AP English Literature Rhetorical Devices

allegory
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Terms in this set (89)
allegory
story or poem that can be used to reveal a hidden meaning
Image: allegory
allusion
A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art
Image: allusion
anaphora
repetition in first part of a sentence , to have an artistic meaning
Image: anaphora
apostrophe
figure of speech used to adresss an imaginary character
Image: apostrophe
approximate rhyme
words in rhyming pattern that sound alike
Image: approximate rhyme
aside
when a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by other actors on the stage
Image: aside
blank verse
poetry written in meter without an ending rhyme
Image: blank verse
cacophony
blend of unharmonious sounds
Image: cacophony
caesura
pause in the middle of a line
Image: caesura
catharsis
the release of emotions through art (emotional cleanse)
Image: catharsis
characterizationprocess of revealing characters personalitycomedydrama that is amusing or funnydidactic writingwriting with a primary purpose to teach or preachdramatic expositionprose commentaries, to provide background information about the characters and their worldend stopped lineline ending in regular punctuationepiphanywhen a character receives a spiritual insight into their lifeeuphonysmooth choice and arrangement of soundsextended figureA figure of speech sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines or through a whole poem.figurative languageLanguage that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.figure of speecha way of saying something other than the ordinary wayfootbasic unit in the scansion or measurement of verse , stressed and un stressed syllablesformexternal pattern or shape of a poemhamartiatragic flaw which causes a character's downfallverbal ironyA figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meantdramatic ironyIrony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.situational ironyrefers to an occurrence that is contrary to what is expected or intendedmeterA regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetrymetonymyA figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with itmotivationA need or desire that energizes and directs behaviorhyperboleA figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humoroxymoronA figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.paradoxA contradiction or dilemmarhythmA regularly recurring sequence of events or actions.sarcasmthe use of irony to mock or convey contemptsatireA literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.simileA comparison using "like" or "as"soliloquyA long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stagestream of consciousnessprivate thoughts of a character without commentarysynecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versasynesthesiadescribing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound")themeCentral idea of a work of literaturetoneAttitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a characterunderstatementthe deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasispolysyndetonthe use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or naturalasyndetona construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctionsambiguityAn event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way.archetypean original model on which something is patternedantecedent actionaction or events which occur before the story beginsaphorismA brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.analogymethod of comparing two similar things using parallelism to show similaritiesanecdotea short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or personantithesisan exact opposite; an opposite extremecolloquialcharacteristic of informal conversationchiasmusa statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversedcoherencethe quality of being logical, orderly, and clearly connectedconceita fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphordiacoperepetition of a word or phrase with one or two intervening wordsexplicationa detailed explanation of the meaning of a textjuxtapositionplacing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrasthypophorathe technique of asking a question, then proceeding to answer iteuphemismAn indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasantenumeratiodetailing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point more forciblyenjambmentline of poetry that ends with no punctuation and consequently runs over into the next lineinvectiveinsulting, abusive, or highly critical languagelitotesA form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its oppositemotifA recurring theme, subject or ideaparallelismthe use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical formsyntaxthe grammatical arrangement of words in sentencesvoltathe shift or point of dramatic change in a poemrhetoricthe art of using language effectively and persuasivelyrhetorical questionA question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.parodya work which imitates another in a ridiculous mannerinferenceA conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoningtragedyA drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrowundertonea hidden or implied meaningdissonancelack of agreement or harmonyframe storystory that contains another story/stories that is/are usually significant to the main storyexpletivean exclamation or oath, often obsceneatmosphere/moodthe mood/ feeling of the literary work created for the reader by the writer.auditory imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to sounduniversal themeA message about life that can be understood by most culturesimplied meaningthe meaning of a word understood, though unexpressed, usually through connotations and imagery; where you have to read between the lines to get the underlying meaning/subtext of a textcharacter sketcha short piece of writing that reveals or shows something important about a person or fictional characterepiloguea short passage added at the end of a literary workepistlea letter or literary composition in letter formhexametera line of poetry containing six feettetrametera line of poetry containing four feetpentametera line of poetry containing five feetlamenta passionate expression of grief or sorrow

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