Apel Rhetorical Terms

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Allegory

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the device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegoreies, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction lie hope or freedom. the allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.

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Alliteration

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the repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sellls sea shells). Although the term is not used frequently in the multiple-choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage. the repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.

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Allusion

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a 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, literary, religious, topical or mythical. there are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.

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ambiguity

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the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence or passage.

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analogy

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A similarity or comparison between two 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 mor vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.

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Anaphora

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One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.

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Anecdote

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A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person.

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Antecedent

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- The 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.

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Antithesis

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Figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually through parallel structure; a contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences. Antithesis creates a definite and systematic relationship between ideas.

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Aphorism

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A terse statement of know 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.

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Apostrophe

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A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect is to give vent to or display intense emotion, which can no longer be held back

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Asyndeton

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consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. This can give the effect of unpremeditated multiplicity, of an extemporaneous rather than a labored account. Asyndetic lists can be more emphatic than if a final conjunction were used.

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Atmosphere

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The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere forshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood

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Chiasmus

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(From the Greek word for “criss-cross,” a designation baed on the Greek letter “chi,” written X). Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words.

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Clause

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A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can sand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element to the other. You should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing.

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Colloquial/colloquialism

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The 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 or regional dialects.

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Coherence

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A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible. Words, phrases, clauses within the sentence; and sentences, paragraphs, and chpters in larger pieces of writing are the unit that by their progressive and logical arrangement, make for coherence.

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Conceit

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A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made.

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Connotation

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The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.