Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies: Definitions and Examples

ethos

a speaker's or author's authority to express opinions on a subject.

euphemism

a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

explication

the interpretation or analysis of a text.

expose

a factual piece of writing that reveals weaknesses, faults, frailties, or other shortcomings.

exposition

the introductory material in essays or drama that creates the tone, gives the setting, and introduces the characters and conflict.

extended metaphor

a metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

fallacy

an incorrect belief or supposition based on faulty data, defective evidence, false information, or flawed logic.

figurative language

writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

figure of speech

a device used to produce figurative language, including apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonymy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.

frame

a structure that provides a premise or setting for a narrative or other discourse.

generic conventions

traditions for each genre that help to define it, differentiating between types of writing.

genre

the major category in which a literary work fits, such as prose, poetry, and drama.

harangue

a forceful sermon, lecture, or tirade.

homily

a serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

hubris

excessive pride that often affects tone.