three categories: natural, conventional, and literary	53
6437942126	syndecdoche	Figurative language, a type of metaphor in which either a single part is used to represent the whole or the whole is used to represent a single part	54
6437954599	syntax	the way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences; differs from diction in that it refers to groups of words while diction refers to individual word choices	55
6437961504	theme	central idea or message of a work	56
6437963296	thesis	sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position	57
6437969007	tone	describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both; easier to determine in spoken language than written word	58
6437976383	transition	word or phrase that links different ideas	59
6437977983	understatement	ironic minimizing of fact; presents something as less significant than it is	60
6437983802	undertone	attitude that may lie under the ostensible tone of the piece	61
6437985973	wit	the modern usage means intellectually amazing language that surprises and delights; originally meant basic understanding	62