AP Language and Composition
Rhetorical Terms #9
1. Abstract- concepts rather than images
2. Ad Hominem- attack on the person rather than their argument
3. Allegory- symbolic level of a writing
4. Alliteration- repetition of the initial consonant
5. Allusion- reference contained in a writing
6. Analogy- device employed to serve as a basis for comparison
7. Anecdote- a brief story/episode told by a writer to make a point
8. Antithesis- two contrasting images; the extreme
9. Argument- the reasonable exchange of ideas with the intent of persuasion
10. Balance- parts, sentences, paragraphs, points are presented in an equal format/structure
11. Cacophony- harsh or discordant sounds/attitude in a writing
12. Colloquial- informal, slang, used in writing
13. Comic Relief- humorous character or comment made to contrast tragic elements in a writing
14. Connective Tissue- elements that create coherence in writing such as: transitions, sentence
sequence, tense consistency, voice consistency
15. Connotation- associated meanings rather than literal
16. Deduction- moving from a general rule to a specific example
17. Denotation- literal or dictionary meaning of a word
18. Dialect- spoken language specific to a region
19. Didactic- purpose is to instruct or teach
20. Discourse- Discussion of a specific topic