Pathos - AP® English Definition

Pathos is an Aristotelian appeal that means persuading the audience by appealing to their emotions. In AP English, students learn that pathos helps create a strong emotional connection between the writer and the reader.

Writers use pathos to make their audience feel sympathy, anger, joy, or fear. This emotional response can make arguments more powerful and memorable. In rhetorical analysis, recognising pathos helps students understand how language affects the reader's feelings and supports the writer’s purpose.

Example of pathos in an AP English text

In 'Letter from Birmingham Jail', Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos when he describes the pain of explaining racism to his young daughter:

“When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering... because she wants to go to the public amusement park...”

This emotional example appeals to the reader’s sense of compassion and highlights the human cost of injustice.