AP Lang Rhetorical Terms (-Colloquialism)

Allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

Atmosphere

The emotional nod 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 a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood.

Appeal to Tradition

a proposal that something should continue because it has traditionally existed or been done that way

Authority

a respectable, reliable source of evidence

Caricature

a verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person's distinctive physical features or other characteristics.

Authoritative Warrant

a warrant based on the credibility or trustworthiness of the source

Cliché

a worn-out expression or idea, no longer capable of producing a visual image provoking thought about a subject

Abstract Language

language expressing a quality apart from a specific object or event; opposite of concrete language

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

Begging the question

making a statement that assumes that the issue being argued has already been decided

Ad Hominem

"against a man"; attacking the arguer rather than the argument or issue

Ad Populum

"to the people"; playing on the prejudices of the audience

Chiasmus

A crossing parallelism where the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order. Instead of an A,B structure (e.g., "learned unwillingly") paralleled by another A,B structure ("forgotten gladly"), the A,B will be followed by B,A ("gladly forgotten"). So instead of writing "What is learned unwillingly is forgotten gladly," you could write, "What is learned unwillingly is gladly forgotten." Similarly, the parallel sentence, "What is now great was at first little," could be written chiastically as, "What is now great was little at first."

Apostrophe

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 may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, "Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee." Another example is Keats' "Ode to a Grecian Urn," in which Keats addresses the urn itself: "Thou still unravished bride of quietness."

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

Aphorism

A terse statement of known 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.)

Ambiguity

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

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not 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.

Colloquial/Colloquialism

The use of slang or in-formalities in speech or writing.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Claim of Policy

a claim asserting that specific courses of action should be instituted as solutions to problems

Claim of Value

a claim that asserts some things are more or less desirable than others

Claim of Fact

a claim that asserts something exists, has existed, or will exist, based on data that the audience will accept as objectively verifiable

Argument

a process of reasoning and advancing proof about issues on which conflicting views may be held; also, a statement or statements providing support for a claim

Cause and Effect

reasoning that assumes one event or condition can bring about another

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences or neighboring clauses

Backing

the assurances upon which a warrant or assumption is based

Claim

the conclusion of an argument; what the arguer is trying to prove

Antithesis

the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.

Antimetabole

the repetition of words in successive clauses, but transposed in grammatical order; similar to chiasmus although chiasmus doesn't use the repetition of the same words or phrases. Ex: "Ask not what your country can do for you; as what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy (The function is to intensify the final formulation, to present alternatives, or to show contrasts; add rhythm.)

Audience

those who will hear an argument; more generally, those to whom a communication is addressed