Rhetorical Devices

Asyndeton

A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions. Ex: "Powder rises from a compact, platters full of peppermints, a bowl of sour pudding. A cup of milk before me tastes of melted almonds."

Irony

Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true. a literary device is a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality. For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning Ex: "A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter." Swift makes use of verbal irony in his essay in which he advocates eating children as a means of solving the issue of famine and poverty. Of course, Swift does not literally mean what he is saying. Instead, his verbal irony is used to showcase the dire situation faced by those who are impoverished and their limited resources or solutions. In addition, this irony is meant as a call to action among those who are not suffering from hunger and poverty to act in a charitable way towards those less fortunate.

Sarcasm

When a speaker is being sarcastic, they are saying something different than what they actually mean. Can convey a writer and/or character's true feelings of frustration, anger, and even derision, though veiled by the presence of humor and wording that is inconsistent with what is intended. EX: "When I was all set to go, when I had my bags and all, I stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down the goddam corridor. I was sort of crying. I don't know why. I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, 'Sleep tight, ya morons!'"

Wit

a clever expression of thought; whether harmless or aggressive, with or without any disparaging intent toward something or someone. Has paradoxical and mocking quality, and evokes laughter through apt phrasing. It is a cleverly woven expression and idea that evokes pleasure and amusement when used appropriately.(comedic) Ex: "My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;Where can we find two better hemispheres,Without sharp north, without declining west?Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;If our two loves be one, or, thou and ILove so alike, that none do slacken, none can die." used plenty of wit and conceit in this poem. He has presented a comparison between his beloved and two hemispheres which form the earth. This unusual comparison between the speaker and his beloved makes the reader feel pleased, making it a good example of the use of wit in a poem.

Analogy

a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Ex: And I began to let him go. Hour by hour. Days into months. It was a physical sensation, like letting out the string of a kite. Except that the string was coming from my center. (Augusten Burroughs)

Synthesia

a figure of speech in which one sense is described using terms from another. For example, you might say, "The silence was as thick as a forest." Ex: "IAGO: Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!It is the green-eyed monster which doth mockThe meat it feeds on."

Metonymy

a figure of speech in which something is called by a new name that is related in meaning to the original thing or concept. Ex: "MARCELLUS: Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." Shakespeare used metonymy in many of his plays and poems. This line from Hamlet is often repeated. We are made to understand that "the state of Denmark" stands in for the whole royal system and government. The rottenness is not widespread over the entire country, but instead is limited to the dealings of those in power. In this case, the character Claudius has come to power in a suspicious way, and those surrounding him feel unease at the new order.

Syllogism

a form of logical reasoning that joins two or more premises to arrive at a conclusion. Ex: "All love is wonder; if we justly doAccount her wonderful, why not lovely too?"

Exposition

a form of writing that explains what's happening or has happened in the story in a very matter-of-fact way. Ex: "Harry had been a year old the night that Voldemort—the most powerful Dark wizard for a century, a wizard who had ben gaining power steadily for eleven years—arrived at his house and killed his father and mother. Voldemort had then turned his wand on Harry; ha had performed the curse that had disposed of many full-grown witches and wizards in his steady rise to power—and, incredibly, it had not worked."

Appositive

a noun phrase or a noun that defines or explains another noun, which it follows. Ex: "Angry at Brady, I began yelling but stopped when I looked at him, a sweet little puppy unaware of his wrongdoing and still not quite housetrained."

Litotes

a phrase that utilizes negative wording or terms to express a positive assertion or statement. a form of understatement by using negation to express the contrary meaning. Ex: "I lived at West Egg, the — well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them."

Syndeton

a regular compound sentence; only a few conjunctions used. Ex: I want to eat, but I have to take a shower first.

Paradox

a statement that appears at first to be contradictory, but upon reflection then makes sense. Ex: "JULIET: My only love sprung from my only hate!Too early seen unknown, and known too late!Prodigious birth of love it is to me,That I must love a loathèd enemy." "Shakespeare used many examples of paradox in his plays and poems, and this is just one such example. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is based on a paradox. Juliet expresses it in this quote, that her "only love sprung from [her] only hate." It is unexpected that love should spring from hate to the extent that it seems impossible. However, the story of Romeo and Juliet shows the deeper truth of love and hate—they are not so irreconcilable after all."

imperative

a type of sentence that gives instructions or advice, and expresses a command, an order, a direction, or a request. Ex: "Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams;Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round."

Understatement

a way of speaking which minimizes the significance of something. a speaker or writer often employs restraint in describing the situation at hand and uses an expression with less emphasis or strength than would be expected. Ex: "I'll go with you and I'll stay with you all the time. They just let the air in and then it's all perfectly natural."

double entendre

a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent. The same word with 2 meanings. Ex: At a local farmer's market, a woman is working at a fruit stand. A man walks up... Man: "Wow, those are some huge melons you've got there. Did you grow them yourself? Can I see one?" Woman: "EXCUSE ME?" Man points to a pile of watermelons behind her Man: "The watermelons, can I see one?" Woman: "Oh, yes, of course. Here you go." What happened in this scene is a common scenario in comedy. The man meant one thing, but the language he used formed a double entendre, and the woman thought he was saying something inappropriate!

Antecedent

an earlier clause, phrase or word to which a pronoun, another word or a noun refers back to. A literary device in which a word or pronoun in a line or sentence refers to an earlier word. Ex: David plays football in the courtyard. All the children have gathered there.

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. Ex: "Don't act like a Romeo in front of her."

Parody

an imitation of a writer, artist, subject, or genre in such a way as to make fun of or comment on the original work. often exaggerated in the way they imitate the original in order to produce a humorous effect. (not always funny) Ex: "Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing."

Foil

character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character to highlight the traits of the other character. May also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things. Ex: "He ain't no cuckoo," said George. "He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy. An' I ain't so bright neither, or I wouldn't be buckin' barley for my fifty and found."

Contradiction

combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another. Ex: "a snowy summer's day."

Elements of Satire

irony, hyperbole, sarcasm, understatement, parody, & wit.

Chiasmus

it refers to a grammatical structure that inverts a previous phrase. That is, you say one thing, and then you say something very similar, but flipped around. Ex: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, 1961)

Antithesis

means "opposite," is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect. Antithesis emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses. Ex: Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.

Concession

one acknowledges a point made by one's opponent. It allows for different opinions and approaches toward an issue, indicating an understanding of what causes the actual debate or controversy. Ex: "An individual does have his own right to freedom, but medical evidence proves that second-hand smoke is harmful. Nobody has the right to harm the health of another, and smoking does just that."

Euphemism

refers to polite, indirect expressions that replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite, or which suggest something unpleasant. Ex: "'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase All the right junk in all the right places" - Meghan Trainor's song uses numerous euphemistic phrases to describe a figure with curves in positive ways, encouraging women to embrace their figures no matter what their size.

tautology

states the same thing twice in slightly different wording, or adds redundant and unnecessary words. Ex: "HAMLET: Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,"

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. It allow writers to convey, emphasize, and reinforce meaning. Ex: "We came, we saw, we conquered."

Aposiopesis

the speaker or writer breaks off abruptly, and leaves the statement incomplete. It is as if the speaker is not willing to state what is present in his mind, due to being overcome by passion, excitement, or fear. Ex: "That all the world shall - I will do such things -" "All quiet on Howth now. The distant hills seem. Where we. The rhododendrons. I am a fool perhaps, He gets the plums, and I the plumstones. Where I come in."

Equivocation

the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; Ex: In Star Wars: A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke the Darth Vader "betrayed and murdered your father." [SPOILER:] It turns out that Darth Vader actually is Luke's father, and that Obi-Wan was speaking metaphorically. Anakin Skywalker, the good man who sired Luke, was betrayed and "killed" by his own vicious impulses and the dark side of the Force and ultimately turned into Darth Vader.

Juxtaposition

two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem, for the purpose of developing comparisons. Maybe not necessarily to compare & contrast but to make a point! Ex: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Assonance

two or more words, close to one another repeat the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds. Ex: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary"

Conceit

two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors. Ex: "The broken heart is a damaged china pot." "Thou counterfeit'st a bark, a sea, a wind;For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea,Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is,Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sighs;Who, raging with thy tears, and they with them,Without a sudden calm, will oversetThy tempest-tossed body." (Romeo & Juliet)

Polysyndeton

uses multiple repetitions of the same conjunction (and, but, if, etc), most commonly the word "and." Ex: "The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun."

Satire

uses wit for the purpose of social criticism. Irony and sarcasm are often an important aspect of satire. often use juxtaposition, analogy, parody, and double entendre to highlight their points. Ex: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift, one of the leading satirists of his day, wrote Gulliver's Travels as a satire of human nature and especially an anti-Whig satire. Lemuel Gulliver travels to several different lands, including the famous encounter with the Lilliputians, a society of people only a few inches tall. One example of satire in the book is that some Lilliputian men wear high heels and others wear low heels. The men who wear low heels are in power and will only appoint other men to government who wear low heels. Clearly, government appointments have nothing to do with ability—this is a direct attack on the separation of Whigs and Tories in English culture.