Rhetorical Devices (1-20)

Anecdote

A brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature

Perspective

A character's view of the situation or events in the story

Aphorism

A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief. The writings of Benjamin Franklin contain many aphorisms, such as "Early to bed and early to rise / Make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

Juxtaposition

The act of placing two or more things side by side, particularly to compare or contrast them, in order to highlight their differences or similarities

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements, as in "jumbo shrimp" or "deafening silence."

Allusion

A figure of speech which makes brief, even casual reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object to create a resonance in the reader or to apply a symbolic meaning to the character or object of which the allusion consists. For example, in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the surname of the protagonist, George Milton, is an allusion to John Milton, author of Paradise Lost, since by the end of the novel, George has lost the dream of having a little ranch of his own to share with his friend Lennie.

Syllogism

An instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion (e.g., all dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs).

Satire

A literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness

Bildungsroman

A novel or story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character

Foil

A person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast

Epitaph

A piece of writing in praise of a deceased person

Parody

A satirical imitation of a work of art for purpose of ridiculing its style or subject

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that withholds its main idea until the end. For example: Just as he bent to tie his shoe, a car hit him.

Cumulative Sentence

A complete sentence structure that begins with an independent clause (a main, complete thought) and then adds one or more subordinate clauses or phrases that gather more details to refine the idea. Ex. The dog barked loudly, a sound that echoed in the quiet street.

Sarcasm

A form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually bitterly or harshly critical. For example, a coach saying to a player who misses the ball, "Nice catch."

Eulogy

A speech or writing in praise of a person or thing; an oration in honor of a deceased person

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory, but is actually true. Ex. “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

Epiphany

A sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality or essential meaning of something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience

Onomatopoeia

A word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes, such as buzz or hiss. An author's choice of words to convey a tone or effect.

Hyperbole

An overstatement characterized by exaggerated language