Rhetorical Devices

parallelism

similarity of structure in pair/series of related words, phrases, or clauses

• “we’ve seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles..”

isocolon

scheme of parallel structure similar in length

• “an envious heart makes a treacherous ear”

antithesis

juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure

• “what if i am rich, and another is poor—-strong, and he is weak—- intelligent, and he is benighted..”

anastrophe

the inversion of natural word order

• “very smart, he is”

parenthesis

If an insertion of words adds extra detail or commentary not necessary for understanding

• “there is even,and it is the aachievement of this book, a curious sense of happiness running through its paragraphs”

apposition

If the inserted part renames or identifies the noun

• Mr Sanders, my AP Euro teacher, gave us a pakcet.

ellipsis

when a sentence is intentionally incomplete, but the meaning is still clear.

• “so singularly clear was the water that when it was only 20 or 30 feet deep the bottom seemed floating on the air! Yes, where it was even eighty feet deep.”

asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions (like and, or) for effect.
Example: "I came, I saw, I conquered."

polysyndeton

Using lots of conjunctions between words or phrases.
Example: "I laughed and cried and screamed and ran."

alliteration

Repeating the same starting sound in nearby words.
Example: "Big brown bear bit Ben."

assonance

Repeating vowel sounds inside words.
Example: "Go slow over the road.

anaphora

Repeating the beginning of a sentence or phrase.
Example: "We will fight. We will win. We will survive."

epistrophe

Repeating the end of a sentence or phrase.
Example: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

epanalepsis

Repeating the first word at the end of a sentence.
Example: "The king is dead, long live the king!"

anadiplosis

ending one sentence with the same word the other one begins with
Example: "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate."

climax

Ideas in increasing importance

Example: "He risked his life, his freedom, his soul."

antimetabole

Repeating words in reverse order.
Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

chiasmus

like antimetabole, but grammar or ideas reverse, not necessarily exact words

Example: "She has all my love; my heart belongs to her."

polypton

Repeating words from the same root.
Example: "The strong man strongly struggled."

synecdoche

Using a part to represent the whole, or vice versa.
Example: "All hands on deck" (hands = sailors).

metonymy

Using something related to stand in for what is actually meant
Example: "The crown said no" (crown = king or queen)

antanaclasis

Repeating the same word with different meanings.
Example: "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you'll be fired with enthusiasm."

apostrophe

talking to someone not present or a thing/idea

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

litote

A understatement to express something.
Example: "It isnt very serious. I have this tiny tumor on my brain”

oxymoron

two opposite words next to each other

“ the unheard sounds came through” “his cruel kindness”

paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but has some truth/meaning.
Example: "Less is more."

paranomasia

A fancy word for a pun — playing on word meanings.

“Ask for me tommorow and you will find me a grave man”

syllepsis

One word used with two different meanings at once.

"He caught a train and a cold." “There is a certain type of woman who would rather press grapes than clothes”

anthimeria

Using a noun as a verb.
Example: "Let's movie tonight"

“Ill unhair thy head:

periphrasis

using a descriptive/long word for something associated with that name

“They do not escape Jim Crow”

allusion

A brief reference to something famous (like a book, myth, or event).

"He met his Waterloo." (allusion to Napoleon’s defeat)

“ The crash (Great Depression) hit them the hardest”