Rhetorical Devices

*Anaphora/Epistrophe/Symploce Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- A= writer repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple clauses or sentences to build a sense of climax (ordering the phrases from least to most important) - E= the same word or phrase is repeated at the end of multiple clauses or sentences to establish emphasis on the last phrase (in turn becomes a sort of punctuation mark) - S= combines both Anaphora and Epistrophe creating a form of completion as well as emphasis ex.) Repeat the phrase for style. Repeat the phrase for emphasis. Repeat the phrase for clarity. But repeat the phrase. 1.) A: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up...." 2.) E: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 3.) S: We enjoy life when we know ourselves to be free of temptation and sin, but we enjoy life also when we give ourselves completely to temptation and sin.

*Simile Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- a device in which the writer compares two things that are already somewhat related ex.) A good simile is like a clean window looking into the mind of the writer. 1.) Using the word "like": The shower room, steamy like a Louisiana summer, rang with the athletes' jubilant laughter. 2.) Using the word "so": The night is gentle and quiet: so, too, is my love for her. 3.) Using the word "as": You should sing tonight as a bird in spring, calling for its mate. 4.) Using the word "than": The Philadelphia Phillies have less chance of winning a World Series than a plow horse has of winning the Kentucky Derby.

*Sententia Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- a fancy term for a quotation, maxim, or wise saying (use to sum up what you've been talking about) ex.) A word to the wise is sufficient. ex.) Write appropriately for your audience, and do not cast your pearls before swine. 1.) As is often said, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 2.) We would do well to remember, however, that all is fair in love and war. 3.) After all, Rome was not built in a day. (used to summarize political argument as to why a highway project has not been completed)

*Allusion Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- a reference to some fairly well-known event, place, or person. ex.) You don't have to be Holden Caulfield to appreciate a good allusion. ex.) Good allusions can give your writing the beauty of Helen and the power of Achilles. 1.) He held the trophy aloft like Perseus holding the Gorgon's head. 2.) There was no burning bush, but he acted as though the instructions came from on high. 3.) He delivered the line as if he were playing Hamlet for Shakespeare himself. 4.) It was like Romeo and Juliet, only it ended in tragedy.

*Climax Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- a way of organizing ideas in your writing so that they proceed from the least to the most important. You slowly build your reader up to a state of excitement, then deliver your crowning statements. ex.) From concept, to plan, to fully developed paper.... ex.) Start with an idea, gather information, and take the appropriate action. 1.) He began his career writing horoscopes for a local paper. By nineteen, he was writing front-page stories. At twenty-two, he published his first collection of short essays. And just nine days shy of his twenty-sixth birthday, he won the Pulitzer for his work at The New York Times. 2.) Caution can be a useful human emotion. Fear tends to cloud our better judgement. Anger turns us away from what we know to be right. Hate overwhelms us and ultimately devours our humanity. 3.) Curiosity leads to discovery, leads to knowledge, leads to wisdom.

*Understatement Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- the force of a descriptive statement is LESS than what one would normally expect ex.) You might find this device somewhat helpful as well. 1.) Whatever his faults, Sir Isaac Newton did have a fairly good mind for science. 2.) The Middle East is currently having some political squabbles. 3.) To the uninitiated, neurophysiology can be a but of a challenge.

*Anadiplosis/Conduplicatio Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- anadiplosis takes the last word of a sentence or phrase and repeats it near the beginning of the next sentence or phrase. - conduplicatio takes an important word from anywhere in one sentence or phrase and repeats it at the beginning of the next sentence or phrase. ex.) Repeat key words for emphasis, emphasis that will drive home your key point. ex.) Repeat to emphasize, emphasize to clarify, clarify, clarify to instruct. 1.) A: In education we find the measure of our own ignorance; in ignorance we find the beginning of wisdom. 2.) C: This law destroys the fruits of thirty years of struggle, bringing us back to a less enlightened time. Law should be evolutionary, building up rather than tearing down. 3.) C: Seeing that they hear, do we not ask if they speak? Seeing that they speak, do we not ask if they reason? Seeing that they reason, do we not question whether we are more alike than not?

*Epithet Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- attaching a descriptive adjective to a noun to bring a scene to life or evoke a particular idea or emotion; connecting an unexpected adjective to a noun brings the subject alive ex.) You'll certainly devour this section with carnivorous interest. ex.) As a reader, you'll be refreshed by the writer's mouthwatering use of this device. 1.) On the day of the historic battle, the ferocious sun rose early and looked bloody. 2.) A healing wind blew through the diseased hospital. 3.) It's a mesmerizing argument, but if you keep your focus you'll see it for what it really is. 4.) Glossy hair rippled over powerful muscles as the horses ran free in the pasture. 5.) An amazing tree rose before us, easily over three hundred feet tall and covered in small, silvery leaves. 6.) The verdict changed the hostile atmosphere into one of celebration.

*Metaphor Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- closely related to the simile, but a metaphor speaks of one thing as though it actually were another. ex.) The metaphor is the window to the poet's soul. ex.) The metaphor is the old sock of the rhetorical world; you wear it every day, but never pay it much attention. ex.) The subtle, yet powerful, metaphor is the engine that drives a well-communicated thought. 1.) Dr. King was truly a king among men. 2.) The report was released yesterday, a beacon of hope in these troubled times. 3.) She had the smile of a newborn baby. 4.) A teacher has access to the most precious of commodities: the fertile soil of a young mind. 5.) That trunk of old clothes in my grandmother's attic was a morgue of fashion disasters from the past six decades.

*Hyperbole Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- consists of exaggerating some part of your statement in order to give it emphasis or focus ex.) This is the most popular and commonly used rhetorical device in the entire world of rhetorical devices! 1.) Make a point stronger: There are more reasons for NASA to fund a trip to Jupiter than there are miles in the journey. 2.) Snap reader out of trance through metaphor: At these words, the people became so silent you could hear a beating heart from across the room. 3.) Exaggerate differences between 2 things: Compared to the world during the last Ice Age, a Minnesota winter feels like spring in Hawaii.

*Rhetorical Question Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- cousin to hypophora, but this technique is one in which you ask a question where the answer is merely implied. ex.) Don't you want to know how to use them well? 1.) In this age of modernity, can we truly condone such horrific acts? 2.) How can we expect a man to give more than we ourselves are willing to give? 3.) Do you want a world in which those dearest to you can know peace and safety or a world in which every moment carries with it the constant fear of death?

*Synecdoche/Metonymy Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- deal with using a part of something, or something closely related, to refer to a larger whole (S is the use of a part of something to represent the whole)(M is when you refer to something closely related to the actual object, and use that as a way of referring to the object itself) ex.) Give an ear to these two handy stylistic devices. 1.) S: When the beautician opened her own shop, she took twenty heads with her from the shop where she used to work. 2.) S: The Heart Association's fundraiser dinner cost $35 a seat. 3.) S: I was amazed at how many mouths they had to feed on such a small income. 1.) M: The brass showed up unexpectedly and performed a surprising inspection. 2.) M: The Throne has issued an order that the troops will be paid by Thursday.

*Asyndeton/Polysyndeton Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- handles conjunctions in non-standard ways (Asyndeton leaves out conjunctions while polysyndeton puts conjunctions between each item)(A is used when the list created was spontaneous and not quite finished/ adds fast movement to the writing/less structured)(P is used when there is an increasing urgency and power/ a hypnotic rhythm forming/draws more attention to individual items vs. the list as a whole) ex.) Asyndeton is one of the best, most expressive, effective rhetorical devices there is, while polysyndeton is interesting and instructional and stylish. 1.) A: Jockeying for room on the table were turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, pies, rolls, butter, cranberry sauce, a cornucopia of vegetables. 2.) A: First-century Jerusalem was truly multilingual city with Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew all competing to be heard in a veritable Tower of Babel. 1.) P: His hair and face and eyes and mouth combined to form an image of absolute power. 2.) P: I slithered under the sheets, and under the blankets, and under the top quilt to evade the monsters.

*Parataxis Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- listing a series of clauses with no conjunctions (similar to asyndeton, but parataxis relates to clauses); implies a sense of immediacy, indicating multiple things happening at once, even though that may not be the case ex.) Think of a topic, jot down your ideas, write your essay. 1.) My dad went to Las Vegas, he lost his money, he came home. 2.) We walked, we ate, we made merry in the streets. 3.) I came, I saw, I conquered. 4.) The coat was a riot of color: green, blue, red, yellow, orange, purple, pink. 5.) We sat on the porch, listening to the silence of the evening: the whispering breeze in the tall grass, the crickets chirping, dove cooing, waves lapping, the terrified scream of a woman on the dock.

*Antithesis Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- makes use of contrast in language to bring out a contrast in ideas ex.) A fairly simple way to show a complex thought. 1.) Contrasting any of the different parts of a statement: Life can be kind and cruel, full of hope and heartache. 2.) Point out fine distinction in an issue by presenting them together: *We live within our limits, for we are men, not gods. *I speak not from ignorance, but from experience. *War is not fought to achieve joy, but rather to avoid pain.

*Analogy Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- more down-to-earth version of the simile. Both compare two things for a specific purpose, but the simile does so for stylistic flair, the analogy does so for more of a pragmatic reason. The analogy makes use of something already well known to explain something that is less well known. ex.) The analogy is as important to the writer as the computer model is to the builder. ex.) Analogies clarify and expand ideas in much that same way that pop-up greeting cards heighten the impact of the message. 1.) When your enemy comes to you in pain, you must do whatever is in your power to help ease that pain. For when a child comes to you in pain, do you not do everything you can? Know then that in the eyes of the Lord we are all His children. 2.) The desire for wealth, when unchecked, can lead only to great evil. For though a man may begin with but a sip of wine, without restraint, the urge will grow until one day he is a drunkard, blinded to all but his need, taking whatever steps are needed to find his fix. 3.) As the endless waves wash eternally upon the shore, so does true love overwhelm the soul. 4.) Those who oppose abortion and cite the right of life must also oppose death penalty in the name of the same right. To say that euthanasia takes the decision of life and death out of God's hands and puts it into human hands is to admit that the artificial extension of life is likewise tantamount to playing God.

*Exemplum Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- providing your reader with an example to illustrate your point ex.) You'll find this device to be very useful, especially in research papers, for example, when you want to cite specific authorities or quote specific sources. ex.) Most rhetorical devices, for instance the exemplum, help the writer communicate with the reader. 1.) An example can be seen in the Seattle general strike of 1919, when for five days more than sixty thousand workers ground the city to a halt. 2.) Let us consider a woman born into poverty; let us see that she has no opportunity for education, no encouragement from her parents, and no financial resources to fall back on. Can we truly contend the choices open to her in life are equal to a man's? 3.) People are often attracted to things which are forbidden to them. During the 1920s, for example, Prohibition in the United States caused illicit alcohol sales to skyrocket. 4.) As anyone who has ridden public transit knows, graffiti has no limits on what is said or restrictions on where it can be found. 5.) Alcohol-related fatalities tend to be lower in areas that use law enforcement checkpoints to identify drunk drivers, just to offer one example.

*Procatalepsis Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- relative to hypophora, but while hypophora can ask any sort of question, the procatalepsis deals specifically with objections, and usually does so without even asking the question. ex.) Some will insist that the formal study of rhetoric is unnecessary. 1.) There are those who would say the American people could never make such sacrifices. To them I say: have we forgotten World War II so soon? Let us remember the rationing of tin and milk, of copper and eggs. Let us remember the hours spent in prayer, at work, and in battle on the front. Let us remember a people coming together for one noble purpose, and making whatever sacrifices were needed to achieve that common goal. 2.) This is an objection one often hears raised by certain people--usually liberal to a fault, frightened of their own shadow, and worried about doing anything that may be interrupted as aggressive. We can respect their concerns, but at the same time, must recognize that they are not our own. 3.) It may be pointed out that the proposed tax plan adds a burden to a small number of families in the upper brackets. While this may be true, the benefits offered to those who are most in need must surely outweigh a small bit of hardship to those who are not.

*Eponym Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- similar to an allusion, referring to a specific famous person to link his or her attributes with someone else. ex.) Keep moving through these devices, and soon you'll be a regular Hemingway. ex.) With care and a little effort, even your schools Forrest Gump can become its Faulkner. 1.) A modern day Moses, he led his nation to a new beginning. 2.) The senator, with the patience of Job, endured setback after setback, until his time finally came. 3.) No one expected our second-rate team to win that game, but no one knew our secret weapon. He was our Prometheus, snatching fire from the gods that we might triumph. 4.) She ran around frantically, Alice chasing the rabbit. 5.) This modern-day da Vinci has a long list of amazing accomplishments. 6.) When we played "Clue", Kanye was a regular Sherlock Holmes; he won every game.

*Litotes Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- similar to understatement but emphasizes its point by using a word opposite to the condition ex.) What you'll learn in this section isn't bad. 1.) A cup of coffee would not be unwelcome. 2.) It's not the smartest idea I've ever heard. 3.) That store is not in the most convenient location.

*Enumeratio Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- supplying a list of details about something to expand on a central idea, lending force to that idea by enumerating its many different facets ex.) This section will cover two essential ideas: what enumeratio is, and when it is appropriately used. ex.) Your intentional use of rhetorical devices, especially enumeratio, simile, and parenthesis, will mark you as a skillful writer. 1.) Single words: "I went to the mall, the park, the river, the salon, and, finally, home." 2.) Point-by-point analysis: "There are three main reason we should pay attention to this: first, the impact on our home town could be substantial; second, as voting citizens, we have a responsibility to keep abreast of changes in the political structure; and third, if no one pays attention to these things, politicians will have carte blanche to do whatever they choose." 3.) Enumeratio and hypophora: "There are plenty of great sites to choose from when visiting Washington, D.C. You can go to the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Gallery, the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, Ford's Theatre, and the International Spy Museum, to name just a few."

*Personification Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- the act of giving human attributes to something that is non-human; helps the reader understand particular qualities of whatever they're writing about ex.) Your writing will spring to life and energize your readers with fire-breathing ideas. 1.) We expect freedom to spread its wings across the globe and allow oppressed people to enjoy its warmth. 2.) The cool wind gently bathed the runner's hot and tired body. 3.) I like my steak so raw that it gets up and tries to walk away.

*Hypophora Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- the technique of asking a question, then proceeding to answer it. ex.) So what is this? Read on, and you will see. 1.) How do we know this to be true? We have observed it in the lab. 2.) What then of the future? Let come what may, and we shall meet in without fear. 3.) Do we then submit to our oppressor? No. No. A thousand times, no.

*Distinctio Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- the writer elaborates on the definition of a word, to make sure there is no misunderstanding ex.) This will be a most informative section--informative in the sense that you will learn some new ideas, as well as clarify some things you might have thought you already knew. 1.) Communism, by which I mean the socialist communalism which comes after the centralized state, has yet to be tried anywhere in the real world. 2.) At this point, we have a short time left--a short time being less than fifty years. 3.) Is the software easy to use (can my ninety-year-old grandmother learn it) or difficult (do I need a degree in computer science)?

*Zeugma Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- unexpected items in a sentence are linked together by a shared word (subject by verb, pronoun by nouns, direct objects by verbs, adjectival phrases by verbs); great way to forge strong connections between different parts of your sentence/ make reader see parts as closely related ex.) With mastery of this device, join two words and the ranks of skillful writers. ex.) This section will strive to teach the device and the student. 1.) On the same day, the judge tried the high-profile murder case and his wife's homemade soup. 2.) The abandoned dance hall was full of broken glass and hearts. 3.) I've spent too much time and money on this project and your happiness already.

*Aporia Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- used to express doubt about an idea/ show a number of different sides to an argument, without personally committing to any ex.) It's possible this device should not come next, but we'll give it a try. 1.) I'm unsure whether to be in favor of harsher penalties or opposed to them, as the arguments on both sides seem very strong. 2.) There are those who say creating wealth, no matter who profits from it immediately, ultimately helps everyone--an idea that, while I have yet to be persuaded, seems convincing to me. 3.) I have heard that native deer populations in North America seem to be on the decline, and I don't know what to say about that. In my experience it seems our town is inundated by these creatures. (phrases to be aware of include: "I don't know....."; "I cannot say...."; "I'm unaware of...."; "I often wonder...."; "I'm not convinced...."; "I have never understood")

*Parenthesis Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- used to insert an aside or additional information into the main flow of your writing; can either be actual parenthesis (less effective), or commas and dashes (more effective) ex.) Here is where you will learn how to handle supplemental material, material that helps to expand and clarify your ideas. ex.) The use of an aside--especially one that asks the reader to pause on an idea--can be very powerful. 1.) This continued for many years--some would say far longer than it should have--before a new brand of politician put an end to it. 2.) On Christmas Day, 1492, the ship, 70 feet long, with three masts and a crew of 28 men, ran aground on the coast of Haiti. 3.)The governor--fool that he is--vetoed the bill even after it passed both houses of the legislature unanimously.

*Metabasis Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- used to sum up the body of the work that has come before, so you can move on to the next point; remind audience of the most crucial areas of piece (uses as the concluding sentence of a paragraph; ex. "Now that we have covered politicians and their agendas, along with their relationship to the news media, it is also important to consider campaign finance.") ex.) Before we continue, let's consider the devices we've already covered and anticipate what is still to come... 1.) Having dealt as we have with the many devices used by a writer in his craft, we shall now proceed to examine those devices a reader may make use of to analyze a piece of literature. 2.) I have laid out for you neatly and in proper array the various flaws in the current system. Let me next offer you workable alternatives. 3.) The previous passages explain when they got here, and who brought them. The next quotation shows how and why they made the journey.

*Antanagoge Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- way of ordering points to downplay negative points so the reader feels less strongly about them (place negative point next to positive one) ex.) The formal names of these devices might be confusing, but certainly their use is extremely important for someone who wants to be a top-notch writer. ex.) Our repetition of several of these devices might seem tedious at first, but it will help you learn to recognize and use them in the long run. 1.) She can be quick to anger, but when you're in need, she'll always be there. 2.)The car might cost a bit more than other models when it's new, but it more than pays for itself by not breaking down nearly so often as cheaper ones. 3.) I know that in the past it has failed--and on occasion failed miserably--but advances in technology, massive investments from the private sector, and a changed political climate all make the future much, much brighter. 4.) While it might seem that extensive testing is counterproductive, numerous studies have shown that it is an important part of the evaluative process, and the ultimate result will be more satisfying. 5.) When I heard it would take three weeks to be delivered, I began to question why I had ordered the product at all. However, the TV was everything that I dreamed of and well worth the wait.

****Apostrophe**** Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- writer breaks out of the flow of the writing to directly address a person or personified object; text must break free and speak directly to something or someone (used in creative and emotionally charged writing) ex.) My friend, if you learn to use apostrophe well, you will surely be a beloved writer. ex.) It is obvious, astute reader that you are, that using apostrophe can assist in getting your point across. 1.) So the sun set over Paris--Paris, my first love, sultry and secretive, beguiling and shy, how I wanted to hold you forever as the sun went down that summer day. 2.) So we near our conclusion, and I must ask you, my wise reader, to bear with me for one more small digression. 3.) Liberty, O glorious triumph of man, O mighty force that ends all tyranny! Wherever man shakes off his shackles, there you dwell!

*Amplification Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- writers repeat something they've just said, while adding more detail and information to the original description; focuses readers attention on an idea he or she might otherwise miss ex.) This is an important device--more than mere repetition--it's an actual expansion of the information already given. 1.) Next we come to the fruit fly--the drosophila melanogaster, that tiny, insubstantial bug, on whom the foundations of biology have rested for so long. 2.) It was a cold day, a wicked day, a day of biting winds and bitter frost. 3.) Look to the genome for our future, a future free of disease and decay. 4.) The Earth's climate has indeed changed over time--time that is measured in eons rather than years.

*Hyperbaton Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

- you arrange the words in your sentence in an unexpected order. This makes certain parts stand out or to make the entire sentence jump off the page. ex.) Word order, unusual but artistic.... 1.) You have to admit it was a long year, but bearable. 2.) Intentions profit nothing, only promises kept matter. 3.) This sort of family argument necessitates a long arbitration, courtroom style. 4.) Bread that is fresh in the oven baked. 5.) "Amen", noisily the churchgoers echoed. 6.) To a nunnery, go! 7.) A single swallow doth not a spring make.

*Parallelism/Chiasmus Strategy, Organization, Style, or Analysis of Reading?

-Parallelism= using the same general structure for multiple parts of a sentence, or for multiple sentences in order to link them all (verb and adverb followed by parallel verb and adverb) 1.) The manor--designed for beauty and grace, built for durability and strength, and located for privacy and safety--was the ideal home for those three children. 2.) The burglar shinnied up up the drainpipe, delicately opened the window that had conveniently been left unlocked, stealthily forced his body through, and crashed down loudly on the kitchen floor. - Chiasmus= special form of parallelism that flips the original form around (verb and adverb, followed by an adverb and verb in an inverted order) 1.) I have journeyed in the lands of the spirit, drunk from the fountains of wisdom, rested beneath the trees of eternity, and, to the land of my birth, I have returned. ex.) To communicate is to speak, to pause, and to listen. To listen, to pause, and then to speak is to communicate well. ex.) The writer who understands the rules of language, the principles of rhetoric, and the needs of audience is the writer who succeeds.