Rhetorical Terms: Sentence Variation and Figures of Speech

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

Let us go forth to lead the land we love.

Literary Example of _________

Alliteration

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

I thought the software would be useful, but it was a Trojan Horse

Literary Example of _____

Allusion

Anadiplosis

the repetition of a word or words in successive clauses in such a way that the second clause starts with the same word which marks the end of the previous clause

Men in great place are thrice servants: servants of the sovereign or state; servants of fame; and servants of business.

Literary example of _____

Anadiplosis

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines

We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans.

Literary Example of ____

Anaphora

Antithesis (contrast)

opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction.

Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.

Antithesis (contrast)

Appositive

a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it

Though her cheeks were high colored and her teeth strong and yellow, she looked like a mechanical woman, a machine with flashing, glassy circles for eyes.

Literary example of ___________

Appositive

Assonance

when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds.

Men sell the wedding bells.

Literary example of _______

Assonance

Asyndeton

lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.

Literary example of _________

Balanced sentence

a sentence made up of two parts that are roughly equal in length, importance, and grammatical structure

Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it.

Literary Example of _________

Balanced Sentence

Caesura

rhythmical pause in a sentence, it often occurs in the middle of a line, or sometimes at the beginning and the end

To be, or not to be — that is the question.

Caesura