Laura Torres

Rhetorical Devices Study Guide

Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive
clauses.
Ex: "I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a
vacation, and I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat
and a gun

Loose Sentence: A sentence structure in which a main clause is followed by one or
more coordinate or subordinate phrases and clauses. Contrast with periodic
sentence. A loose sentence makes its major point at the beginning and then adds
subordinate phrases and clauses that develop or modify the point. A loose sentence
could end at one or more points before it actually does.
Ex: I knew I had found a friend in the woman, who herself was a
lonely soul, never having known the love of man or child.

Litotes: A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative
is expressed by negating its opposite
Ex: "The grave's a fine a private place,But none, I think, do there
embrace."
"Are you also aware, Mrs. Bueller, that Ferris does not have what
we consider to be an exemplary attendance record?"

Tricolon: A rhetorical term for a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses.
Ex: "You are talking to a man who has laughed in the face of death,
sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe."

Compound-Complex Sentences: A sentence with two or more independent
clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Ex: Although I like to go camping, I haven't had the time to go lately,
and I haven't found anyone to go with.
independent clause: "I haven't had the time to go lately"
independent clause: "I haven't found anyone to go with"
dependent clause: "Although I like to go camping... "

Antimetabole: In rhetoric, a verbal pattern in which the second half of an
expression is balanced against the first but with the words in reverse grammatical
order (A-B-C, C-B-A).
Ex: "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock; Plymouth Rock landed on us."
Imperative Sentence: A type of sentence that gives advice or instructions or that
expresses a request or command. An imperative sentence typically begins with the
base form of a verb, as in Go now! The implied subject you is said to be
"understood" (or elliptical): (You) go now!
Ex: "Go ahead, make my day."

Syllogism: In logic, a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a
minor premise, and a conclusion. Adjective: syllogistic.
Ex: Flavius: Have you forgot me, sir?
Timon: Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men;
Then, if thou grant'st thou'rt a man, I have forgot thee.

Synecdoche: A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole (for
example, ABCs for alphabet) or the whole for a part ("Englandwon the World Cup in
1966"). Adjective: synecdochic or synecdochal.
Ex: "Ed's buddy was in the market for a new set of wheels and
wanted Ed's opinion about a particular model of Lexus."

Allusion: A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event--real or
fictional. According to their content, allusions may be historical, cultural,
mythological, literary, political, or private.
Ex: "I violated the Noah rule: predicting rain doesn't count; building
arks does."
Epistrophe: A rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of
successive clauses.
Ex: "The big sycamore by the creek was gone. The willow tangle was
gone. The little enclave of untrodden bluegrass was gone. The
clump of dogwood on the little rise across the creek--now that,
too, was gone."


Exclamatory Sentence: A type of sentence that expresses strong feelings by
making an exclamation.
Ex: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

Complex Sentence: A sentence that contains an independent clause and at least
one dependent clause.
Ex: "Although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very
good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good
of it by being a slave himself."


Tautology: In rhetoric, a tautology is when a meaning is repeated; this is often
done using different words that say the same thing. Most often this is used
unintentionally (say the same thing twice), but it can of course also be used for
emphasis.
Ex: "Anything that happens, happens. Anything that in happening
causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen.
Anything that in happening happens again, happens again. Though
not necessarily in that order."
Colloquialism: An informal expression that is more often used in casual
conversation than in formal speech or writing.
Ex: "Latinas are in oppressive structures. We can fool ourselves, but
we'd still be getting dumped on."

Simple Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause.
Ex: Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy
and dead

Synchysis: words are intentionally scattered to create bewilderment. By disrupting
the normal course of a sentence, it forces the audience to consider the meaning of
the words and the relationship between them.
Ex: "I run and shoot, fast and accurate."

Irony: The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a
statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or
presentation of the idea.
Situational Irony: Something that goes against what should or what is
expected to happen.
Ex: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."
Dramatic Irony: Produced when the reader knows something the characters
is unaware of. (Typically in a narrative)
Ex: Knowing who the killer is in a murder mystery and watching the
detective work his way through the suspects.

Zeugma: A rhetorical term for the use of a word to modify or govern two or more
words although its use may be grammatically or logically correct with only one.
Ex: "You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see
fit."

Inverted Sentence: In grammar, a reversal of normal word order, especially the
placement of a verb ahead of the subject
Ex: "What they talked of all evening long, no one remembered next
day."

Chiasmus: In rhetoric, a verbal pattern (a type of antithesis) in which the second
half of an expression is balanced against the first with the parts reversed.
Ex: "In the end, the true test is not the speeches a president
delivers; its whether the president delivers on the speeches."


Catalogue: a traditional epic device consisting of a long rhetorical list or inventory.
Homer's catalogue of ships in the Iliad is probably the most famous example,
though almost any poem by Whitman will supply a prize specimen or two.

Periodic Sentence: A long and frequently involved sentence, marked by
suspended syntax, in which the sense is not completed until the final word--usually
with an emphatic climax.
Ex: "In the almost incredibly brief time which it took the small but
sturdy porter to roll a milk-can across the platform and bump it, with
a clang, against other milk-cans similarly treated a moment before,
Ashe fell in love."

Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which incongruous or seemingly contradictory
terms appear side by side; a compressed paradox.
Ex: "Ralph, if you're gonna be a phony, you might as well be a real
phony.

Meiosis: A kind of humorous understatement that dismisses or belittles, especially
by using terms that make something seem less significant than it really is or ought
to be.
Ex: "treehugger" for "environmentalist"/ 'Man has seen the ravages
of war, he has known natural catastrophes, he has been to singles
bars.'

Tetracolon: A rhetorical term for a series of four members, usually in parallel
form.
Ex: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat"

Rhetorical Question: A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.
The answer may be obvious or immediately provided by the questioner. "an
effective persuasive device, subtly influencing the kind of response one wants to
get from an audience"
Ex: "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live
in an institution?"

Understatement: A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately
makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.
Ex: "I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this
tiny little tumor on the brain."
Asyndeton: A rhetorical term for a writing style that omits conjunctions between
words, phrases, or clauses.
Ex: "Joona walks through the Christmas market in Bollns Square.
Fires are burning, horses are snorting, chestnuts are roasting.
Children race through a stone maze, others drink hot chocolate."

Cumulative Sentence: An independent clause followed by a series of subordinate
constructions (phrases or clauses) that gather details about a person, place, event,
or idea.
Ex: "He dipped his hands in the bichloride solution and shook them--
a quick shake, fingers down, like the fingers of a pianist above
the keys."
Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or
thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding.
Ex: "Then come, sweet death, and rid me of this grief."

Interrogative Sentence: Interrogative sentences are typically marked by
inversion of the subject and predicate: that is, the first verb in a verb phrase
appears before the subject.
Ex: "Now, who wants to save the world?"

Hyperbole: A figure of speech (a form of irony) in which exaggeration is used for
emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement.
Ex: "I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was
quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes,
they stuck out so far."

Alliteration: The repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in "a peck of pickled
peppers."
Ex: "Good men are gruff and grumpy, cranky, crabbed, and cross."

Compound Sentence: A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses.
Compound sentences can be formed in three ways:
(1) using coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet);
(2) using the semicolon, either with or without conjunctive adverbs;
(3) on occasion, using the colon.
Ex: "They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom."

Juxtaposition: In composition, the placing of verbal elements side by side, leaving
it up to the reader to establish connections and impose a meaning.
Ex: Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay
Hortative Sentence: A sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats , implores ,or calls
to action.
Ex: It is the duty which you owe to yourselves to look this matter
fairly in the face, remembering that the better part of the valor is
discretion.

Antithesis: Opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction.
Ex: "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here,
but it can never forget what they did here."

Euphemism: An indirect word or expression substituted for one that is considered
too harsh or blunt. Used to breeze over a taboo or embarrassing topic.
Ex: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Polysyndeton: A rhetorical term for a sentence style that employs many
coordinating conjunctions (the opposite of asyndeton).
Ex: "[I]t is respectable to have no illusions--and safe--and profitable-
-and dull."

Assonance: The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in neighboring
words.
Ex: "If I bleat when I speak it's because I just got . . . fleeced."

Metonymy: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for
another with which it is closely associated (such as "crown" for "royalty").
Ex: "In a corner, a cluster of lab coats made lunch plans."