Rhetorical Devices

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Rhetorical Devices

• Ways to give our writing stylistic interest or
  power

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Two ways . . .

• SYNTAX
• The way we arrange our words
• length/grammar
• types of sentences
• voice (active/passive)
• structural variations

• DICTION
• The words we actually choose
• imagery
• ideas
• sound

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SYNTAX Types of sentences

• Simple (The cow sang.)
• Compound (The cow sang and the birds hummed
  along.)
• Complex (When the cow sang, the birds hummed
  along.)
• Compound Complex (When the cows sang, the birds
  hummed along and the humans thought of the
  Macdonalds theme song)

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Sentence lengths

• Very short sentences can add emphasis
• Long sentences can develop complex ideas, and
  build tension
• Sentence fragments can add extra punch

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Voice

• Different speakers often organize their sentence
  in different ways that suggests their personality
  (Oh, I do believe, unless Im wrong, that perhaps
  it is time to be off)
• Using the active voice is punchier than using the
  passive voice
• I raised taxes (active voice)
• Taxes were raised by me (passive voice)

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Structural Variations

• Periodic Sentences
• I, after much thought, left my home

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Structural Variations Parallelism
Parallelism clauses or phrases of similar structure I loved the ones best who cared for me, who fought for me, and who died for me
Antithesis balanced sentences contrasting each other You always want to know what Ive been doing I always want to forget what Ive been doing.
Climactic Parallelism parallel phrases that build I was born tall, grew up tall, and I died even taller.
Chiasmus parallel phrases with reversed elements When the going gets tough, the tough get going
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DICTIONCONNOTATIVE WORDS Words with
interesting associated meanings (black, white,
slobbering, lunged, . . .)
IMAGERY IDEAS SOUND
Metaphor/simile repetition assonance
Symbol exaggeration consonance
Analogy understatement rhyme
Allusion contrast onomatopoeia
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Imagery (creating pictures)

• Metaphor He is a rat! He scurried from the room
• Simile He scurried like a rat.
• Symbol Every day the maple leaf was being pecked
  at by the eagle
• Analogy a formal essay is a three-piece suit an
  informal
• essay is khakis and a golf shirt
• Allusion I loved with a passion like Romeo loved
  his Juliet

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IDEAS

• Repetition I have a dream (Martin Luther King
  Jr. speech series of paragraphs)
• Exaggeration Speaking to the class was my worst
  nightmare! (Hyperbole)
• Understatement I was somewhat pleased to win the
  Lotto Jackpot.
• Contrast Richard Parker would be a better travel
  mate than my sister.

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SOUND EFFECTS

• Assonance Able, and capable, and full, I waited
  for my call. (repeating vowel sounds when at
  start of word, it is called alliteration)
• Consonance I am happy when Im particularly
  uppity. (repeating consonant soundswhen
  at start of word, it is called
  alliteration)
• Rhyme Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee
• Onomatopoeia Screech! Bang! Boom!

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Let our readers FEEL and UNDERSTAND using the
power of rhetoric