Rhetorical Strategies

Anaphora

The same word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Asyndeton

There are no coordinating conjunctions in between a series (Men, women, children)

Anastrophe

Conventional word order (syntax) is changed for emphasis

Antithesis

Makes use of contrasting words, phrases, sentences, or ideas for emphasis (generally used in parallel grammatical structures)

Apostrophe

A scheme in which a person or an abstract quality is directly addressed, whether present or not.

Antimetabole /Chiasmus

Words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form

Epiphora/Epistrophe

The same word is repeated at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Polysyndeton

A phrase repeats using multiple coordinating conjunctions within a series. (And fruits, and milk, and napkins)

Lilotes

A deliberate understatement is made for emphasis

Metonymy

Substitutes an associated word for one that is meant (“top brass” instead of “military officers”)

Oxymoron

Two contradictory terms are connected

Periphrasis

A descriptive word or phrase is substituted for a proper noun (“The big man upstairs” instead of “God”)

Synecdoche

A part stands for the whole (“new set of wheels” instead of “car”)

Zeugma

One verb governs several words/clauses with a different meaning for each.