Rhetorical devices are words used to convey meaning, persuade, or evoke emotions. You will find the definitions for 19 of them on this page along with an example for each. There is also a video of about them if you don’t feel like reading. If you have any questions or something to add, please email Marci@RegalLessons.com.
Rhetorical Devices Video
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Alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
Anaphora
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines
“Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!” –King John, Shakespeare
Antithesis
places opposite ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more.” –Julius Caesar, Shakespeare
Aporia
the speaker expresses fake doubt by asking a rhetorical question
“The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or of men?” – Jesus
Aposiopesis
a sudden pause or interruption in the middle of a sentence for dramatic effect
“Don’t go, or else…!”
Apostrophe
a sudden turn from the audience to address a specific person or object (real or imaginative)
“Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me.” –Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Conduplicatio
repetition of a key word over successive phrases or clauses
“Double Stuf Oreos: milk’s favorite cookie, with double the flavor and double the amount. Buy Double Stuf Oreos today, and double your fun!” -Oreo, Nabisco
Euphemism
replaces a rude or offensive expression with a more pleasant one
“He passed away.”
Hyperbole
exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect
“I died laughing.”
Irony
words mean something contrary to what is actually said
“I named the elephant ‘Tiny.'”
Paralipsis
pretends to omit something by drawing attention to it
“I won’t even mention that my rival is a poor student.”
Personification
giving human characteristics to non-human objects
“The pen danced across the author’s page.”
Polysyndenton
conjunctions are used repeatedly to create rhythm and emphasis
“[They] spoke the language of duty and morality and loyalty and obligation.” -William F. Buckley
Rhetorical question
a question that is posed for emphasis, not requiring and answer
“Art thou mad? Is not the truth the truth?” –Henry IV, Shakespeare
Synecdoche
a part or quality of something is used in substitution of the whole or vice versa
“She showed us her new set of wheels.”
Understatement
deliberately de-emphasizing something in order to downplay its importance
“The Internet has somewhat improved international communication.”
Ethos
try to persuade using credibility
“My three decades of experience in public service make me your ideal mayor.”
Pathos
try to persuade using emotion
“If you don’t adopt this puppy, he may never find a home.”
Logos
try to persuade using logic, facts, and figures
“Students who study earn better grades, so you should study.”
That’s it for rhetorical devices.
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