Rhetorical Devices
shane.sextonRhetorical Devices
Rhetorical figures or devices are employed to achieve particular emphasis and effect. Rhetorical devices, however, are different from “figures of speech”. Wherever and whenever a figure of speech is used in written texts and speech, it alters meanings of words. For example, the metaphor used in the expression “He is a tiger,” is a complete altered form of a simple idea “He is brave.” Try to compare this example to the use of a rhetorical device in the example below:
“I am never ever going to rob anyone for you and never, never ever give in to your sinful wish.”
The repetition in the above example does lay emphasis on the statement but does not alter the sense of it.
http://literarydevices.net
Think before you speak
• Alliteration
Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers
The repetition of a sound in the first syllable of each phrase.
In the first example below, you will see one string of three words beginning with “f,” and another with three words beginning with “d.” In the second example, you will see Dr. King’s riff on the letter “t.”
“They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. They have served tour after tour of duty in distant, different, and difficult places.” – President Barack Obama
“With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The recurrence of initial consonant sounds
Literary Allusions
An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to a place, person, or something that happened. This can be real or imaginary and may refer to anything, including paintings, opera, folk lore, mythical figures, or religious manuscripts. The reference can be direct or may be inferred, and can broaden the reader’s understanding.
“Chocolate was her Achilles’ heel.” This means that her weakness was her love of chocolate. Achilles is a character in Greek mythology who was invincible. His mother dipped him in magical water when he was a baby, and she held him by the heel. The magic protected him all over, except for his heel.
“This place is like a Garden of Eden.” The Garden of Eden was the paradise God made for Adam and Eve.
“This place is like a Garden of Eden.” The Garden of Eden was the paradise God made for Adam and Eve.
yourdictionary.com
Amplification
repeats a word or expression for emphasis
Analogy -
compares two different things that have some similar characteristics
Antimetabole
Figure of emphasis in which the words in one phrase or clause are replicated, exactly or closely, in reverse grammatical order in the next phrase or clause; an inverted order of repeated words in adjacent phrases or clauses (A-B, B-A).
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."
-Benjamin Franklin
americanrhetoric.com
Repeats words or phrases in reverse order
Antithesis
makes a connection between two things - “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
Appositive
An appositive is a noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause which sits next to another noun to rename it or to describe it in another way. (The word appositive comes from the Latin for to put near.)
Here are some examples of appositives:
Don't leave your shoes there, or my dog, Ollie, will munch them. (In this example, the appositive is Ollie. It is in apposition (as it's called) to my dog.)
Dr Pat, the creator of the turnip brew, sold 8 barrels on the first day.
(In this example, the appositive is the creator of the turnip brew. It is in apposition to Dr Pat.)
grammar-monster.com
An appositive can be a noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause.
For example:
The beast, a lion, was starting to show interest in our party.
(In this example, the appositive is a noun.)
The beast, a large lion with a mane like a bonfire, was starting to show interest in our party.
(In this example, the appositive is a noun phrase.)
Hyperbole -
an exaggeration
I HAVE TAUGHT THIS A THOUSAND TIMES.
Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “Ages have passed since I last saw you”. You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.
literarydevices.net/
