AP English Language and Composition Rhetorical Devices Review

Oxymoron

A contradiction in terms, used for effect, complexity, emphasis, or wit. Example cheerful pessimist, sad joy, wise fool, tender cruelty.

Rhetorical question

A question posed but not answered by the writer, because its answer is obvious. Example Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind?

Antimetabole

A reversal in the order of repeated words or phrases, AB-BA, used to provide an intense conclusion, present alternatives, or show a contrast. Example I do not think he did it for love's sake, but for love's sake, he did it.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Example My mother's screams were heard in the next town after she saw my grades.

Apostrophe

Directly addressing a personified thing, person, or spirit, either present or absent. Example O all you angels in heaven! O Earth! What else can I swear by?

Antithesis

Establishes contrasting ideas or relationships between two elements by either joining them together or by placing them one against the other, most often in parallel structure. Example That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

Simile

Figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as". Example "The wood duck flew away. I caught only a glimpse of something like a bright torpedo that blasted the leaves where it flew." ― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Effect By comparing the wood duck to a "bright torpedo," Dillard illustrates the duck's dynamic colors and agility in very few words.

Metaphor

Figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using any comparison words. Example "I was still ringing. I had been my whole life a bell and never knew it until at that moment I was lifted and struck." ― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Effect Dillard's unexpected comparison of herself to a bell compels the reader to reflect on a bell's qualities and purpose. A bell is a signal. It is a call to action. It is a reminder. It is clear. It is musical. It resonates. It vibrates. It is recognized universally. Thus, Dillard says she is all of these things through the use of one metaphor. Example There are black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you.

Diction

It can be used, although it is not the strongest rhetorical device. You must put a descriptive word in front. You should take into account: Denotation Denotation is the specific and literal meaning of a word, as found in the dictionary. For example, a weasel is defined as a small, slender, carnivorous mammal. Connotation Connotation is the emotional association a word implies. Its suggested meaning is based on the social, cultural, and personal experiences of individuals. As a result, a word can elicit a positive, negative, or neutral feeling. For example, in addition to the neutral denotative meaning of the word "weasel," it can connotatively refer to deceit, cheating, and trickery. The connotation of "weasel" is pretty unflattering. Context In order to understand a word's meaning, you must take the context—or situation—into consideration. For example, let's say your sister calls you a weasel. The connotation is different depending on whether it's Halloween and you're actually wearing a weasel costume, or if you just tricked your sister into doing your chores for a month. Example "Fair was this yonge wyf, and ther-with-al [actually]As any wesele hir body gent and small" ― Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales Effect Alisoun, a main character in The Miller's Tale, is compared to a weasel early in the story to describe her slender figure. However, since "weasel" also has a negative connotation, the comparison foreshadows an unbecoming aspect of Alisoun's character. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear to the reader that Alisoun has a deceptive and voracious nature. Talk about using diction purposefully.

Why is it important to not only identify the rhetorical device?

It is crucial to be able to identify rhetorical devices in writing. However, what's more important is being able to explain the author's rhetorical strategy. When you are asked to analyze the rhetorical strategies in a passage, you are really being asked to analyze anything the writer is doing deliberately with the intention of producing a specific and desired effect on the reader—whether it has a name, like allusion or rhetorical question, or not. The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself one simple question: So what? For example, when you come across a metaphor in a text, strive to answer "So what?" This will ensure that you actually analyze the metaphor's purpose and effect rather than simply identifying its occurrence.

Syntax

It is sentence structure. It deals with the order of words in a sentence, the punctuation used, the sentence length, and the relationship of words and sentences to each other. It sounds pretty dull, but syntax can affect pace, meaning, tone, and mood, so writers spend a great deal of time revising their work to make sure their syntax achieves the desired effect on the reader. Short, direct sentences Example "A book of fiction was a bomb. It was a land mine you wanted to go off. You wanted it to blow your whole day." ― Annie Dillard, An American Childhood Effect Short, choppy sentences speed up the pacing and can suggest urgency, anger, excitement, fear, suspense, etc. Here, Dillard's short sentences show her eagerness to read and create a sense of anticipation in the reader. Long, flowing sentences with a variety of punctuation Example "If in that snowy backyard the driver of the black Buick had cut off our heads, Mikey's and mine, I would have died happy, for nothing has required so much of me since as being chased all over Pittsburgh in the middle of winter—running terrified, exhausted—by this sainted, skinny, furious redheaded man who wished to have a word with us." ― Annie Dillard, An American Childhood Effect Long sentences slow down the pace and can suggest relaxation, calmness, nostalgia, thoughtfulness, contemplation, etc. Dillard uses a long sentence to mimic the exhilaration and exhaustion of the chase.

Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. Example Let us go running in the forest, frolicking among the leaves, rolling in the fallen moss that weepingly hangs from the giant trees.

Allusion

Reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea of historical, cultural, political, religious, or literary significance Example "At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting the prairies on fire was a well-known signal that meant, 'Come down to the water.' It was an extravagant gesture, but we can't do less." ― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Effect With the allusion to Lewis and Clark, Dillard connects the text to the reader's perception of time, exploration, nature, and adventure. PS—If you read the allusion to Lewis and Clark and thought Who are they?, do some research. You always want to look up unknown references, so you don't miss an important connection. Example Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sound. Example "The secret of seeing is to sail on solar wind." ― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Effect Alliteration focuses the reader's attention on a particular section of text by punctuating a sound and creating a rhythm.

Personification

Representing an animal, idea, or inanimate object as having human qualities. Example They (the buzzards) wanted to begin, but the Parson wasn't there, so a messenger was sent to a ruler in a tree where he sat.

Imagery

Sensory details that evoke any or all of the five senses Example "Mountains kept their cool caves, and squirrels raced home to their nests through sunlight and shade. I remembered the ocean, and I seemed to be in the ocean myself, swimming over orange crabs that looked like coral, or off the deep Atlantic banks where whitefish school. Or again I saw the tops of poplars, and the whole sky brushed with clouds in pallid streaks, under which wild ducks flew, and called, one by one, and flew on." ― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Effect Dillard appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch to allow the reader to feel her experiences and/or observations.

Parallelism

The repeating of phrases or sentences that are similar (parallel) in meaning and structure. Example We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.

Anaphora

The repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Example I will fight injustice in the cities. I will fight injustices in the country. I will oppose it on the farm. I will oppose it in the office.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words whose pronunciation imitates the sound the word describes. Example Buzz - intended to sound like the sound of a flying insect. Others: slam, pow, screech, crunch, crush, sizzle.