Rhetorical Devices

accumulation

a list of words or ideas which embody similar abstract/physical qualities or meanings. These words or ideas are listed together to emphasize and build meaning because of the qualities these words share.

colloquialism

an informal expression that is more often used in casual conversation than in formal speech or writing

exigence

an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to write or speak

antithesis

a rhetorical term for the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses

analogy

a comparison between ideas or things that are quite different from one another. The goal is to explain/give meaning to a more complex idea or thing by comparing it to something familiar

exemplification

a pattern of essay development that uses specific instances (examples) to clarify a general point in order to add interest or to persuade

logos

an appeal to logic; a way of persuading an audience with reason, using facts and figures

tricolon

A series of three words, phrases or sentences that are parallel in structure, length and/or rhythm.

rhetoric

the art of persuasive speaking or writing, especially through the use of argument, figures of speech, and other compositional techniques

enumeratio

a rhetorical term for the listing of details

kairos

the rhetorically correct time to say or do a particular thing depending on the context (recognizing a rhetorical need/gap and filling it)

ethos

the rhetoric that gives an author or speaker credibility as a reputable source of information

pathos

an appeal to emotion; a way of convincing the audience of an argument by creating an emotional response

anecdote

a short (or narrative) of an interesting or amusing incident, often intended to illustrate or support some point (type of logos)

epizeuxis

a rhetorical device in which the word(s) or phrase(s) are repeated in quick succession for emphasis

persona

"Mask"; the face, role, or character that a speaker shows to his or her audiences

pun

a play on words in which a homophone is repeated but used in a different sense

allusion

a brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work- real or fictional

polysyndeton

a technique in which conjunctions (e.g. and, but, or) are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed

asyndeton

a technique in which conjunctions are omitted between a series of words, phrases, or clauses

litotes

an ironic understatement that expresses a positive sentence using its negative form in order to emphasize an idea or situation, rather than minimizing its importance

sententia/aphorism

a pithy observation that contains a general truth

metonymy

when a word that is associated with/related to something is used to refer to that thing

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which the word for a part of something is used to refer to the thing itself, or less commonly, the word for a thing itself is used to refer to part of that thing

juxtaposition

a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts

appositive

a noun or noun phrase that follows, defines, and provides information about another noun or noun phrase

hypophora

a figure of speech in which the speaker poses a rhetorical question and then answers the question

zeugma

a figure of speech in which a verb or adjective applies to more than one noun and blends together different ideas

antonomasia

a kind of metonymy in which an epithet or phrase takes the place of a proper name

syn(a)estheia

a device where one sense is described in terms of another (often as a simile)

anadiplosis

repeats the last word of one phrase, clause, or sentence at or very near the beginning of the next. It can be generated in series for the sake of beauty or to give a sense of logical progression

caveat

a warning or caution of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations

apostrophe

when a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn't present

personification

the attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman

fallacy

a failure in reasoning that renders an argument invalid

allegory

the rhetorical strategy of extending a metaphor through an entire narrative so that objects, persons, and actions in the text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text

chiasmas

a rhetorical term in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order and in the same or a modified form

epistrophe

the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences

pleonasm

the use of redundant words within a phrase to emphasize an idea

retrospection

review of contemplation of past events or situations, especially in one's own life

satire

a work that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to reveal a critical attitude toward a person, group, or institution. It specifically targets human vices, follies, and social conventions. If it's good it usually has three layers: serious on the surface, humorous when you discover that it is it instead of reality, and serious when you discern the underlying point of the author

parallelism

a device in which grammatically, structurally, aurally, or semantically similar components are used throughout a structure or passage to create balance

footnote/endnote

the use of superscript numbers in the document that correspond to supplemental information

aposiopesis

a figure of speech in which the speaker writes or breaks off abruptly and leaves the statement incomplete because he/she is overcome with emotion

antanaclasis

a rhetorical device in which a phrase or word is repeatedly used, though the meaning of the word changes in each case

alliteration

repetition of the same sound at the beginning of successive words; effect: to increase memory retention, add emphasis, and/or create a rhythm

euphemism

an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or harsh

oxymoron

contradiction; two contradictory terms or ideas used together

onomatopoeia

refers to the use of words whose sound reinforces their meaning