Rhetorical choices

Syntax

the deliberate arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence to create meaning and achieve a specific rhetorical effect.

Anastrophe

a rhetorical device that involves altering the normal word order of a sentence to create emphasis or a particular stylistic effect

Asyndeton

a rhetorical device that achieves emphasis and a sense of urgency by omitting conjunctions (like "and," "but," or "or") between words, phrases, or clauses in a series

Chiasmus

a rhetorical device where words, clauses, or concepts are presented in a balanced, inverted order, following an A-B-B-A pattern

Caesura

a pause or break within a line of poetry, often indicated by punctuation or natural speech patterns, that creates a distinct rhythm and can be used to add emphasis or emotional depth to a line

Interior monologue

a literary device where a character's inner thoughts, feelings, and associations are directly presented to the reader, often in the form of coherent sentences, to provide insight into their mind without a narrator's intervention

Parallelism

a rhetorical device that uses similar grammatical structures to emphasize a relationship between ideas, create rhythm, enhance clarity, and add balance or contrast to writing.

Parenthesis

refers to the rhetorical device and punctuation mark () used to insert an "aside" or supplementary information into the main flow of a sentence, often for clarification, background, or minor details

Polysyndeton

the rhetorical device that uses repeated conjunctions (like and, or, nor) in close succession to create emphasis, slow the pace, build rhythm, or create a sense of overwhelming abundance or gravity.

Rhetorical question

a question asked for effect rather than to elicit an answer, used to emphasize a point, provoke thought, or create an emotional response

stream of consciousness

a literary technique that mimics the free-flowing, often disorganized, and nonlinear nature of a character's thoughts, rather than presenting them in a structured, logical way

Syntactic fluency

the writer's ability to use a variety of sentence structures and lengths to create a smooth, clear, and effective flow of language in their writing

Syntactic permutation

refers to the use of highly complex, involved, or unusual sentence structures.

Dicton

an author's specific word choice, which reveals their style, purpose, and attitude, creating a particular tone or effect on the audience

Cacophony

the use of harsh, discordant, and jarring sounds in language to create a sense of disorder, violence, or tension

Colloquialism

the use of informal, everyday language and phrases characteristic of casual conversation or a specific region, dialect, or time period

Connotations

the non-literal, implied meaning of a word, encompassing the emotional, cultural, or subjective associations a word carries beyond its dictionary definition

Denotations

a word's strict, literal, dictionary definition, devoid of any emotional or cultural baggage

Epigraph

a short quotation or literary excerpt placed at the beginning of a literary work, essay, chapter, or section to set the tone, introduce a central theme, or provide context and a thematic framework for the text that follows

Eulogy

a speech or piece of writing that offers praise for a person, often a deceased person, though it can also be used for someone who has recently retired or for celebratory occasions

Jargon

the specialized language or terminology used by a particular profession, group, or academic field that is often not understood by those outside that group

Invective

harsh, abusive, or venomous language used to express blame, censure, or bitter ill will towards someone or something

Mood

the prevailing atmosphere or the emotions a literary work evokes in the reader

Pedantic

a person or style of writing characterized by an overly concerned focus on minor details, academic rules, or formalisms to the detriment of the larger meaning or purpose of the discourse

Point of view

the narrator's perspective from which a story or text is told, shaping the audience's understanding and interpretation by influencing what information is revealed and what is concealed

Regionalism

a literary and cultural movement that focuses on depicting the customs, dialect, characters, and other unique features of a specific geographic region to create a realistic and distinct portrayal of American life

Voice

the distinctive way an author expresses their unique personality and perspective through their writing, encompassing their attitude, opinions, and background

Figurative Language

writing or speech that deviates from the literal meaning of words to create a vivid, imaginative, or emphatic effect, often through figures of speech like metaphors, similes, and hyperbole

Allusion

a brief, indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art, literature, or culture that the author assumes the audience will recognize and understand

Anecdote

a short, personal, and engaging story about an interesting or humorous incident used to illustrate a point or support a persuasive argument

Anthimeria

rhetorical device in which a word from one part of speech is used as another, most commonly a noun used as a verb.

Aphorism

a short, memorable statement of a general truth or a moral principle, often expressed with wit, and typically attributed to a known author

Apostrophe (not punctuation)

a figure of speech where the speaker directly addresses an absent, deceased, or imaginary person, or a personified abstract concept like liberty or love

Foreshadowing

a literary device where an author uses hints, clues, or subtle indications to suggest events that will occur later in the story

Epithet

a descriptive adjective or phrase that accompanies or is used in place of a person's or thing's name

Euphemism

a milder, more indirect, or less offensive word or phrase used to substitute for one that is considered harsh, impolite, or unpleasant

Hyperbole

a rhetorical device that uses extreme, deliberate exaggeration for emphasis, to create humor, or to express a strong emotion

Irony (dramatic, situational and verbal)

irony involves a discrepancy between expectation and reality or between words and their intended meaning

Litotes

a figure of speech that uses an understatement by negating the opposite of a word or phrase to express a positive idea, often for ironic, humorous, or modest effect

Metonymy

a figure of speech that substitutes the name of one thing for the name of another closely associated thing

Parable

a short, relatable story using human characters and familiar events to illustrate a moral, spiritual, or ethical lesson

Personification

a literary device that gives human qualities, actions, emotions, or characteristics to non-human things, such as inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas

Onomatopoeia

a figure of speech where a word is formed to imitate the sound it represents, effectively creating a "sound effect" word

Symbolism

the literary device where a person, object, event, or idea stands for something else, usually an abstract concept like a theme, emotion, or value

Synecdoche

a figure of speech where a part represents the whole, or the whole represents a part

Understatement

a figure of speech where a writer or speaker deliberately presents something as less important, serious, or intense than it actually is, often for ironic or humorous effect

Zeugma

a figure of speech where a single word (often a verb or adjective) governs or modifies two or more other words in a sentence, but applies to them in different, often surprising or witty, ways

Allegora

a rhetorical device where a story, poem, or picture uses characters, settings, and events to symbolize abstract ideas or qualities, conveying a deeper, often moral or political, meaning beyond its literal narrative

Analogy

an extended comparison between two different things—one complex and unfamiliar, the other more simple and familiar—to explain, clarify, or persuade the audience by highlighting their shared characteristics

Antithesis

the rhetorical strategy of placing two contrasting ideas in a parallel structure for emphasis and balance

Conceit

an elaborate or extended metaphor comparing two seemingly dissimilar or unlikely things, often to create surprise, delight, or deeper intellectual meaning

Extended Metaphor

a metaphor that is developed at length, spanning multiple sentences, paragraphs, or even an entire literary work, rather than being a single, brief statement

Juxtaposition

a rhetorical device that involves placing two contrasting or different elements (like ideas, words, objects, or characters) side-by-side to highlight their differences, create emphasis, or evoke a specific effect

Metaphor

a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by stating that one is the other, without using "like" or "as"

Oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines two contradictory or opposite terms to create a unique, often thought-provoking, expression

Paradox

a statement or idea that appears contradictory, absurd, or illogical on the surface but is actually well-founded or true upon deeper inspection, often revealing a complex truth or greater meaning

Simile

a type of figurative language that creates a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as" to highlight a shared quality

syllogism

a form of deductive reasoning that presents a logical argument using a three-part structure: a general statement (major premise), a specific statement that relates to the major premise (minor premise), and a conclusion that necessarily follows from the two premises

Repetition/imitation

rhetorical device of repeating words, phrases, or ideas for emphasis and rhythm

practice of learning by deliberately mimicking another writer's style or structure

Alliteration

a rhetorical device referring to the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in two or more neighboring words

Anaphora

a rhetorical device that involves the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines

Anadiplosis

a rhetorical device that involves repeating the last word of one clause or phrase at the beginning of the next, creating a chain effect to build emphasis, rhythm, and coherence

Assonance

the repetition of similar or identical vowel sounds in nearby words to create a musical quality, enhance mood, and emphasize key ideas within a text

Consonance

repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in a phrase or sentence

Epistrophe

a rhetorical device characterized by the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses, sentences, or verses, creating emphasis and a strong rhythmic effect

Lampoon

sharp, often virulent satire that attacks and ridicules a specific individual, institution, or group

Motif

a recurring image, idea, object, or action that appears throughout a work to help develop and emphasize the main theme or mood of the piece

Parody

a form of imitation that mimics the style and characteristics of a serious work or author to create a comic effect, often for the purpose of criticism or commentary

polyptoton

repeating a root word in different forms or parts of speech within a single sentence or passage

Satire

that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize human vice, foolishness, or corruption with the intent of inspiring reform.