Analyzing Rhetoric and Rhetorical Devices

Rhetoric

In its simplest form is the art of persuasive speech or writing

Logos

By appealing to an audience's sense of reason and logic, the speaker or writer intends to make the audience think clearly about the sensible and/or obvious answer to a problem

Pathos

By appealing to he audience's emotions, the speaker or writer can make the audience feel sorrow, shame, sympathy, embarrassment, anger, excitement, and/or fear

Ethos

The overall appeal of the speaker or writer himself or herself; it is important that his person have impressive credentials, a notable knowledge of the subject, and or appear to be a like able and moral person

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

Anaphora

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

Antithesis

Opposition or juxtaposition of ideas or words in a balances or parallel construction

Personification

Giving human characteristics to non- human objects

Parallelism

Repetition of a key word over successive phrases or clauses

Apostrophe

A sudden turn from he general audience to address a specific group or person, either absent or present, real or imagined

Rhetorical question

A question hat is posed for emphasis, not requiring an answer

Understatement

Deliberately de- emphasizing something in order to downplay its importance

Euphemism

A substitution of a more pleasant expression for one whose meaning may come across or rude or offensive

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect

Irony

Expression in which words mean something contrary to what is actually said

Metonymy

A reference to and object or person by naming only a part of the object or person

Synecdoche

A part or quality of something which is used in substitution of he larger whole, or vice versa