Rhetorical Appeals and Devices: Definitions and Examples

Ethos

Persuading through the character and credibility of the author.

Pathos

Persuading by appealing to the audience's emotions.

Logos

Persuading by using logic and reasoning.

Alliteration

The repetition of the first consonant sound, occurring close together in a series.

Allusion

A brief reference to a famous person or event, often from literature, history, Greek mythology, or the Bible.

Euphemism

A mild or pleasant term used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one.

Juxtaposition

Putting two contrasting elements together that are so unlike that the effect is surprising, witty, or even startling.

Oxymoron

The combination of two words of opposite meaning for dramatic, comedic or provocative effect.

Parallelism

Several parts of a sentence or several sentences expressed in similar grammatical form to show that the ideas are equal in importance.

Repetition

A repeated word or phrase, used for emphasis. There are two common types: Anaphora and Epistrophe.

Anaphora

Repetition at the beginning of a line.

Epistrophe

Repetition at the end of a line.

Rhetorical Question

A question posed for effect, not requiring an answer.

Understatement

A statement that says less than it means; often used for comedic effect.

Verbal Irony

A statement that expresses the opposite of the literal meaning of the words.