Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical Modes

exposition: used to explain and analyze information by presenting idea, evidence, discussion

argumentation: used to prove validity of an idea by presenting reasoning, discussion, argument

description: used to recreate, invent, or visually represent a person, place, event, or action

narration: used to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events(usually uses description)

Rhetorical Question(Erotesis)

question asked for effect, emphasis, or provocation

"Isn't it time we all took a stand for what we believe in?"

Satire

a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life for a humorous effect; targets vices, social institutions/conventions, etc (often features irony, wit, parody, sarcasm, etc)

"Behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes." – Jim Carrey

"Why do we never see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'? It seems the only thing they can predict is their own failure to predict anything useful."

Cumulative Sentence

a type of sentence in which the main idea(independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent phrases/clauses (showcases informality)

"The sun set over the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the sky, while the birds chirped softly and the trees swayed gently in the evening breeze."

“He doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience, his confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration.”

Periodic Sentence

type of sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. Begins with subordinate elements, postpones main clause

“Despite the heavy rain and strong winds, the team decided to continue the game, determined to prove their resilience."

“His confidence broken, his limbs shaking, his collar wet with perspiration, he doubted whether he could ever again appear before an audience.

Style

The choices in diction, tone, syntax, and other literary devices that a writer makes.

Syntax

the way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences

Parallelism

sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns

"To err is human; to forgive, divine."

Anaphora

the repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row with parallel structure

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Chiasmus

the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time the order of the words is reversed

"Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You."

Antithesis

two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses with parallel structure

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."— Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Zeugma(Syllepsis)

a single word governs of modifies two or more other words, but the meaning of the word changes for each of the words it governs or modifies

“The butler killed the lights, and then the mistress.

“I quickly dressed myself and the salad”

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

“The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator". The gladiator who defied an emperor”

“I am Sam; Sam I am”

Epiphora

stylistic device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses

"I want pizza, he wants pizza, we all want pizza!"

Tone

stylistic means by which an author conveys their attitude; more intellectual than mood. created through deliberate use of language

Understatement

ironic minimizing of fact, less significant than it really is

“Our defense played valiantly, holding the other team to a mere 8 touchdowns in the first quarter”

Litotes

particular form of understatement, surface denial serves to reinforce underlying position

“Hitting that telephone pole certainly didn’t do your car any good”