Common Rhetorical Devices
Mrs. Efpatridis
ENG 1DP
Anaphora: repeating the same word at the beginning of successive sentences to
create effect and/or add emphasis (on the 5th day . . . on the 6th day . . . )
Antithesis: establishes a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining
them together or juxtaposing them, often in parallel structure (It was the worst of times; it was
the best of times; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; We must learn to
live together as brothers or perish together as fools)
Apostrophe: directly addresses a person or personified thing, either present or absent. Its most
common purpose in prose is to display intense emotion (O heavenly gift; O value of wisdom)
Appositive: a noun or noun substitute placed next to (in apposition to) another noun to be described or defined by
the appositive. The appositive can be placed before or after any noun.
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Henry Jameson, the boss of the operation, always wore a red baseball cap.
A notorious annual feast, the picnic was well attended.
Epistrophe refers to repeating the same word at the end of successive clauses or sentences to
create effect and/or add emphasis
Metonymy is another form of metaphor, very similar to synecdoche (and, in fact, some rhetoricians do not
distinguish between the two), in which the thing chosen for the metaphorical image is closely associated with (but
not an actual part of) the subject with which it is to be compared. Ex. The orders came directly from the White
House.
A word or phrase stands in for a similar word or phrase: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
Pen = written word; sword= military strength
Parallelism: a recurrent syntactical similarity; several parts of a sentence or several
sentences are expressed to show that the ideas in the parts or sentences are equal in
importance; parallelism also adds balance or rhythm as well as clarity (the children ran,
danced and laughed)
Polysyndeton is the use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause, and is thus structurally the opposite
of asyndeton. The rhetorical effect of polysyndeton, however, often shares with that of asyndeton a feeling of
multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up.
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They read and studied and wrote and drilled. I laughed and played and talked and flunked.
Rhetorical question: since its answer is obvious or obviously desired, this form of
question is not answered; it is used for effect, emphasis, provocation or for drawing a
conclusion from the facts at hand. The intended answer is known or implied.
Synecdoche is a type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, the
genus for the species, the species for the genus, the material for the thing made, or in short, any
portion, section, or main quality for the whole or the thing itself (or vice versa).
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Farmer Jones has two hundred head of cattle and three hired hands.
Here we recognize that Jones also owns the bodies of the cattle, and that the hired hands have bodies attached. This
is a simple part-for-whole synecdoche. Here are a few more:
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If I had some wheels, I'd put on my best threads and ask for Jane's hand in marriage.
Difference between Rhetorical Device and Figures of Speech
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 ever going to go to work for you.”
The repetition in the above example does lay emphasis on the statement but does not alter the sense of it.
Common Examples of Usage of Rhetoric
Below are a few examples on how rhetoric is employed by using various literary devices that you are
already familiar with:
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How did this idiot get elected? – A rhetorical question to convince others that the “idiot” does not
deserve to be elected.
Here comes the Helen of our school. – An allusion to “Helen of Troy” to emphasize the beauty of
a girl.
I would die if you asked me to sing in front of my parents – A hyperbole to persuade others not to
use force to make you do something which you don’t want to do.
All blonde-haired people are dumb. – Using a stereotype to develop a general opinion about a
group.
***Nevertheless, the difference between rhetorical devices and figures of speech is so minute that
both share many features. A figure of speech becomes a device in rhetoric when it is aimed at
persuading the readers or listeners.
Function of Rhetoric
Rhetoric, as explained above, is a tool for writers and orators which empower them to convince their readers
and listeners about their point of view. Often, we find rhetoric examples in religious sermons and political
speeches. They aim to make comparisons, to evoke tender emotions, to censure rivals and all this is done to
persuade listeners.
Advertisers give their ads a touch of rhetoric to boost their sales by convincing people that their product is
better than other products in the market. For instance, in an advertisement, a girl – after shampooing her
hair – says, “I can’t stop touching my hair.” This is an attempt to entice consumers, through visual rhetoric,
to have soft and shiny hair like her.