Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices

Tools writers use to effectively make their point.

Alliteration

Repetition of a sound at the beginning of words to draw attention to a phrase and mark it as important.

Allusion

Referencing something in history, art/literature, or religion as a way of making a point.

Anaphora

Deliberate repetition of a phrase at the beginning of multiple clauses or sentences to lend emphasis to a single idea.

Antithesis

Uses contrasting language to bring out contrasts in ideas.

Hyperbole

An exaggeration of words or phrases to emphasize a problem or produce a more noticeable effect.

Metaphor

Compares 2 things that are unrelated but treating one as if it were the other.

Parallelism

Using the same grammatical structure for emphasis and to draw attention to the meaning of what you're saying.

Rule of Three

The idea that 3 of something is a more satisfying number than others.

Simile

Compares 2 things that are unrelated using 'like' or 'as.'

Rhetorical question

Questions asked by a speaker or writer that are not answered directly in the text, but have implied answers.

Logos

Appeal to logic and reason in rhetoric.

Pathos

Appeal to emotion in rhetoric.

Ethos

Appeal to credibility or character in rhetoric.