15 Rhetorical Devices

15 Rhetorical Devices that I do not already know.

Paradox

A self-contradictory statement with an underlying meaning that is only revealed with careful thought.

Metonymy

A figure of speech where the name of one thing is replaced with another to show association or to give it an attribute. Example: replacing businessman for suit, or replacing the Soviet Union with Moscow’s Evil Empire.

Juxtaposition

Placing two things next to each other to compare or contrast them. Example: comparing the past to the future or one person to another. 

Epistrophe

Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same words or word. This serves as a kind of motto that the author wants to go back to.

Elegaic

Using a tone involving mourning or sorrow for the past. Example: describing the deaths of people in wars or the deaths of loved ones. Kind of connects to ethos by making the audience remember tragic events.

Asyndeton

When someone gets rid of all conjunctions in a passage to produce a fast-paced powerful phrase.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant sounds. It can be used to give certain toes or create a certain rhythm when people read the passage.

Ambiguity

A reference to a word, phrase, or sentence whose meaning can be interpreted in many ways. Can be used to create multiple perspectives or thoughts about the meaning of a text.

Chiasmus

The repetition of ideas in inverted order. Example: “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country”- John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address.

Colloquial

using characteristic or written communication to imitate informal speech. Can be used to give a friendly feeling or to resonate with younger audiences.

Consonant

The repetition of consonant sounds. It can be used to give a harsh tone if it uses a lot of certain consonants.

Denotation

Saying the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word. Can be used with other devices to create more meaning.

Polysyndeton.

The use of many conjunctions to slow the pace or emphasize words or clauses.

Rhetorical question

A question presented to the audience that is not meant to be answered. It can help provide a tone and a purpose for the text.

Stream of consciousness

A style where a character’s thoughts, feelings, or reactions are depicted in a continuous uninterrupted flow. It can help show the messy thinking of a character and their reaction to the events around them.