Rhetorical Device Definitions - Ap Lang

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Alliteration

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The use of words that begin with the same sound. Ex. "While I nodded, nearly napping" - Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven.

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Assonance

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The use of words that have the same or very similar sounds. Ex. "I Like Ike"

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Allusion

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An implied or indirect reference, especially in literature. Ex. The line "Et tu, Brute?" used in Aladdin alludes to Julius Caesar.

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Allegory

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The repetition of abstract ideas or principles. Ex. The mask of the red death.

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Anachronism

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Something that is placed in the incorrect time. Ex. The clock in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

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Anadiplosis

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Repetition at the beginning of a phrase of the word or word which a previous phrase ended. Ex. "It takes an egg to make a hen, it takes a hen to make an egg".

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Anaphora

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Repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive sentences. Ex. MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech.

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Apostrophe

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When a person speaks to something that is not there. Ex. "Papa above! Regard a mouse." - Emily Dickinson

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Asyndeton

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A series of words where conjunctions are omitted and words are connected by commas. Ex. "I came, I saw, I conquered"

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Polysyndeton

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A series of words connected by repeated use of conjunctions. Ex. "Duty and morality and loyalty" - William F. Buckley

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Cacophony

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A mix of harsh or displeasing words or sounds. Ex. Lewis Carroll's Jaberwocky

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Euphony

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Pleasing, lovely words with melody. Ex. "Cellar door", soft consonants.

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Catachresis

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The use of a word or phrase outside of its context (with a purpose). Ex. "I will speak daggers to her" - Hamlet

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Colloquialism

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A word or phrase that is used mostly in informal speech. Ex. "Ain't", "Lame", "Dumb".

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Idiom

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Something that means something other than its literal meaning. Ex. "If we play our cards right".

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Chiasmus

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An ordering of words that is reversed in parallel expressions that are found in two or more phrases. Ex. "One should live to eat, not eat to live".

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Euphenism

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A mild word used in the place of an offensive one. Ex. "Darn".

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Hyperbole

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Exaggeration of statements or claims that is not meant to be taken literally. Ex. "I've told you a million times".

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Invective

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Words intended to hurt or bring something down. Ex. Insults

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Irony

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The use of words that mean the opposite of what you expect. Ex. Donald Trump getting fired.

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Litotes

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A double negative that creates an understatement. Ex. "Not improbably", "Not uncommon".

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Metonymy

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The use of the name of one thing for another. Ex. "The pen is mightier than the sword".

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Syndecdoche

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The use of a broad term to refer to a specific one or vice versa. Ex. One percent-er in reference to a wealthy person.

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Oxymoron and Paradox

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Contradictory ideas or terms combined. Ex. Pianoforte (soft-loud), "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others".

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Parallelism

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Words or sentences that are formed in the same syntactical way. Ex. "Friends; Romans; Countrymen; lend me your ears...".

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Pleonasm

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The use of superfluous syllables or words. Ex. "He walked the entire distance to the station on foot".

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Satire

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Holding up human vices and follies to ridicule. Ex. The Colbert Report, Shakespeare's Sonnet 13.

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Parody

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Mutating something to make fun of it. Ex. Youtube parody music videos.

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Simile

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A metaphor using like or as. Ex. "His skin was cold as ice", "He eats like a pig".

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Syllepsis

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A figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses. Ex. "I caught the train and a bad cold".

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Syllogism

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A form of deductive reasoning: a major premise and two more parts, major and minor.

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Tone

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The author's attitude toward the text/audience.

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Mood

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The author's attitude toward the subject.

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Tautology

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The needless repetition of an idea, phrase, or word. Ex. "Close proximity", "7 AM in the morning".

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Diction

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The choice and usage of words and phrases in speech or writing.

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Syntax

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The arrangement of words and phrases to create well formed sentences in language.

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Style

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A manner of doing something

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Rhetoric

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The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

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Logos

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Principle of reason and judgement.

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Ethos

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Principle of beliefs and customs.

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Pathos

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A quality that evokes pity or sadness.

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Denotation

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The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

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Connotation

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an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

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Bombast

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High-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people.

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Pun

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A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

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Malapropism

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The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect.
EX. "Dance a flamingo" instead of "Dance a flamenco".

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Circumlocation

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The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

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Aphorism

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A pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.”