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AP English Rhetorical Devices

Terms in this set (36)

ethos
A greek term referring to the character of a person.
pathos
A greek term that refers to suffering but is basically the appeal to ones emotions
logos
A greek term that means "word" it is the appeal to logic
rhetoric
The study of effective, persuasive language use
rhetorical triangle
A diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience
speaker
Rhetorical Triangle 1
subject
Rhetorical Triangle 2
Audience
Rhetorical Triangle 3
persona
The speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing.
allusion
An indirect reference, often to another text of historical event.
analogy
An extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things
anaphora
THe repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses
anecdote
A short account of an interesting event
alliteration
the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables
colloquialism
an informal or conversational use of language
connotation
the which is implied by a word, as opposed to the words literal meaning
paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true
irony
a contradiction between what is said and what is meant; incongruity between action and result
juxtaposition
placement of two things side by side for emphasis
parallelism
the repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns
trope
artful diction; the use of language in a nonliteral way; also called a figure of speech
scheme
a pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect
syntax
sentence structure
diction
word choice
simile
a figure of speech that uses "like" or "as" to compare two things
metaphor
a figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison
tone
the speakers attitude toward the subject or audience
imagery
vivid use of language that evokes a readers senses
passive voice
The passive voice is a grammatical construction (a "voice") in which the subject of a sentence or clause denotes the recipient of the action rather than the performer.
antimetabole
the repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast
bias
a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation
hyperbole
extravagant exaggeration
antecedent
a preceding occurrence or cause or event, anything that precedes something similar in time
consonance
the repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words
assonance
the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words
satire
witty language used to convey insults or scorn
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