Rhetoric Test Study Guide: Rhetorical Devices & Purpsoe + Tone

What is a Rhetorical Device?

Effective tools that a speaker incorporated to make words more impactful to an audience

Device vs Appeal

Appeal: start of an audience's reaction, creatred through devices and choices, choices build appeal

Choices

Devices, structure, tone, etc

Alliteration

Repetition of the initial consonant sounds beginning several words in a sequence

Allusion

Short, informal reference to a famous person or event

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines

Anecdote

Short narrative detailing particular of an interesting episode or event; incident in the life of a person; used to provide a concrete example or to humanize an abstract concept

Antithesis

Opposition/contrast of ideas/words in a balanced/parallel construction

Apostrophe

Turn from general audience to address a specific group/person or personified abstraction absent or present

Colloquialism

Use of slang/informalities in speech/writing; gives work conversational, familiar tone

Diction

Writer's word choices, w/ regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness

Epistrophe

Repetition of same word/phrase at the end of successive clauses

Euphemism

Substitution of an agreeable/non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis/for rhetorical effect

Imagery

Visual symbolism/figurative language that evokes a mental image/other kinds of sense impressions

(Verbal) Irony

Expression of something in contrary to the intended meaning; say one thing but mean another

Metaphor

Implied comparison achieved through figurative use of words; the word is used not in its literal sense, but in one analogous to it

Oxymoron

Apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another

Paradox

An assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but that may yet have some truth in it

Parallelism

Grammatical/rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity

Repetition

Duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern

Similie

An explicit comparison between two things using 'like' or 'as'

Syntax

Way author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences

To inform

To give information about a subject

To persuade

To convince the reader to agree with the author's point of view on a subject

To entertain

To amuse and delight; to appeal to the reader's senses and imagination

Tone

Author's attitude towards a subject

How is tone expressed?

Through the words/details the writer selects

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