Rhetorical Devices

allusion

an implicit reference to something, usually to a piece of literature, religious figures, or a well-known historical event

analogy

a comparison between things that have a similar function or structure, usually with the use of the words like or as

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (groups of words with a subject and a verb)

apostrophe

the making of a speech or address to an absent person (a cousin who is in jail) or a thing that is personified (such as Death).

asyndeton

a sentence or series of sentences in which conjunctions are omitted in a series of words, phrases or clauses

anecdote

a short, illustrative story

appeal to emotion (pathos)

an attempt to persuade the reader through an emotionally charged anecdote, description, or allusion

appeal to ethos

refers to the speaker's character as it appears to the audience. Aristotle says that if we believe that a speaker has good sense, good moral character, and good will, we are inclined to believe what that speaker says. Today we might add that a speaker should also appear to have the appropriate expertise or authority to speak knowledgeably about the subject matter

appeal to logic (logos)

the examination of an argument in terms of its logical support (or lack thereof)

chiasmus

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

concession

acknowledging the validity or logic of something your opponent believes. Making a concession means you allow that they have a point about something

connotation

refers to the emotional, historic, and sensual (relating to the senses) associations of a word

counterclaim

presents an opposing argument to a writer's claim and then rebuts (responds to) it

diction

refers to the author's choice of words

hyperbole

a deliberate exaggeration

imagery

the use of vivid sensory details to create a picture for the audience

juxtaposition

the placement of two or more things side by side

kairos

refers to the timeliness of an argument (opportune moment)

metaphor

a comparison between two different things without the use of like or as

parallelism/parallel structure

a writer's sentence structure or form is repeated in the same pattern over and over

polysyndeton

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

rebuttal

an argument or evidence presented to contradict or disprove another's reasoning or claim

repetition

purposefully repeating a word or phrase a number of times throughout a text

rhetorical questions

questions to which the speaker/writer expects no response

syntax

Sentence structure. The arrangement of words, punctuation, clauses, and phrases in a sentence. Pay attention to sentence length (is it long or short?), order of words (unexpected changes, additions, or deletions?), and punctuation (semicolons, commas, em dashes, and periods all have different effects).