Rhetoricallll devicesss 2

Alliteration

Repetition of the same beginning sound in nearby words. Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, event, or work. Example: “He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”

Anadiplosis

Repeating the last word of one clause at the start of the next. Example: “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.”

Antithesis

Opposite ideas placed together for contrast. Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions for speed or intensity. Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Colloquialism

Informal or everyday language. Example: “Ain’t no way I’m doing that.”

Connotation

Emotional or cultural meaning of a word. Example: “Home” suggests warmth and comfort.

Denotation

Literal dictionary definition of a word. Example: “Home” means a place where one lives.

Diction

The author’s word choice shaping tone and meaning. Example: Using “commend” instead of “praise.”

Distinctio

When a writer defines or clarifies a word to prevent confusion. Example: “By ‘freedom,’ I mean the ability to act without restraint.”

Euphemism

A polite way to say something unpleasant. Example: “Passed away” instead of “died.”

Ethos

Appeal to credibility or character. Example: “As a doctor, I can assure you this treatment works.”

Exigence

The situation or reason that prompts someone to speak or write. Example: MLK’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” responding to criticism.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect. Example: “I’ve told you a million times!”

Hypophora

A question followed by the speaker’s own answer. Example: “What makes this product the best? It’s faster and cheaper.”

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to the senses. Example: “The golden sun melted into the horizon.”

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality. Example: A fire station burns down.

Logos

Appeal to logic and reason. Example: “Studies show this method improves results by 50%.”

Parallelism

Repetition of grammatical structure for rhythm and balance. Example: “Easy come, easy go.”

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth. Example: “Less is more.”

Pathos

Appeal to emotion. Example: “Think of the children who will suffer.”

Polysyndeton

Using many conjunctions to slow the rhythm. Example: “He ran and jumped and laughed and cried.”

Prose

Ordinary written or spoken language (not poetry). Example: Novels, essays, and short stories are prose.

Rhetor

The speaker or writer who uses rhetoric to persuade. Example: MLK Jr. is the rhetor in “I Have a Dream.”

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not to get an answer. Example: “Who doesn’t want success?”

Satire

Using humor or irony to criticize human flaws or society. Example: Animal Farm satirizes political corruption.

Symbolism

Using objects or actions to represent bigger ideas. Example: A dove represents peace.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences. Example: “I cannot go out” vs. “Go out, I cannot.”

Thesis

The main argument or claim of a text. Example: “Social media harms real-world communication.”

Tone

The writer’s attitude toward the subject. Example: Baldwin’s serious and reflective tone about language.

anaphora

the use of a word referring to or replacing a word used earlier in a sentence, to avoid repetition

Example I have a dream that one day.. i have a dream of my fourteen children … i have a dream today

Epistrophe

the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences. example see no evil hear no evil