Rhetorical Devices

alliteration

repetition of sounds at the beginning of a word

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

assonance

repetition of a vowel sound

Example: "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." (Repeated "ai" sound)

consonance

repetition of a consonant sound

Example: "The lumpy, bumpy road." (Repetition of the "mp" sound)

cacophony

harsh discordance of sounds (e.g. jack cut crispy carrots)

euphony

pleasing sounds from a combination of words

parallelism

repetition of similar words/phrases/ideas to represent that the ideas are of equal or higher value & importance

Example: "She likes reading, writing, and skiing."

chiasmus

words are repeated in reverse order (e.g. the fire burned, burned the fire)

Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

antithesis

opposition or contrast of ideas/words in a balanced or parallel structure

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

anaphora

repetition of the first word/phrase in successive sentences

Example: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…"

epistrophe

repetition of a word/phrase at the end of a phrase/sentence

Example: "…government of the people, by the people, for the people."

juxtaposition

placing of contradictory things next to one another

Example: Placing rich mansions beside shabby shacks to highlight inequality.

asyndeton

omission of conjunctions

Example: "I came, I saw, I conquered."

polysyndeton

repetition of conjunctions

Example: "We have ships and men and money and stores."

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word/phrase literally denotes one object/idea in place of another

simile

figure of speech comparing two items with "like" or "as"

apostrophe

to address someone not present

a personified object/idea

Example: "O death, where is thy sting?"

metonymy

one word/phrase substituted for another with which it is closely associated

Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword." ("Pen" = writing, "sword" = warfare)

synechdoche

part of something that refers to the whole vice-versa (e.g. wheels)

Example: "All hands on deck." ("Hands" refers to people)

allusion

reference to a person/place/etc.

Example: "He was a real Romeo with the ladies." (Reference to Shakespeare)

allegory

representation of abstract/spiritual meaning through concrete forms of figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another

Example: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell - a story representing the Russian Revolution.

imagery

use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas

Example: "The golden sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in blood-orange hues."

satire juvenalien

seeking to inspire social change by making the audience feel indignant toward social justice

satire horation

Ridicules gently

oxymoron

combination of contrasting words

Example: "Deafening silence"

paradox

statement that is apparently self-contradicting or absurd but contains a possible truth

Example: "Less is more."

mood

the overall atmosphere or feeling created by a text

Example: A dark forest described with howling wind and rustling leaves creates a suspenseful mood.

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

diction

A writer's or speaker's choice of words

Example: Choosing "slender" instead of "skinny" implies elegance rather than criticism.

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Example: "Home" connotes warmth and safety, while "house" is neutral.

personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."

denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

Example: The word snake denotes a legless reptile, regardless of its negative connotation.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

Example: A fire station burns down.

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Example: "I've told you a million times!"

analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Example: "Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer."

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

Example: "Isn't it obvious?"

anecdotal evidence

Personal stories about specific incidents and experiences.

Example: "My grandmother smoked all her life and lived to be 90, so smoking can't be that bad."

paralipsis

pretending to omit something by drawing attention to it

Example: "I won't even mention how late you were." (But it's been mentioned!)

understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Example: "It's just a scratch," said after a car crash.

persona

an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

concrete details

details that relate actual, specific acts or instances

Example: "The red apple weighed 150 grams and had a green stem."

abstract details

A detail in a poem that is an idea or concept, they have no physical matter.

Example: "She felt a deep sense of freedom."