AP English - Rhetorical Devices Affect on Audience

Allegory

An allegory affects an audience by helping them understand a deeper message through a simple story. Since the characters and events represent bigger ideas, the audience can connect the lesson to real life, making the message clearer, more memorable, and more meaningful. Simple story that allows the audience to engage with it in a personal way because they can all relate in their own way.

Alliteration

Makes it more memorable for the audience so they always think back to it. Grabs the attention of the audience → pulls them back in and prevents them from zoning out. It is motivating and gets people pumped up because it makes the speaker go at a faster pace. Emotionally charges people.

Allusion

By making a subtle reference to something famous people will understand. Also, if someone doesn't get the allusion it won’t confuse them at all. Makes people feel personally involved when they get the allusion. They feel personally connected to the speaker because they realize some other people might not get it. It targets a specific audience and that audience will understand it.

Anaphora

It has a rhythm and the audience is able to engage with it. There is an emphasis within each item and the audience can engage with each one individually. The audience can see that each example is considered just important as the rest. There is a sense of equality for each example.

Anecdote

By showing a personal story, people with similar experiences can relate to the speaker. It is a way to engage with individual members of the audience.

Antithesis

Allows the audience to compare the two things and understand the contrast. Makes them notice more of the starch difference between the two opposites. You can see that there is a divide between them.

Assonance

Brings in the audience attention and makes it memorable especially if it tends to rhyme. Draws their attention to the poetic style of the sentence.

Chiasmus

They automatically have a comparison. The first of the two phrases is going to be something that is a more common belief and the second phrase makes them think in a new perspective.

Imagery

Allows the audience to imagine a painted picture, a smell, the sound of something, and more → make the audience feel the 5 senses

Juxtaposition

Allows the audience to immediately make a comparison between the two things being said → strategically put next to each other to consider one regarding the other

Metaphor

Gives the audience the opportunity to imagine in their own way

Parallelism

The audience can understand a comparison without it having to be explained. They can make a comparison on their own.

Personification

It has the ability to use pathos and connect to the audience. Helps them think about something that isn’t human but has a personal connection with it. It gives them a sense of empathy.

Rhetorical Question

Creates an interactive atmosphere when giving a speech. You are asking without expecting an answer so people can think about a possible answer.

Synecdoche

Creates imagery so they don’t think of certain details and removes the emotional connection. Takes people’s minds off of a certain detail such as thinking about the humans going to war. To keep their mind off of that they talk about the boots of the soldiers instead of the people that they are. Removes the humanity in the speech and creates a more objective perspective of what is happening.

Synesthesia

Making the combination of senses gives people a perspective to imagine their entire body in the senses and to put themselves in the shoes of the speaker.

Tricolon

It doesn’t force a comparison but instead creates a sense that there are multiple ways of thinking about something. There is a chance to reach a wider audience.

Zeugma

Forces the audience to understand the importance of a singular word and how it can connect to multiple ideas. Makes the people stop and think. They become more engaged with a singular idea and emphasizes its importance.