Rhetorical Devices

Alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds

Allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text

Anaphora

a rhetorical device that features repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences, phrases, or clauses

Antimetabole

derived from a Greek word which means "turning about." It is a literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order

Assonance

the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences

Asyndeton

a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases, and in the sentence, yet maintain grammatical accuracy

Consonance

repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. This repetition often takes place in quick succession

Diction

style of speaking or writing, determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer; word choice

Epistrophe

the repetition of phrases or words at the ends of the clauses or sentences (sometimes referred to as epiphora)

Epithet

adjective or phrase that is used to express a characteristic of a person or thing, such as Ivan the Terrible.

Imagery (Sensory Details)

language used by poets, novelists and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader (using the five senses)

Metaphor

a common figure of speech that makes a comparison by directly relating one thing to another unrelated thing. Unlike similes, metaphors do not use words such as "like" or "as" to make comparisons

Mood

The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader.

Paradox

a statement that appears at first to be contradictory, but upon reflection then makes sense.

Parallelism

also known as parallel structure, is when phrases in a sentence have similar or the same grammatical structure.

Polysyndeton

the repeated use of coordinating conjunctions to connect different items in a sentence.

Rhetorical question

a question that is not asked in order to receive an answer from the audience or reader. It's just posed to make a point.

Simile

a figure of speech that directly compares two things using "like", "as", or "than"

Symbolism

a literary device that refers to the use of symbols in a literary work.

Ambiguity

a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning

Anadiplosis

repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause

Anthimeria

substitution of one part of speech for another

Aphorism

a brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life

Cliché

a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because of overuse

Conceit

a figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors

Connotation

refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly (words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations)

Denotation

generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings

Euphemism

a polite or mild word or expression used to refer to something embarrassing, taboo, or unpleasant

Hyperbole

the use of obvious and deliberate exaggeration (often extravagant and not meant to be taken literally)

Invective

insulting or abusive language used to express blame or severe disapproval (can take the form of a single word or expression, or be an entire discourse aimed at offending or hurting someone else)

Juxtaposition

to place two concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other so that the reader will compare and contrast them

Litotes

a figure of speech in which a negative statement is used to affirm a positive sentiment

Malapropism

an incorrect word used accidentally in place of another word with a similar sound (can be humorous because they give rise to nonsensical statements)

Metonymy

a figure of speech in which something is called by a new name that is related in meaning to the original thing or concept

Periphrasis

a stylistic device that can be defined as the use of excessive and longer words to convey a meaning which could have been conveyed with a shorter expression or in a few words

Polyptoton

a stylistic device that is a rhetorical repetition of the same root word, however, each time the word is repeated in a different way

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole

Synesthesia

a concomitant sensation, a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated

Understatement

a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is

Tone

the attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work's central theme or subject; the tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on.