Rhetorical Devices/Choices

Allusion

Definition: A brief reference to a well-known person, event, place, or work of art

Common Function: enhances credibility by connecting the argument to authoritative sources or cultural knowledge

Example: “This new law is just another step toward Orwell’s 1984.”

Anaphora

Definition: Repetition of a work or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences

Common Function: Emphasizes key ideas or themes, building momentum

Example: “We will fight for justice, we will fight for freedom, we will fight for equality.”

Antithesis

Definition: Juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas in parallel structure

Common Function: highlights differences, emphasizing conflict or contradiction

Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Anecdote

Definition: A short, personal story used to illustrate a point

Common Function: Humanizes the argument and encages the audience emotionally, can enhances a speaker’s credibility

Example: “When I was in high school, I struggled with math, but with persistence, I excelled.”

Asyndeton

Definition: Omission of conjunction between phrases or clauses

Common Function: Creates a sense of urgency or drama by speeding up the sentence

Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Chiasmus

Definition: A reversal of structure in successive clauses

Common Function: Highlights relationships and draws attention to central ideas

Example: “Ask not what your country can do you for - ask what you can do for your country.”

Exclusive Language

Definition: Language that may unintentionally exclude or marginalize specific groups due to biases, stereotypes, or assumptions

Common Function: Can create division or alienation in the audience, can be used to illustrate an “us vs them” mentality

Example: “They didn’t want you to know the truth.”

Hyperbole

Definition: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect

Common Function: Highlights importance, absurdity, or evokes strong emotions

Example: “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room.”

Imagery

Definition: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses

Common Function: Creates vivid mental images to engage the reader’s imagination

Example: “The crisp autumn air swirled with the scent of wood smoke and falling leaves.”

Inclusive Language

Definition: Language that avoids exclusions and respects all individuals, including variations in gender, race, disability, and more

Common Function: Creates a more welcoming and inclusive message, creates a sense of unity

Example: “Humankind” instead of “mankind”, “we” instead of “us”

Irony

Definition: A contrast between expectation and reality

Common Function: Highlights absurdity or contradiction, often humourous or critical

Example: “The fire station burned down yesterday.”

Juxtaposition

Definition: Placement of two contrasting elements side by side

Common Function: Forces comparison, deepening understanding of both elements

Example: “The bright, cheerful playground stood in stark contrast to the dark, looming factory behind it.”

Metaphor

Definition: A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as”

Common Function: Clarifies complex ideas by comparing them to something more familiar

Example: “Time is a thief that steals out moments of joy.”

Oxymoron

Definition: A combination of two contrasting words

Common Function: Creates paradox or complexity, often dramatic or humorous

Example: “It was a bittersweet farewell.”

Parallelism

Definition: Similar grammatical structure in successive phrases or sentences

Common Function: Improves clarity, creates rhythm, reinforces the argument

Example: “She likes reading, writing, and hiking.”

Personification

Definition: Giving human qualities to nonhuman objects

Common Function: Helps readers relate to or visualize abstract ideas

Example: “The wind whispered secrets through the trees.”

Polysyndeton

Definition: Use of multiple conjunction between phrases or clauses

Common Functions: Slows down the pace, adding weight to each item or ideas

Example: “We have dogs and cats and birds and fish and hamsters.”

Rhetorical Question

Definition: A question asked for effect, not to be answer

Common Function: Engages the audience by making them reflect on the answer

Example: “Do we really want to live in a world where people don;’t care about each other?”

Similie

Definition: A comparison using “like” or “as”

Common Function: Clarifies or emphasizes by making a familiar comparison

Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”

Synecdoche

Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole

Common Function: Simplifies ideas or makes them more relatable

Example “All hand or deck.” (where hands refers to sailors)

Understatement

Definition: Making a situation seem less important than it is

Common Function: creates irony, can lead an audience to a desired conclusion without explicitly stating it, uses implicature (implying) to communicate a message

Example: “It’s just a small scratch” (referring to a large wound)