Rhetorical Devices (Schemes) Definitions and Examples

Isocolon definition

a scheme of parallel structure which occurs when the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical STRUCTURE but also in LENGTH (NUMBER OF WORDS or even NUMBER OF SYLLABLES)

Antithesis definition

the juxtaposition of CONTRASTING IDEAS, often in parallel structure. The contrast may be in words or in ideas or both.

Apposition definition

placing side by side two coordinate elements, the second of which serves as an explanation or modification of the first. These should be NOUNS THAT TELL MORE ABOUT OTHER NOUNS - for emotional effect

Alliteration definition

repetition of INITIAL SOUNDS in two or more adjacent words

Assonance definition

the repetition of SIMILAR VOWEL SOUNDS (IN THE MIDDLE OF WORDS), preceded and followed by different consonants, in the stressed syllables of adjacent words

Anaphora definition

repetition of the SAME WORD OR GROUP OF WORDS at the BEGINNINGS of successive clauses

Epistrophe definition

repetition of the SAME WORD OR GROUP OF WORDS at the ENDS of successive clauses

Epanalepsis definition

repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause. REPEATED FIRST AND LAST WORDS OF A CLAUSE

Anadiplosis definition

repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. BACK-TO-BACK WORD REPETITION

Polyptoton definition

repetition of words derived from the SAME ROOT

Isocolon example

"His purpose was to impress the ignorant, to perplex the dubious, and to confound the scrupulous."

"An envious heart makes a treacherous ear."

Antithesis example

" What if I am RICH, and another is POOR—STRONG, and he is WEAK—INTELLIGENT, and he is BENIGHTED—ELEVATED, and he is DEPRAVED? Have we not one Father? Hath not one God created us?"

Apposition example

"The mountain was the earth, HER HOME."

"Here was the source of the mistaken strategy -the reason why activists could so easily ignore class and could consider race alone a sufficient measure of social oppression."

Alliteration example

"Already American vessels have been SEARCHED, SEIZED, and SANK."

"It was the MEANEST MOMENT of eternity."

Assonance example

"WHALES in the WAKE like CAPES and Alps/ QUAKED the sick sea and snouted deep".

"Refresh your zest for living."

Anaphora example

WE SHALL FIGHT on the beaches, WE SHALL FIGHT on the landing grounds, WE SHALL FIGHT in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills."

Epistrophe example

"But to all of those who would be tempted by weakness, let us leave no doubt that we will be as strong AS WE NEED TO BE for as long AS WE NEED TO BE."

Epanalepsis example

"BLOOD hath bought BLOOD, and BLOWS have answer'd BLOWS:/ STRENGTH match'd with STRENGTH, and POWER confronted POWER."

Anadiplosis example

"The crime was COMMON, COMMON be the pain".

"Aboard my ship, excellent performance is standard. Standard performance is sub-standard. Sub-standard performance is not permitted to exist."

Polyptoton example

"But in this desert country they may see the land being rendered USELESS by OVERUSE"

"We would like to CONTAIN the UNCONTAINABLE future in a glass."