rhetorical terms

Antistrophe | The repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of consecutive clauses. (Example: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people.")

Apostrophe | Directly addressing an absent person, abstract idea, or inanimate object. (Example: "O Death, where is thy sting?")

Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby non-rhyming words. (Example: "Sinners in the hands of an angry God.")

Chiasmus | Reversing the structure of two balanced clauses in an A-B-B-A pattern. (Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.")

Euphemism | A mild or indirect expression substituted for one considered too harsh or unpleasant. (Example: Saying "passed away" instead of "died.")

Hyperbole | An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. (Example: "I’ve told you a million times to clean your room.")

Litotes | An understatement using double negatives or negative statements to express a positive. (Example: "He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed" or "The food was not bad.")

Metonymy | Referring to something by the name of something closely associated with it. (Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword" — pen stands for the written word.)

Synecdoche | A figure of speech where a part represents the whole, or vice versa. (Example: "All hands on deck" — hands represent the whole worker.)

Zeugma | A single word applies to two others in different senses (one literal, one figurative). (Example: "She opened her door and her heart to the orphan.")

Parallel Structure | Repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence or passage. (Example: "She likes to cook, jog, and swim.")

Anaphora | Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. (Example: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds...")

Alliteration | Repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in neighboring words. (Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.")

Epistrophe | Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. (Example: "Where now? Who now? When now?")

Antithesis | Juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas within a parallel structure. (Example: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.")

Diction | The author's deliberate choice and use of words. (Example: Using "melancholy" instead of "sad" to evoke a gloomy tone.)

Pronoun Diction | Deliberate choice of pronouns to build rapport, distance, or authority. (Example: Using "we" to unify, or "they" to create an divide.)

Personal Anecdote | A brief, personal story shared by the speaker to illustrate a point or build ethos. (Example: "When I was struggling to pay for college...")

Tricolon | A series of three parallel clauses, phrases, or words in quick succession. (Example: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.")

Allusions | An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art. (Example: "He was a real Romeo with the ladies.")