AP Lang Rhetorical and Literary Terms Part 5 Flashcards
Red herring
When a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue
Refutation
When a writer demonstrates the falsehood of opposing arguments using valid backing
Repetition
A word or phrase used two r more times in close proximity
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication
Satire
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human nature or behavior by portraying it in an extreme way
Sarcasm
A type of verbal irony which usually expresses the opposite of a word’s dictionary definition (denotation). Sarcasm is intentionally harsh, critical, sneering, or cutting
Simile
A comparison of two unlike things using like or as
Style
The choices in diction, appeals, figurative language, tone, and syntax that a writer makes. Style tends to be unique to specific writers. For example, Golding and Shakespeare have two completely different styles of writing
Symbol
A concrete object, event, or person that represents a (usually larger) abstract idea
Theme
The central idea in a work of fiction or nonfiction
Tone
The writer’s attitude about a topic revealed in his or her text through diction, figurative language, and organization
Unity
An effect achieved by having all parts of a work relate to one central idea or organizing principle
Verbal irony
Language where the expressed idea is the opposite of the dictionary meaning. Sarcasm in the form of verbal irony, but unlike sarcasm,s, verbal irony can be employed to convey other effects (humor, for example)
