rhetorical devices

allusion

an implicit reference to something, usually to a piece of literature, religious figures, or a well-known historical event

analogy

a comparison between things that have a similar function or structure usually with the use of words like or as

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (groups of words with a subject and a verb)

apostrophe

the making of a speech or address to an absent person (a cousin who is in jail) or a thing that is personified (such as death)

asyndeton

a sentence or series of sentences in which conjunctions are omitted in a series of words, phrases or clauses

anecdote

a short, illustrative story

pathos (appeal to emotion)

an attempt to persuade the reader through an emotionally charged anecdote, description, or allusion

ethos (appeal to emotion)

refers to the speaker’s character as it appears to the audience

logos (appeal to logic)

the examination of an argument in terms of its logical support

chiasmus

a rhetorical device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or modified form

concession

acknowledging the validity or logic of something your opponent believe

connotation

refers to the emotional, historic, and sensual associations of a word that go beyond its literal meaning.

counterclaim

presents an opposing argument to a writer’s claim and then rebuts (responds) to it

diction

refers to the author’s choice of words in writing, which can affect tone and clarity.

hyperbolle

a deliberate exaggeration

imagery

the use of vivid sensory details to create a picture for the audience

juxtaposition

the placement of two or more things side by side

kairos

refers to the timelines of an argument (at the right or critical moment)

metaphor

a comparison between two different things without the use of like or as

parallelism

a writer’s sentence structure or form is repeated in the same pattern over and over

polysyndeton

conjunctions are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed

rebuttal

an argument or evidence presented to contradict or disprove another’s reasoning or claim

repetition

purposefully repeating a word or phrase a number of times throughout a text

rhetorical questions

questions to which the speaker/writer expects no responses

syntax

the arrangement of words, punctuation, clauses, and phrases in a sentence