Stylistic and
Rhetorical
devices in AP
Language and
Composition
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Colloquialism
• The use of slang or
informalities in speech or
writing. Not generally
acceptable for formal
writing, colloquialisms give a
work a conversational,
familiar tone. Colloquial
expressions in writing
include local or regional
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dialects.
Antithesis
• Using a contrast in language to bring
out a contrast in ideas.
• Antithesis can be built by contrasting any
of the different parts of a statement. You
can use two opposing words or ideas, or
even have two whole sentences oppose
each other.
• “That’s one small step for [a] man, one
giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
• “I speak not from ignorance, but from
experience.”
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Read the following famous quotes and
determine which specific words and phrases
are being contrasted by ANTITHESIS.
• “I came to bury Caesar, not to praise
him.” (Marc Antony, Julius Caesar by
Shakespeare)
• “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
(Alexander Pope, English poet)
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Distinctio
• Elaborating on the definition of a
word to make sure there is no
misunderstanding. (Use sparingly!)
• “Communism, by which I mean the socialist
communalism which comes after the
centralized state, has yet to be tried
anywhere in the world.”
• “At this point, we have a short time left – a
short time being less than fifty years.”
• “Is the software easy to use (can my 90year old grandmother learn it) or difficult
(do I need a degree in computer science)?”
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Diction
• Related to style, diction refers to the
writer's word choices, especially with
regard to their correctness, clearness,
or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you
should be able to describe an author's
diction (for example, formal or informal,
ornate or plain) and understand the
ways in which diction can complement
the author's purpose.
• Diction, combined with syntax,
figurative language, literary devices,
etc., creates an author's style.
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Rhetor
• The speaker who uses
elements of rhetoric
effectively in oral or
written language.
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Irony
• The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is
really meant. The difference between what appears to be
and what actually is true. In general, there are three major
types of irony used in language;
(1)Verbal Irony
(2)Situational Irony
(3)Dramatic Irony
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Paradox
• A statement that appears to be selfcontradictory or opposed to common sense
but upon closer inspection contains some
degree of truth or validity.
• Macbeth. “Fair is foul and foul is fair”
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Prose
• One of the major divisions of genre, prose
refers to fiction and nonfiction, including
all its forms . In prose the printer
determines the length of the line; in
poetry, the poet determines the length of
the line.
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Satire
• A work that targets human vices and follies or
social institutions and conventions for reform or
ridicule. Regardless of whether or not the work
aims to reform human behavior, satire is best seen
as a style of writing rather than a purpose for
writing. It can be recognized by the many devices
used effectively by the satirist: irony, wit,
parody, caricature, hyperbole,
understatement, and sarcasm. The effects of
satire are varied, depending on the writer's goal,
but good satire, often humorous, is thought
provoking and insightful about the human
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Symbol/Symbolism
• Generally, anything that represents itself
and stands for something else. Usually a
symbol is something concrete--such as an
object, action, character, or scene--that
represents something more abstract.
However, symbols and symbolism can be
much more complex.
• On the AP exam, try to determine what
abstraction an object is a symbol for and
to what extent it is successful in
representing that abstraction.
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Tone
• Similar to mood, tone describes the
author's attitude toward his material,
the audience, or both. Tone is easier to
determine in spoken language than in
written language. Considering how a work
would sound if it were read aloud can help
in identifying an author's tone. Some words
describing tone are playful, serious,
businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, ornate,
sardonic, and somber.
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Rhetorical Question : a question in
which the answer is implied.
• Shouldn’t you use the rhetorical
question sparingly?
• Don’t you want to know how to use
rhetorical devices well?
• “For what can war but endless war
breed?”
• “How can we expect a man to give
more than we ourselves are willing to
give?”
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Rhetorical Question
• Why use this technique? To highlight
a piece of information your readers
probably already know; to make
your writing more engaging.
• Who can think of another
example of a rhetorical question
from your own experiences or
from something you saw or read?
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Anadiplosis
• The repetition of the last
word of one clause at the
beginning of the following
clause.
• “Fear leads to anger;
anger leads to hate; hate
leads to suffering.” Yoda
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Syntax
• The way an author chooses to join words into
phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is
similar to diction, but you can differentiate
them by thinking of syntax as the groups of
words, while diction refers to the individual
words.
• In the multiple-choice section of the exam, expect to
be asked some questions about how an author
manipulates syntax. In the essay section, you will
need to analyze how syntax produces effects.
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Parallelism
• Using the same general structure for multiple parts of a
sentence, or for multiple sentences, in order to link them all
This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a
grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal
phrase.
• A famous example of parallelism begins Charles Dickens's
novel A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the
worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity .
. . ."
• The effects of parallelism are numerous, but frequently they act as
an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis
and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm.
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• “To communicate is to speak, to pause, and to listen.”
• "They are laughing at me, not with me."
(Bart Simpson, The Simpsons)
• "I don’t want to live on in my work. I want to live on in
my apartment."
(Woody Allen)
• "Live in your world, play in ours."
(advertising slogan for Sony PlayStation 2)
• "Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal."
(T.S. Eliot)
• “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of
blessing; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal
sharing of miseries.”
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Hyperbole
• Exaggerating some part of a
statement to give it emphasis or force.
• “There are more reasons for NASA to fund
a trip to Jupiter than there are miles in the
journey.”
• “Compared to the world during the last Ice
Age, a Minnesota winter feels like spring in
Hawaii.”
• “At these words, the people became so
silent you could hear a beating heart from
across the
Free room.”
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Hyperbole
• A figure of speech using
deliberate exaggeration or
overstatement. Hyperboles often
have a comic effect; however, a
serious effect is also possible.
Often, hyperbole produces irony.
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Connotation/Denotation
• connotation -- The nonliteral,
associative meaning of a word; the
implied, suggested meaning.
Connotations may involve ideas,
emotions, or attitudes.
• denotation -- The strict, literal,
dictionary definition of a word,
devoid of any emotion, attitude, or
color.
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Hypophora
(hye PAH fuh ruh):
• Asking a question, then
proceeding to answer it
• “How do we know this is true?
We have observed it in the lab.”
• “What then of the future? Let
come what may, and we shall
meet it without fear.” (JFK)
• “Do we then submit to our
oppressor? No. No. A thousand
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timesFree
no.”
(Winston Churchill)Page 23
Euphemism
• From the Greek for "good speech,"
euphemisms are a more agreeable or
less offensive substitute for a
generally unpleasant word or
concept. The euphemism may be
used to adhere to standards of social
or political correctness or to add
humor or ironic understatement.
Saying "earthly remains" rather than
"corpse" is an example of euphemism.
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Other Stylistic Devices…
Fig. Language Devices:
• Imagery
• Personification
• Foreshadowing
• Repetition
• Symbolism
The Big Stylistic Devices to evaluate within The
Grapes of Wrath:
• Tone, Diction, Syntax, Point of View
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