Rhetorical Devices
How to Win an Argument with Style
What is a
Rhetorical Strategy?
A rhetorical strategy is a specifically chosen type of writing that will
help you win your argument.
Alliteration
• Definition – the close repetition of consonant sounds, usually at
the beginnings of words.
• Examples: Dynamic Duo, Terrific Trio, or Magical Math
Allusion
• Definition – a reference to a person, object, or event from the
Bible, mythology, literature, or popular culture.
• Examples:
• “If you tell him that, you are opening up
Pandora’s Box.”
• “They thought they were Romeo and Juliet.”
Antithesis
• Definition – a technique of putting two opposite ideas near each
other in a sentence to create a powerful effect.
• Examples:
• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
• “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your
country.” -John F. Kennedy
• “We are caught in a war, wanting peace.” -Richard Nixon
Hyperbole
• Definition – use of exaggeration to emphasize a point.
• We use hyperboles naturally and often.
• Examples:
• “I was waiting a year for you to get off the phone!”
• “That bag weighs a ton.”
Metaphor/Simile
• Definition – short comparisons of the characteristics of two unlike
things.
• A simile uses “like” or “as” to make those comparisons; a metaphor makes a
direct comparison.
• Examples:
• “…the manacles of segregation…” - Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream”
• He is comparing manacles (chains) to segregation (separation/discrimination), making
it a metaphor.
• “Our ignorance is like a vast sea, deep and wide.”
• The comparison is made using the word “like,” so this is a simile.
Repetition
• Definition – repeating a word, phrase, or sentence throughout a
speech to create some kind of rhythm.
• Example:
• “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” Martin Luther King
Rhetorical Question
• Definition –questions used for effect that are not to be answered.
This draws the audience’s attention to a specific area.
• Example:
• “Are we really free when we cannot walk happily into our closets and
choose clothes that allow us to express ourselves?”
Rule of Three
• Definition – a technique of grouping together three words,
phrases, or sentences.
• Examples:
• “I came. I saw. I conquered.” -Julius Caesar
• “… a government of the people, by the people, for the people…” -Abraham
Lincoln, “The Gettysburg Address”