Rhetorical Devices and Rhetorical Terminology

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Pun

A joke that exploits the different possible meanings of a word or words that sound alike but have different meanings. A play on words.

• “A bicycle cannot stand on its own because it is two-tired”

Figurative Language

The use of words in a way that deviates from the conventional order and meaning in order to convey a complicated meaning, colorful writing, clarity, or evocative comparison. Similes, metaphors, hyperboles, and personification are some examples.

• “Curiosity killed the cat” [Hyperbole]

Double Entendre

A word or phrase that is open to two interpretations, one of which is usually inappropriate or socially unacceptable. It can be formed using puns.

• “You look hot”

Onomatopoeia

A type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.

• “Boom!”

Simile

A figure of speech that directly compares two things using words such as "like", "as", "so", or "than".

• “She was as graceful as a swan”

Metaphor

A figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. Unlike a simile, it uses words such as "is" and "was".

• “You are an open book”

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

• “Time is money. Spend it wisely.”

• “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics to things, abstract ideas, etc., as for literary or artistic effect.

• “The stars winked”

Zeugma

Using one word to modify two other words, in two different ways.

• “I held her hand and my tongue”

Allegory

A form of narrative that uses plot, setting, or character to stand for a message that has a larger moral or lesson or makes a far-reaching commentary on real-world issues.

• Animal Farm, by George Orwell

Fable

A brief, simplistic tale told to convey a moral, or lesson to the reader about how to behave in the world.

• The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Metonymy

When a word associated with something is used to refer to the thing itself.

• “We swear loyalty to the crown” [royal family]

Synecdoche

A literary device in which a part of something is substituted for the whole.

• “What do you think of my new wheels” [car]

Apposition

A grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side so one element identifies the other in a different way.

• “Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, is America’s greatest inventor”

Epithet

Literary nicknames of sorts, used by authors since antiquity to describe a person or thing based on certain characteristics.

• “Alexander the Great”

• grey-eyed girl

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration specifically for literary or rhetorical effect.

• “I’ve told you a million times”

Understatement

A literary device used to downplay a situation as less serious, less significant, or smaller than it really is.

• “It rained a bit last night [in a flooded area]”

Litotes

A phrase that uses negation to create an affirmative understatement.

• “Not unhappy”

Paradox

A statement, pair of statements, or even the exploration of an idea that seems contradictory upon first glance.

• “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings.

• “Deafening silence”

Allusion

Brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work.

• “That's my Achilles' heel”

Rhetoric of Parallelism / Parallel Structure

A literary device in which parts of the sentence are grammatically the same, or are similar in construction.

• “We went swimming, fishing, and skating today”

Rhetoric of Ellipsis

The exclusion of one or more words, which must be supplied by the listener or reader for the sentence to be understood.

• “I bought the shoes, and Noor the dress”

Rhetoric of Antithesis

a figure of speech that uses parallel grammatical structure to highlight contrasts between ideas

• “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”

• “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

Asyndeton

A literary device in which conjunctions—such as and, but, and or—are intentionally omitted to change a sentence's tone.

• “I came, I saw, I conquered”

Polysyndeton

The use of repeated conjunctions between words or clauses in a sentence to emphasize what's being said.

• “If there be cords, or knives, poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, I'll not endure it”

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of each line of a poem, speech, or sermon.

• “Go big, or go home”

Anadiplosis

A figure of speech in which a word or group of words located at the end of one clause or sentence is repeated at or near the beginning of the following clause or sentence.

• “Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument?”

Isocolon

A rhetorical term for a successive group of phrases, clauses, or sentences with relatively equal length and corresponding structure.

• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness”

Chiasmus

A literary device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

• “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven”

Exclamation

Interruption in which the speaker/writer stops a sentence midway and addresses an individual(s) who may or may not be present. This type of interruption temporarily ‘derails’ a sentence and sends it in a different direction.

• “Many of us here- those who agree with me or not- are aware of the grave considerations we must lend to the issues at hand.”

Parenthesis

Interruption of a sentence before it is completed in order to insert some word, phrase or clause that launches a new idea.

• “The movie ended at 11:30 pm- which was rather late for me since I need 10 hours of sleep- just before the pizza shop closed.”

Apostrophe

A speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object

• “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

• Hamlet

Style

The way in which an author writes and/or tells a story.

• Descriptive style, Literary style, etc.

Diction

The linguistic choices a writer makes to effectively convey an idea, a point of view, or tell a story. It features several poetic devices, such as alliteration, assonance, rhyme, and onomatopoeia.

• “She sells seashells by the sea shore”

Syntax

Word order, tense, subject-verb agreement, and even sentence length. The way words are put together in a sentence affects the tone and meaning of a piece of writing.

• “The boy ran hurriedly,” vs. “Hurriedly, the boy ran”

Organization/Structure

Similar to syntax, but concerned with the sequence of paragraphs or stanzas rather than words.

• Chronological Order, Compare and Contrast, Cause and Effect

Narrative Structure/Narration

The framework of a story, the way in which a story is organized and presented to the reader or audience. It includes the elements of plot, character, setting, and theme, as well as the techniques and devices used by the author to convey these elements.

Detail

The bits of factual information (about setting, character, action, etc.) that help the reader understand better.

Theme

The main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a novel, short story, or other literary work.

• Love, Family, Death, Coming-of-Age

Tone

The writer's attitude toward or feelings about the subject matter and audience.

Mood/Attitude

The overall atmosphere or feeling of a piece of writing.

• “It was a dark and stormy night” = Dark, ominous, or suspenseful mood

Satire

The art of making someone or something look ridiculous, raising laughter in order to embarrass, humble, or discredit its targets.

• TV Shows such as “Family Guy”

Colloquial

Everyday language or slang used by a particular group or in specific regions

Pretentious Language

Language or expression that is overly elaborate or showy, often used to impress others

Imagery

Words that trigger the reader to recall images that engage the five senses.

External Conflict

A type of literary conflict in which the protagonist has to struggle against other characters (called antagonists), nature, or society.

Internal Conflict

The struggle of the protagonist against their own mind and body.

• Character vs. Character, Society, Nature, Self, etc.

Suspense

The audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict

Ethos (Aristotelian Appeals)

Appeal to credibility and character, where the speaker establishes their authority

Pathos (Aristotelian Appeals)

Appeal to emotions, aiming to evoke feelings in the audience to persuade them

Logos (Aristotelian Appeals)

Appeal to logic and reason, using fact

Rhetorical Questions

A device used to persuade or subtly influence the audience.

• “If you poison us, do we not die?”

Ad Hominem Device/Argument

The logical fallacy (error) of arguing that someone is incorrect because they are unattractive, immoral, weird, or any other bad thing you could say about them as a person.