Rhetorical Devices Quiz

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 word 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 engages the audience emotionally; can enhance a speaker’s credibility

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

Asyndeton

Definition: Omission of conjunctions 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 for you—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 true”

Hyperbole

Definition: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect

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 exclusion 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”, “us”

Irony

Definition: A contrast between expectations and reality

Common Function: Highlights absurdity or contradictions; often humorous or critical

Example: “the fire station burned down yesterday.”

Juxtaposition

Definition: Placement of two contrasting elements side to side

Common Function: Forces comparison, deepening understanding of both elements

Example: “the bright, cheerful playground stood 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 contradictory words

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

Example: “It was a bittersweet farewell.”

Parallelism

Definition: Similar grammatical structures 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 things

Common Function: Helps readers relate to or visualize abstract ideas

Example: “The wind whispered secrets through the trees”

Polysyndeton

Definition: use of multiple conjugations between phrases or clauses

Common Function: Slows down the pace, adding weight to each item or idea

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

Rhetorical Question

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

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?”

Simile

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 then more relatable

Example: “All hands on 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)