what is a rhetorical devices essay

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

What is a rhetorical device and why are they used.

As with all fields of serious and complicated human endeavor (that can be considered variously as an art, a science, a profession, or a hobby), there is a technical vocabulary associated with writing. Rhetoric is the name for the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion, and though a writer doesn’t need to know the specific labels for certain writing techniques in order to use them effectively, it is sometimes helpful to have a handy taxonomy for the ways in which words and ideas are arranged. This can help to discuss and isolate ideas that might otherwise become abstract and confusing. As with the word rhetoric itself, many of these rhetorical devices come from Greek.

Ready, set, rhetoric.

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables

wild and woolly, threatening throngs

Syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence especially : a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another

you really should have—well, what do you expect?

Repetition of a prominent and usually the last word in one phrase or clause at the beginning of the next

rely on his honor—honor such as his?

A literary technique that involves interruption of the chronological sequence of events by interjection of events or scenes of earlier occurrence : flashback

Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground

The repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different and sometimes contrary meaning from the first

we must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately

The usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings

this giant of 3 feet 4 inches

The use of a proper name to designate a member of a class (such as a Solomon for a wise ruler) OR the use of an epithet or title in place of a proper name (such as the Bard for Shakespeare)

The raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it

we won't discuss his past crimes

An expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty especially for rhetorical effect

to be, or not to be: that is the question

Harshness in the sound of words or phrases

An inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases

working hard, or hardly working?

A disjunctive conclusion inferred from a single premise

gravitation may act without contact; therefore, either some force may act without contact or gravitation is not a force

The substitution of a disagreeable, offensive, or disparaging expression for an agreeable or inoffensive one

greasy spoon is a dysphemism for the word diner

Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

of the people, by the people, for the people

Emphatic repetition [ this definition is taken from the 1934 edition of Webster's Unabridged dictionary ]

An interchange of two elements in a phrase or sentence from a more logical to a less logical relationship

you are lost to joy for joy is lost to you

A transposition or inversion of idiomatic word order

judge me by my size, do you?

Extravagant exaggeration

mile-high ice-cream cones

The putting or answering of an objection or argument against the speaker's contention [ this definition is taken from the 1934 edition of Webster's Unabridged dictionary ]

Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

not a bad singer

The presentation of a thing with underemphasis especially in order to achieve a greater effect : UNDERSTATEMENT

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them ( Metaphor vs. Simile )

drowning in money

A figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated

crown as used in lands belonging to the crown

The naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it

A combination of contradictory or incongruous words

cruel kindness

The use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense : REDUNDANCY

I saw it with my own eyes

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by "like" or "as"

cheeks like roses

The use of a word in the same grammatical relation to two adjacent words in the context with one literal and the other metaphorical in sense

she blew my nose and then she blew my mind

A figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships ), the whole for a part (such as society for high society ), the species for the genus (such as cutthroat for assassin ), the genus for the species (such as a creature for a man ), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as boards for stage )

The use of a word to modify or govern two or more words usually in such a manner that it applies to each in a different sense or makes sense with only one

opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy

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What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples

• An Introduction to Punctuation

• B.A., English, Rutgers University

A rhetorical device is a linguistic tool that employs a particular type of sentence structure, sound, or pattern of meaning in order to evoke a particular reaction from an audience. Each rhetorical device is a distinct tool that can be used to construct an argument or make an existing argument more compelling.  

Any time you try to inform, persuade , or argue with someone, you’re engaging in rhetoric. If you’ve ever had an emotional reaction to a speech or changed your mind about an issue after hearing a skilled debater's rebuttal, you've experienced the power of rhetoric. By developing a basic knowledge of rhetorical devices, you can improve your ability to process and convey information while also strengthening your persuasive skills. 

Types of Rhetorical Devices

There are four types of rhetorical devices:

• Logos. Devices in this category seek to convince and persuade via logic and reason. They will usually make use of statistics, cited facts, and statements by authorities to make their point and persuade the listener.
• Pathos. These rhetorical devices base their appeal in emotion. This could mean invoking sympathy or pity in the listener, or making the audience angry in the service of inspiring action or changing their mind about something.
• Ethos. Ethical appeals try to convince the audience that the speaker is a credible source, that their words have weight and must be taken seriously because they are serious and have the experience and judgment necessary to decide what’s right.
• Kairos. This is one of the most difficult concepts in rhetoric; devices in this category are dependent on the idea that the time has come for a particular idea or action. The very timeliness of the idea is part of the argument.

Strongest Rhetorical Devices

Since rhetoric dates back to ancient times, much of the terminology used to discuss it comes from the original Greek. Despite its ancient origins, however, rhetoric is as vital as ever. The following list contains some of the most important rhetorical devices to understand:

• Alliteration , a sonic device, is the repetition of the initial sound of each word (e.g. Alan the antelope ate asparagus).
• Cacophony , a sonic device, is the combination of consonant sounds to create a displeasing effect. 
• Onomatopoeia , a sonic device, refers to a word that emulates the real-life sound it signifies (e.g. using the word "bang" to signify an explosion).
• Humor  creates connection and identification with audience members, thus increasing the likelihood that they will agree with the speaker. Humor can also be used to deflate counter-arguments and make opposing points of view appear ridiculous.
• Anaphora  is the repetition of certain words or phrases at the beginning of sentences to increase the power of a sentiment. Perhaps the best-known example of anaphora is Martin Luther King Jr.'s repetition of the phrase "I have a dream."
• Meiosis is a type of euphemism that intentionally understates the size or importance of its subject. It can be used to dismiss or diminish a debate opponent's argument. 
• Hyperbole  is an exaggerated statement that conveys emotion and raises the bar for other speakers. Once you make a hyperbolic statement like “My idea is going to change the world," other speakers will have to respond in kind or their more measured words may seem dull and uninspiring in comparison.
• Apophasis  is the verbal strategy of bringing up a subject by denying that that very subject should be brought up at all.
• Anacoluthon  is a sudden swerve into a seemingly unrelated idea in the middle of a sentence. It can seem like a grammatical mistake if handled poorly, but it can also put powerful stress onto the idea being expressed.
• Chiasmus  is a technique wherein the speaker inverts the order of a phrase in order to create a pretty and powerful sentence. The best example comes from President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country ."
• Anadiplosis  is the use of the same word at the end of one sentence and at the beginning of the subsequent sentence, forming a chain of thought that carries your audience to the point you’ve chosen.
• Dialogismus  refers to moments when the speaker imagines what someone else is thinking, or speaks in the voice of someone else, in order to explain and then subvert or undermine counterpoints to the original argument.
• Eutrepismus , one of the most common rhetorical devices, is simply the act of stating points in the form of a numbered list. Why is it useful? First off, this devices makes information seem official and authoritative. Second, it gives speech a sense of order and clarity. And third, it helps the listener keep track of the speaker's points.
• Hypophora   is the trick of posing a question and then immediately supplying the answer. Do you know why hypophora is useful? It's useful because it stimulates listener interest and creates a clear transition point in the speech.
• Expeditio  is the trick of listing a series of possibilities and then explaining why all but one of those possibilities are non-starters. This device makes it seem as though all choices have been considered, when in fact you've been steering your audience towards the one choice you desired all along.
• Antiphrasis  is another word for irony. Antiphrasis refers to a statement whose actual meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words within it.
• Asterismos . Look, this is the technique of inserting a useless but attention-grabbing word in front of your sentence in order to grab the audience’s attention. It's useful if you think your listeners are getting a bit bored and restless.

Examples of Rhetorical Devices

How do you identify a rhetorical device? In fact, you hear them in daily life. Rhetoric isn’t just for debates and arguments; these devices are used in everyday speech, fiction and screenwriting, legal arguments, and more. Consider these famous examples and their impact on their audience.

• “ Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back . Rhetorical Device : Anadiplosis . The pairs of words at the beginning and ending of each sentence give the impression that the logic invoked is unassailable and perfectly assembled.
• “ Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” —President John F. Kennedy. Rhetorical Device : Chiasmus . The inversion of the phrase can do and the word country creates a sense of balance in the sentence that reinforces the sense of correctness.
• "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience." –President Ronald Reagan Rhetorical Device : Apophasis . In this quip from a presidential debate, Reagan expresses mock reluctance to comment on his opponent's age, which ultimately does the job of raising the point of his opponent's age.  
• “ But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.” —Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address . Rhetorical Device : Anaphora . Lincoln’s use of repetition gives his words a sense of rhythm that emphasizes his message. This is also an example of kairos : Lincoln senses that the public has a need to justify the slaughter of the Civil War, and thus decides to make this statement appealing to the higher purpose of abolishing slavery. 
• “ Ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and I can say without hyperbole that this is a million times worse than all of them put together.” – The Simpsons . Rhetorical Device : Hyperbole . Here, hyperbole is used to humorous effect in order to undermine the superficial point of the sentence.
• Rhetoric. The discipline of discourse and persuasion via verbal argument.
• Rhetorical Device. A tool used in the course of rhetoric, employing specific sentence structure, sounds, and imagery to attain a desired response.
• Logos. The category of rhetorical devices that appeal to logic and reason. 
• Pathos. The category of rhetorical devices that appeal to emotions.
• Ethos.  The category of rhetorical devices that appeal to a sense of credibility. 
• Kairos.  The concept of “right place, right time” in rhetoric, wherein a specific rhetorical device becomes effective because of circumstances surrounding its use.
• “16 Rhetorical Devices That Will Improve Your Public Speaking.” Duarte , 19 Mar. 2018, www.duarte.com/presentation-skills-resources/rhetoric-isnt-a-bad-thing-16-rhetorical-devices-regularly-used-by-steve-jobs/.
• Home - Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, the Modes of Persuasion ‒ Explanation and Examples , pathosethoslogos.com/ .
• McKean, Erin. “Rhetorical Devices.” Boston.com , The Boston Globe, 23 Jan. 2011, archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/01/23/rhetorical_devices/ .
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• Complete List of Transition Words
• AP English Exam: 101 Key Terms
• Anadiplosis: Definition and Examples
• Use Social Media to Teach Ethos, Pathos and Logos
• Traductio: Rhetorical Repetition
• Words, Phrases, and Arguments to Use in Persuasive Writing
• Artistic Proofs: Definitions and Examples
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• Pathos in Rhetoric
• Brief Introductions to Common Figures of Speech
• Polyptoton (Rhetoric)
• Persuasion and Rhetorical Definition

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• How to write a rhetorical analysis | Key concepts & examples

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis | Key Concepts & Examples

Published on August 28, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay  that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience.

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Table of contents

Key concepts in rhetoric, analyzing the text, introducing your rhetorical analysis, the body: doing the analysis, concluding a rhetorical analysis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about rhetorical analysis.

Rhetoric, the art of effective speaking and writing, is a subject that trains you to look at texts, arguments and speeches in terms of how they are designed to persuade the audience. This section introduces a few of the key concepts of this field.

Appeals: Logos, ethos, pathos

Appeals are how the author convinces their audience. Three central appeals are discussed in rhetoric, established by the philosopher Aristotle and sometimes called the rhetorical triangle: logos, ethos, and pathos.

Logos , or the logical appeal, refers to the use of reasoned argument to persuade. This is the dominant approach in academic writing , where arguments are built up using reasoning and evidence.

Ethos , or the ethical appeal, involves the author presenting themselves as an authority on their subject. For example, someone making a moral argument might highlight their own morally admirable behavior; someone speaking about a technical subject might present themselves as an expert by mentioning their qualifications.

Pathos , or the pathetic appeal, evokes the audience’s emotions. This might involve speaking in a passionate way, employing vivid imagery, or trying to provoke anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response in the audience.

These three appeals are all treated as integral parts of rhetoric, and a given author may combine all three of them to convince their audience.

Text and context

In rhetoric, a text is not necessarily a piece of writing (though it may be this). A text is whatever piece of communication you are analyzing. This could be, for example, a speech, an advertisement, or a satirical image.

In these cases, your analysis would focus on more than just language—you might look at visual or sonic elements of the text too.

The context is everything surrounding the text: Who is the author (or speaker, designer, etc.)? Who is their (intended or actual) audience? When and where was the text produced, and for what purpose?

Looking at the context can help to inform your rhetorical analysis. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech has universal power, but the context of the civil rights movement is an important part of understanding why.

Claims, supports, and warrants

A piece of rhetoric is always making some sort of argument, whether it’s a very clearly defined and logical one (e.g. in a philosophy essay) or one that the reader has to infer (e.g. in a satirical article). These arguments are built up with claims, supports, and warrants.

A claim is the fact or idea the author wants to convince the reader of. An argument might center on a single claim, or be built up out of many. Claims are usually explicitly stated, but they may also just be implied in some kinds of text.

The author uses supports to back up each claim they make. These might range from hard evidence to emotional appeals—anything that is used to convince the reader to accept a claim.

The warrant is the logic or assumption that connects a support with a claim. Outside of quite formal argumentation, the warrant is often unstated—the author assumes their audience will understand the connection without it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still explore the implicit warrant in these cases.

For example, look at the following statement:

We can see a claim and a support here, but the warrant is implicit. Here, the warrant is the assumption that more likeable candidates would have inspired greater turnout. We might be more or less convinced by the argument depending on whether we think this is a fair assumption.

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Rhetorical analysis isn’t a matter of choosing concepts in advance and applying them to a text. Instead, it starts with looking at the text in detail and asking the appropriate questions about how it works:

• What is the author’s purpose?
• Do they focus closely on their key claims, or do they discuss various topics?
• What tone do they take—angry or sympathetic? Personal or authoritative? Formal or informal?
• Who seems to be the intended audience? Is this audience likely to be successfully reached and convinced?
• What kinds of evidence are presented?

By asking these questions, you’ll discover the various rhetorical devices the text uses. Don’t feel that you have to cram in every rhetorical term you know—focus on those that are most important to the text.

The following sections show how to write the different parts of a rhetorical analysis.

Like all essays, a rhetorical analysis begins with an introduction . The introduction tells readers what text you’ll be discussing, provides relevant background information, and presents your thesis statement .

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how an introduction works.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is widely regarded as one of the most important pieces of oratory in American history. Delivered in 1963 to thousands of civil rights activists outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech has come to symbolize the spirit of the civil rights movement and even to function as a major part of the American national myth. This rhetorical analysis argues that King’s assumption of the prophetic voice, amplified by the historic size of his audience, creates a powerful sense of ethos that has retained its inspirational power over the years.

The body of your rhetorical analysis is where you’ll tackle the text directly. It’s often divided into three paragraphs, although it may be more in a longer essay.

Each paragraph should focus on a different element of the text, and they should all contribute to your overall argument for your thesis statement.

Hover over the example to explore how a typical body paragraph is constructed.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

The conclusion of a rhetorical analysis wraps up the essay by restating the main argument and showing how it has been developed by your analysis. It may also try to link the text, and your analysis of it, with broader concerns.

Explore the example below to get a sense of the conclusion.

It is clear from this analysis that the effectiveness of King’s rhetoric stems less from the pathetic appeal of his utopian “dream” than it does from the ethos he carefully constructs to give force to his statements. By framing contemporary upheavals as part of a prophecy whose fulfillment will result in the better future he imagines, King ensures not only the effectiveness of his words in the moment but their continuing resonance today. Even if we have not yet achieved King’s dream, we cannot deny the role his words played in setting us on the path toward it.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.

Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.

The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.

Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.

Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.

In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.

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• Literary Terms
• Rhetorical Device
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write a Rhetorical Device

I. What is a Rhetorical Device?

A rhetorical device is any language that helps an author or speaker achieve a particular purpose (usually  persuasion , since rhetoric is typically defined as the art of persuasion). But “rhetorical device” is an extremely broad term, and can include techniques for generating emotion, beauty, and spiritual significance as well as persuasion.

II. Examples of Rhetorical Devices

Hyperbole is a word- or sentence-level rhetorical device in which the author exaggerates a particular point for dramatic effect. For example:

Berlin was flattened during the bombing.

Because the city was not literally left flat, this is an exaggeration, and therefore hyperbole. But it still helps express the author’s main point, which is that the city of Berlin was very severely damaged.

Analogy is an important device in which the explains one thing by comparing it to another. At the sentence level, this might be as simple as saying “my cat’s fur is as white as a cloud .” But analogies can also function at much higher levels, including paragraphs and whole essays . For example, you might argue against war by drawing an extended analogy between the war on terrorism and World War 2. The success of the whole argument would depend entirely on how well you could persuade readers to accept the analogy!

The counterargument is the most important rhetorical device for college-level essays. A counterargument is a response to your own view – for example, if you’re arguing in favor of an idea, the counterargument is one that goes against that idea. In order to make your own argument perspective, you have to acknowledge, analyze, and answer these counterarguments.

III. Types of Rhetorical Devices

Because the term is so broad, there are countless ways to categorize rhetorical devices. For example, we might group them by function: e.g. persuasive devices, aesthetic devices (for creating beauty), or emotional devices. We could also group them according to the types of writing they belong to: e.g. poetry vs. essays.

The clearest way to categorize, though, is probably by scale: that is, what level of the writing does each device affect?

A. Word Level

Before we even get to full sentences, there are many rhetorical devices that operate at the level of individual words or groups of words. For example, the “metonym” is a rhetorical device in which a part stands in for the whole. For example, you might say that a ship is staffed with “twenty hands,” where each hand stands in for a full human being.

B. Sentence Level

Most rhetorical devices operate at the sentence level. They affect the meaning of a sentence, or a chunk of a sentence. For example, parallelism is an important rhetorical device in which different parts of a sentence have the same grammatical structure: “I am disgusted by your methods , but impressed with your results .” Notice how each underlined portion has the same pattern of adjective, preposition, pronoun, and plural noun.

C. Paragraph Level

Paragraph-level rhetorical techniques are especially important in essays, where they help to signal the structure of the argument. One example would be the topic sentence. Topic sentences open the paragraph and introduce its main idea, which is then supported and explained in the body of the paragraph. This is one of the most important techniques for structuring paragraphs effectively.

D. Structural Level

Some rhetorical devices cover the whole structure of a piece of writing. For example, the 5-paragraph essay is a rhetorical device that many people learn in high school for structuring their essays. The five paragraphs involve an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This structure is rejected by many college-level writing instructors (and thus may be thought of as a bad rhetorical device), but it’s a rhetorical device nonetheless.

IV. The Importance of Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices are just like artistic techniques – they become popular because they work. For as long as human beings have been using language, we’ve been trying to persuade one another and evoke emotions. Over time, we’ve developed a huge variety of different techniques for achieving these effects, and the sum total of all such techniques is encapsulated in our modern lists of rhetorical techniques. Each rhetorical device has a different purpose, a different history, and a different effect!

V. Examples of Rhetorical Devices in Literature

“If we shadows have offended , think but this and all is mended : that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear .” (Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream )

This famous quote, like many of Shakespeare’s lines, employs rhyme and meter, the two most basic rhetorical devices in verse. Although not all poetry has rhyme or meter, most classical poems do, and these rhetorical devices were probably important in helping poets memorize their works and sing them in front of audiences.

The dialogue form is an important structural device used in philosophy and religious scriptures for thousands of years. By putting different arguments in the mouths of different characters , philosophers can present their readers with a broader range of possible views, thus bringing more nuance into the conversation. This device also allows philosophers to make their own arguments more persuasive by responding to the various counterarguments presented by characters in the dialogue.

VI. Examples of Rhetorical Devices in Popular Culture

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Ah, yes – Zorro! And where is he now, padre? Your masked friend? He hasn’t shown himself in 20 years!” (Don Rafael, The Mask of Zorro )

A rhetorical question is a question that the audience is not supposed to answer – either because the answer is obvious, or because the speaker is about to answer it for them. It’s one of the most common techniques in oratory (speeches) and essays. In this case, Don Rafael is using a rhetorical question to undermine the crowd’s confidence in Zorro, their legendary defender.

“The microphone explodes, || shattering the mold.” (Rage Against the Machine, Bulls on Parade )

The two vertical lines (||) represent a caesura , or pause. This is a common rhetorical device in poetry, but is also found in music. In the recording of the song, there’s a beat’s pause in between “explodes” and “shattering.”

VII. Related Terms

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion, either through speaking or writing. In ancient Greece, the concept of rhetoric was given huge cultural importance, and philosophers like Aristotle wrote whole books on rhetoric and the techniques of convincing others.

Today, people sometimes view rhetoric in a negative light (as when someone says of a politician’s speech that it was “all rhetoric and no substance”). But this is a shame, since we are very much in need of leaders who have mastered the art of persuasive reasoning and respectful argumentation. Rhetoric has fallen from its former place of honor, and perhaps this explains the lack of productive dialogue in our political arena, driven as it is by sound bites and personal attacks.

Figure of Speech

When a rhetorical device departs from literal truth, this is called a “figure of speech.” The most common figure of speech is a metaphor, in which one thing stands for another (e.g. “he unleashed a hurricane of criticism”). However, many rhetorical devices employ literal truth and therefore should not be thought of as figures of speech.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
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Rhetorical Device

Rhetorical device definition, types of rhetorical devices, examples from literature,  example #1.

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil ; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.”

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day. Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave.

“Surely some revelation is at hand Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

Functions of Rhetorical Devices

Related posts:, post navigation.

9.5 Writing Process: Thinking Critically about Rhetoric

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Develop a rhetorical analysis through multiple drafts.
• Identify and analyze rhetorical strategies in a rhetorical analysis.
• Demonstrate flexible strategies for generating ideas, drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting, and editing.
• Give and act on productive feedback for works in progress.

The ability to think critically about rhetoric is a skill you will use in many of your classes, in your work, and in your life to gain insight from the way a text is written and organized. You will often be asked to explain or to express an opinion about what someone else has communicated and how that person has done so, especially if you take an active interest in politics and government. Like Eliana Evans in the previous section, you will develop similar analyses of written works to help others understand how a writer or speaker may be trying to reach them.

Summary of Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis

The assignment is to write a rhetorical analysis of a piece of persuasive writing. It can be an editorial, a movie or book review, an essay, a chapter in a book, or a letter to the editor. For your rhetorical analysis, you will need to consider the rhetorical situation—subject, author, purpose, context, audience, and culture—and the strategies the author uses in creating the argument. Back up all your claims with evidence from the text. In preparing your analysis, consider these questions:

• What is the subject? Be sure to distinguish what the piece is about.
• Who is the writer, and what do you know about them? Be sure you know whether the writer is considered objective or has a particular agenda.
• Who are the readers? What do you know or what can you find out about them as the particular audience to be addressed at this moment?
• What is the purpose or aim of this work? What does the author hope to achieve?
• What are the time/space/place considerations and influences of the writer? What can you know about the writer and the full context in which they are writing?
• What specific techniques has the writer used to make their points? Are these techniques successful, unsuccessful, or questionable?

For this assignment, read the following opinion piece by Octavio Peterson, printed in his local newspaper. You may choose it as the text you will analyze, continuing the analysis on your own, or you may refer to it as a sample as you work on another text of your choosing. Your instructor may suggest presidential or other political speeches, which make good subjects for rhetorical analysis.

When you have read the piece by Peterson advocating for the need to continue teaching foreign languages in schools, reflect carefully on the impact the letter has had on you. You are not expected to agree or disagree with it. Instead, focus on the rhetoric—the way Peterson uses language to make his point and convince you of the validity of his argument.

Another Lens. Consider presenting your rhetorical analysis in a multimodal format. Use a blogging site or platform such as WordPress or Tumblr to explore the blogging genre, which includes video clips, images, hyperlinks, and other media to further your discussion. Because this genre is less formal than written text, your tone can be conversational. However, you still will be required to provide the same kind of analysis that you would in a traditional essay. The same materials will be at your disposal for making appeals to persuade your readers. Rhetorical analysis in a blog may be a new forum for the exchange of ideas that retains the basics of more formal communication. When you have completed your work, share it with a small group or the rest of the class. See Multimodal and Online Writing: Creative Interaction between Text and Image for more about creating a multimodal composition.

Quick Launch: Start with a Thesis Statement

After you have read this opinion piece, or another of your choice, several times and have a clear understanding of it as a piece of rhetoric, consider whether the writer has succeeded in being persuasive. You might find that in some ways they have and in others they have not. Then, with a clear understanding of your purpose—to analyze how the writer seeks to persuade—you can start framing a thesis statement : a declarative sentence that states the topic, the angle you are taking, and the aspects of the topic the rest of the paper will support.

Complete the following sentence frames as you prepare to start:

• The subject of my rhetorical analysis is ________.
• My goal is to ________, not necessarily to ________.
• The writer’s main point is ________.
• I believe the writer has succeeded (or not) because ________.
• I believe the writer has succeeded in ________ (name the part or parts) but not in ________ (name the part or parts).
• The writer’s strongest (or weakest) point is ________, which they present by ________.

Drafting: Text Evidence and Analysis of Effect

As you begin to draft your rhetorical analysis, remember that you are giving your opinion on the author’s use of language. For example, Peterson has made a decision about the teaching of foreign languages, something readers of the newspaper might have different views on. In other words, there is room for debate and persuasion.

The context of the situation in which Peterson finds himself may well be more complex than he discusses. In the same way, the context of the piece you choose to analyze may also be more complex. For example, perhaps Greendale is facing an economic crisis and must pare its budget for educational spending and public works. It’s also possible that elected officials have made budget cuts for education a part of their platform or that school buildings have been found obsolete for safety measures. On the other hand, maybe a foreign company will come to town only if more Spanish speakers can be found locally. These factors would play a part in a real situation, and rhetoric would reflect that. If applicable, consider such possibilities regarding the subject of your analysis. Here, however, these factors are unknown and thus do not enter into the analysis.

Introduction

One effective way to begin a rhetorical analysis is by using an anecdote, as Eliana Evans has done. For a rhetorical analysis of the opinion piece, a writer might consider an anecdote about a person who was in a situation in which knowing another language was important or not important. If they begin with an anecdote, the next part of the introduction should contain the following information:

• Author’s name and position, or other qualification to establish ethos
• Title of work and genre
• Author’s thesis statement or stance taken (“Peterson argues that . . .”)
• Brief introductory explanation of how the author develops and supports the thesis or stance
• If relevant, a brief summary of context and culture

Once the context and situation for the analysis are clear, move directly to your thesis statement. In this case, your thesis statement will be your opinion of how successful the author has been in achieving the established goal through the use of rhetorical strategies. Read the sentences in Table 9.1 , and decide which would make the best thesis statement. Explain your reasoning in the right-hand column of this or a similar chart.

The introductory paragraph or paragraphs should serve to move the reader into the body of the analysis and signal what will follow.

Your next step is to start supporting your thesis statement—that is, how Octavio Peterson, or the writer of your choice, does or does not succeed in persuading readers. To accomplish this purpose, you need to look closely at the rhetorical strategies the writer uses.

First, list the rhetorical strategies you notice while reading the text, and note where they appear. Keep in mind that you do not need to include every strategy the text contains, only those essential ones that emphasize or support the central argument and those that may seem fallacious. You may add other strategies as well. The first example in Table 9.2 has been filled in.

When you have completed your list, consider how to structure your analysis. You will have to decide which of the writer’s statements are most effective. The strongest point would be a good place to begin; conversely, you could begin with the writer’s weakest point if that suits your purposes better. The most obvious organizational structure is one of the following:

• Go through the composition paragraph by paragraph and analyze its rhetorical content, focusing on the strategies that support the writer’s thesis statement.
• Address key rhetorical strategies individually, and show how the author has used them.

As you read the next few paragraphs, consult Table 9.3 for a visual plan of your rhetorical analysis. Your first body paragraph is the first of the analytical paragraphs. Here, too, you have options for organizing. You might begin by stating the writer’s strongest point. For example, you could emphasize that Peterson appeals to ethos by speaking personally to readers as fellow citizens and providing his credentials to establish credibility as someone trustworthy with their interests at heart.

Following this point, your next one can focus, for instance, on Peterson’s view that cutting foreign language instruction is a danger to the education of Greendale’s children. The points that follow support this argument, and you can track his rhetoric as he does so.

You may then use the second or third body paragraph, connected by a transition, to discuss Peterson’s appeal to logos. One possible transition might read, “To back up his assertion that omitting foreign languages is detrimental to education, Peterson provides examples and statistics.” Locate examples and quotes from the text as needed. You can discuss how, in citing these statistics, Peterson uses logos as a key rhetorical strategy.

In another paragraph, focus on other rhetorical elements, such as parallelism, repetition, and rhetorical questions. Moreover, be sure to indicate whether the writer acknowledges counterclaims and whether they are accepted or ultimately rejected.

The question of other factors at work in Greendale regarding finances, or similar factors in another setting, may be useful to mention here if they exist. As you continue, however, keep returning to your list of rhetorical strategies and explaining them. Even if some appear less important, they should be noted to show that you recognize how the writer is using language. You will likely have a minimum of four body paragraphs, but you may well have six or seven or even more, depending on the work you are analyzing.

In your final body paragraph, you might discuss the argument that Peterson, for example, has made by appealing to readers’ emotions. His calls for solidarity at the end of the letter provide a possible solution to his concern that the foreign language curriculum “might vanish like a puff of smoke.”

Use Table 9.3 to organize your rhetorical analysis. Be sure that each paragraph has a topic sentence and that you use transitions to flow smoothly from one idea to the next.

As you conclude your essay, your own logic in discussing the writer’s argument will make it clear whether you have found their claims convincing. Your opinion, as framed in your conclusion, may restate your thesis statement in different words, or you may choose to reveal your thesis at this point. The real function of the conclusion is to confirm your evaluation and show that you understand the use of the language and the effectiveness of the argument.

In your analysis, note that objections could be raised because Peterson, for example, speaks only for himself. You may speculate about whether the next edition of the newspaper will feature an opposing opinion piece from someone who disagrees. However, it is not necessary to provide answers to questions you raise here. Your conclusion should summarize briefly how the writer has made, or failed to make, a forceful argument that may require further debate.

For more guidance on writing a rhetorical analysis, visit the Illinois Writers Workshop website or watch this tutorial .

Peer Review: Guidelines toward Revision and the “Golden Rule”

Now that you have a working draft, your next step is to engage in peer review, an important part of the writing process. Often, others can identify things you have missed or can ask you to clarify statements that may be clear to you but not to others. For your peer review, follow these steps and make use of Table 9.4 .

• Quickly skim through your peer’s rhetorical analysis draft once, and then ask yourself, What is the main point or argument of my peer’s work?
• Highlight, underline, or otherwise make note of statements or instances in the paper where you think your peer has made their main point.
• Look at the draft again, this time reading it closely.
• Ask yourself the following questions, and comment on the peer review sheet as shown.

The Golden Rule

An important part of the peer review process is to keep in mind the familiar wisdom of the “Golden Rule”: treat others as you would have them treat you. This foundational approach to human relations extends to commenting on others’ work. Like your peers, you are in the same situation of needing opinion and guidance. Whatever you have written will seem satisfactory or better to you because you have written it and know what you mean to say.

However, your peers have the advantage of distance from the work you have written and can see it through their own eyes. Likewise, if you approach your peer’s work fairly and free of personal bias, you’re likely to be more constructive in finding parts of their writing that need revision. Most important, though, is to make suggestions tactfully and considerately, in the spirit of helping, not degrading someone’s work. You and your peers may be reluctant to share your work, but if everyone approaches the review process with these ideas in mind, everyone will benefit from the opportunity to provide and act on sincerely offered suggestions.

Revising: Staying Open to Feedback and Working with It

Once the peer review process is complete, your next step is to revise the first draft by incorporating suggestions and making changes on your own. Consider some of these potential issues when incorporating peers’ revisions and rethinking your own work.

• Too much summarizing rather than analyzing
• Too much informal language or an unintentional mix of casual and formal language
• Too few, too many, or inappropriate transitions
• Illogical or unclear sequence of information
• Insufficient evidence to support main ideas effectively
• Too many generalities rather than specific facts, maybe from trying to do too much in too little time

In any case, revising a draft is a necessary step to produce a final work. Rarely will even a professional writer arrive at the best point in a single draft. In other words, it’s seldom a problem if your first draft needs refocusing. However, it may become a problem if you don’t address it. The best way to shape a wandering piece of writing is to return to it, reread it, slow it down, take it apart, and build it back up again. Approach first-draft writing for what it is: a warm-up or rehearsal for a final performance.

Suggestions for Revising

When revising, be sure your thesis statement is clear and fulfills your purpose. Verify that you have abundant supporting evidence and that details are consistently on topic and relevant to your position. Just before arriving at the conclusion, be sure you have prepared a logical ending. The concluding statement should be strong and should not present any new points. Rather, it should grow out of what has already been said and return, in some degree, to the thesis statement. In the example of Octavio Peterson, his purpose was to persuade readers that teaching foreign languages in schools in Greendale should continue; therefore, the conclusion can confirm that Peterson achieved, did not achieve, or partially achieved his aim.

When revising, make sure the larger elements of the piece are as you want them to be before you revise individual sentences and make smaller changes. If you make small changes first, they might not fit well with the big picture later on.

One approach to big-picture revising is to check the organization as you move from paragraph to paragraph. You can list each paragraph and check that its content relates to the purpose and thesis statement. Each paragraph should have one main point and be self-contained in showing how the rhetorical devices used in the text strengthen (or fail to strengthen) the argument and the writer’s ability to persuade. Be sure your paragraphs flow logically from one to the other without distracting gaps or inconsistencies.

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What Is a Rhetorical Analysis and How to Write a Great One

Helly Douglas

Do you have to write a rhetorical analysis essay? Fear not! We’re here to explain exactly what rhetorical analysis means, how you should structure your essay, and give you some essential “dos and don’ts.”

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

How do you write a rhetorical analysis, what are the three rhetorical strategies, what are the five rhetorical situations, how to plan a rhetorical analysis essay, creating a rhetorical analysis essay, examples of great rhetorical analysis essays, final thoughts.

A rhetorical analysis essay studies how writers and speakers have used words to influence their audience. Think less about the words the author has used and more about the techniques they employ, their goals, and the effect this has on the audience.

In your analysis essay, you break a piece of text (including cartoons, adverts, and speeches) into sections and explain how each part works to persuade, inform, or entertain. You’ll explore the effectiveness of the techniques used, how the argument has been constructed, and give examples from the text.

A strong rhetorical analysis evaluates a text rather than just describes the techniques used. You don’t include whether you personally agree or disagree with the argument.

Structure a rhetorical analysis in the same way as most other types of academic essays . You’ll have an introduction to present your thesis, a main body where you analyze the text, which then leads to a conclusion.

Think about how the writer (also known as a rhetor) considers the situation that frames their communication:

• Topic: the overall purpose of the rhetoric
• Audience: this includes primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences
• Purpose: there are often more than one to consider
• Context and culture: the wider situation within which the rhetoric is placed

Back in the 4th century BC, Aristotle was talking about how language can be used as a means of persuasion. He described three principal forms —Ethos, Logos, and Pathos—often referred to as the Rhetorical Triangle . These persuasive techniques are still used today.

Rhetorical Strategy 1: Ethos

Are you more likely to buy a car from an established company that’s been an important part of your community for 50 years, or someone new who just started their business?

Reputation matters. Ethos explores how the character, disposition, and fundamental values of the author create appeal, along with their expertise and knowledge in the subject area.

Aristotle breaks ethos down into three further categories:

• Phronesis: skills and practical wisdom
• Arete: virtue
• Eunoia: goodwill towards the audience

Ethos-driven speeches and text rely on the reputation of the author. In your analysis, you can look at how the writer establishes ethos through both direct and indirect means.

Rhetorical Strategy 2: Pathos

Pathos-driven rhetoric hooks into our emotions. You’ll often see it used in advertisements, particularly by charities wanting you to donate money towards an appeal.

Common use of pathos includes:

• Vivid description so the reader can imagine themselves in the situation
• Personal stories to create feelings of empathy
• Emotional vocabulary that evokes a response

By using pathos to make the audience feel a particular emotion, the author can persuade them that the argument they’re making is compelling.

Rhetorical Strategy 3: Logos

Logos uses logic or reason. It’s commonly used in academic writing when arguments are created using evidence and reasoning rather than an emotional response. It’s constructed in a step-by-step approach that builds methodically to create a powerful effect upon the reader.

Rhetoric can use any one of these three techniques, but effective arguments often appeal to all three elements.

The rhetorical situation explains the circumstances behind and around a piece of rhetoric. It helps you think about why a text exists, its purpose, and how it’s carried out.

The rhetorical situations are:

• 1) Purpose: Why is this being written? (It could be trying to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain.)
• 2) Audience: Which groups or individuals will read and take action (or have done so in the past)?
• 3) Genre: What type of writing is this?
• 4) Stance: What is the tone of the text? What position are they taking?
• 5) Media/Visuals: What means of communication are used?

Understanding and analyzing the rhetorical situation is essential for building a strong essay. Also think about any rhetoric restraints on the text, such as beliefs, attitudes, and traditions that could affect the author's decisions.

Before leaping into your essay, it’s worth taking time to explore the text at a deeper level and considering the rhetorical situations we looked at before. Throw away your assumptions and use these simple questions to help you unpick how and why the text is having an effect on the audience.

1: What is the Rhetorical Situation?

• Why is there a need or opportunity for persuasion?
• How do words and references help you identify the time and location?
• What are the rhetoric restraints?
• What historical occasions would lead to this text being created?

2: Who is the Author?

• How do they position themselves as an expert worth listening to?
• What is their ethos?
• Do they have a reputation that gives them authority?
• What is their intention?
• What values or customs do they have?

3: Who is it Written For?

• Who is the intended audience?
• How is this appealing to this particular audience?
• Who are the possible secondary and tertiary audiences?

4: What is the Central Idea?

• Can you summarize the key point of this rhetoric?
• What arguments are used?
• How has it developed a line of reasoning?

5: How is it Structured?

• What structure is used?
• How is the content arranged within the structure?

6: What Form is Used?

• Does this follow a specific literary genre?
• What type of style and tone is used, and why is this?
• Does the form used complement the content?
• What effect could this form have on the audience?

7: Is the Rhetoric Effective?

• Does the content fulfil the author’s intentions?
• Does the message effectively fit the audience, location, and time period?

Once you’ve fully explored the text, you’ll have a better understanding of the impact it’s having on the audience and feel more confident about writing your essay outline.

A great essay starts with an interesting topic. Choose carefully so you’re personally invested in the subject and familiar with it rather than just following trending topics. There are lots of great ideas on this blog post by My Perfect Words if you need some inspiration. Take some time to do background research to ensure your topic offers good analysis opportunities.

Remember to check the information given to you by your professor so you follow their preferred style guidelines. This outline example gives you a general idea of a format to follow, but there will likely be specific requests about layout and content in your course handbook. It’s always worth asking your institution if you’re unsure.

Make notes for each section of your essay before you write. This makes it easy for you to write a well-structured text that flows naturally to a conclusion. You will develop each note into a paragraph. Look at this example by College Essay for useful ideas about the structure.

1: Introduction

This is a short, informative section that shows you understand the purpose of the text. It tempts the reader to find out more by mentioning what will come in the main body of your essay.

• Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses
• Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. “implies,” “asserts,” or “claims”
• Briefly summarize the text in your own words
• Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect

Create a thesis statement to come at the end of your introduction.

After your introduction, move on to your critical analysis. This is the principal part of your essay.

• Explain the methods used by the author to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience using Aristotle's rhetorical triangle
• Use quotations to prove the statements you make
• Explain why the writer used this approach and how successful it is
• Consider how it makes the audience feel and react

Make each strategy a new paragraph rather than cramming them together, and always use proper citations. Check back to your course handbook if you’re unsure which citation style is preferred.

3: Conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize the points you’ve made in the main body of your essay. While you will draw the points together, this is not the place to introduce new information you’ve not previously mentioned.

Use your last sentence to share a powerful concluding statement that talks about the impact the text has on the audience(s) and wider society. How have its strategies helped to shape history?

Before You Submit

Poor spelling and grammatical errors ruin a great essay. Use ProWritingAid to check through your finished essay before you submit. It will pick up all the minor errors you’ve missed and help you give your essay a final polish. Look at this useful ProWritingAid webinar for further ideas to help you significantly improve your essays. Sign up for a free trial today and start editing your essays!

You’ll find countless examples of rhetorical analysis online, but they range widely in quality. Your institution may have example essays they can share with you to show you exactly what they’re looking for.

The following links should give you a good starting point if you’re looking for ideas:

Pearson Canada has a range of good examples. Look at how embedded quotations are used to prove the points being made. The end questions help you unpick how successful each essay is.

Excelsior College has an excellent sample essay complete with useful comments highlighting the techniques used.

Brighton Online has a selection of interesting essays to look at. In this specific example, consider how wider reading has deepened the exploration of the text.

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay can seem daunting, but spending significant time deeply analyzing the text before you write will make it far more achievable and result in a better-quality essay overall.

It can take some time to write a good essay. Aim to complete it well before the deadline so you don’t feel rushed. Use ProWritingAid’s comprehensive checks to find any errors and make changes to improve readability. Then you’ll be ready to submit your finished essay, knowing it’s as good as you can possibly make it.

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Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay–Examples & Template

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

A rhetorical analysis essay is, as the name suggests, an analysis of someone else’s writing (or speech, or advert, or even cartoon) and how they use not only words but also rhetorical techniques to influence their audience in a certain way. A rhetorical analysis is less interested in what the author is saying and more in how they present it, what effect this has on their readers, whether they achieve their goals, and what approach they use to get there. 

Its structure is similar to that of most essays: An Introduction presents your thesis, a Body analyzes the text you have chosen, breaks it down into sections and explains how arguments have been constructed and how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section sums up your evaluation. 

Note that your personal opinion on the matter is not relevant for your analysis and that you don’t state anywhere in your essay whether you agree or disagree with the stance the author takes.

In the following, we will define the key rhetorical concepts you need to write a good rhetorical analysis and give you some practical tips on where to start.

Key Rhetorical Concepts

Your goal when writing a rhetorical analysis is to think about and then carefully describe how the author has designed their text so that it has the intended effect on their audience. To do that, you need to consider a number of key rhetorical strategies: Rhetorical appeals (“Ethos”, “Logos”, and “Pathos”), context, as well as claims, supports, and warrants.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were introduced by Aristotle, way back in the 4th century BC, as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience. They still represent the basis of any rhetorical analysis and are often referred to as the “rhetorical triangle”. 

These and other rhetorical techniques can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify the concepts they are based on.

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical appeal #1: ethos.

Ethos refers to the reputation or authority of the writer regarding the topic of their essay or speech and to how they use this to appeal to their audience. Just like we are more likely to buy a product from a brand or vendor we have confidence in than one we don’t know or have reason to distrust, Ethos-driven texts or speeches rely on the reputation of the author to persuade the reader or listener. When you analyze an essay, you should therefore look at how the writer establishes Ethos through rhetorical devices.

Does the author present themselves as an authority on their subject? If so, how? 

Do they highlight how impeccable their own behavior is to make a moral argument? 

Do they present themselves as an expert by listing their qualifications or experience to convince the reader of their opinion on something?

Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos

The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a “good cause”. To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories, and employ vivid imagery so that the reader can imagine themselves in a certain situation and feel empathy with or anger towards others.

Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos

Logos, the “logical” appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic texts, as should anyone’s reputation, beliefs, or personal opinions. 

Text and Context

To analyze a piece of writing, a speech, an advertisement, or even a satirical drawing, you need to look beyond the piece of communication and take the context in which it was created and/or published into account. 

Who is the person who wrote the text/drew the cartoon/designed the ad..? What audience are they trying to reach? Where was the piece published and what was happening there around that time? 

A political speech, for example, can be powerful even when read decades later, but the historical context surrounding it is an important aspect of the effect it was intended to have. 

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

To make any kind of argument, a writer needs to put forward specific claims, support them with data or evidence or even a moral or emotional appeal, and connect the dots logically so that the reader can follow along and agree with the points made.

The connections between statements, so-called “warrants”, follow logical reasoning but are not always clearly stated—the author simply assumes the reader understands the underlying logic, whether they present it “explicitly” or “implicitly”. Implicit warrants are commonly used in advertisements where seemingly happy people use certain products, wear certain clothes, accessories, or perfumes, or live certain lifestyles – with the connotation that, first, the product/perfume/lifestyle is what makes that person happy and, second, the reader wants to be as happy as the person in the ad. Some warrants are never clearly stated, and your job when writing a rhetorical analysis essay is therefore to identify them and bring them to light, to evaluate their validity, their effect on the reader, and the use of such means by the writer/creator. 

What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?

A “rhetorical situation” refers to the circumstance behind a text or other piece of communication that arises from a given context. It explains why a rhetorical piece was created, what its purpose is, and how it was constructed to achieve its aims.

Rhetorical situations can be classified into the following five categories:

Asking such questions when you analyze a text will help you identify all the aspects that play a role in the effect it has on its audience, and will allow you to evaluate whether it achieved its aims or where it may have failed to do so.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Analyzing someone else’s work can seem like a big task, but as with every assignment or writing endeavor, you can break it down into smaller, well-defined steps that give you a practical structure to follow. 

To give you an example of how the different parts of your text may look when it’s finished, we will provide you with some excerpts from this rhetorical analysis essay example (which even includes helpful comments) published on the Online Writing Lab website of Excelsior University in Albany, NY. The text that this essay analyzes is this article on why one should or shouldn’t buy an Ipad. If you want more examples so that you can build your own rhetorical analysis template, have a look at this essay on Nabokov’s Lolita and the one provided here about the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s writing instruction book “Bird by Bird”.

Analyzing the Text

When writing a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose the concepts or key points you think are relevant or want to address. Rather, you carefully read the text several times asking yourself questions like those listed in the last section on rhetorical situations to identify how the text “works” and how it was written to achieve that effect.

Start with focusing on the author : What do you think was their purpose for writing the text? Do they make one principal claim and then elaborate on that? Or do they discuss different topics? 

Then look at what audience they are talking to: Do they want to make a group of people take some action? Vote for someone? Donate money to a good cause? Who are these people? Is the text reaching this specific audience? Why or why not?

What tone is the author using to address their audience? Are they trying to evoke sympathy? Stir up anger? Are they writing from a personal perspective? Are they painting themselves as an authority on the topic? Are they using academic or informal language?

How does the author support their claims ? What kind of evidence are they presenting? Are they providing explicit or implicit warrants? Are these warrants valid or problematic? Is the provided evidence convincing?  

Asking yourself such questions will help you identify what rhetorical devices a text uses and how well they are put together to achieve a certain aim. Remember, your own opinion and whether you agree with the author are not the point of a rhetorical analysis essay – your task is simply to take the text apart and evaluate it.

If you are still confused about how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, just follow the steps outlined below to write the different parts of your rhetorical analysis: As every other essay, it consists of an Introduction , a Body (the actual analysis), and a Conclusion .

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The Introduction section briefly presents the topic of the essay you are analyzing, the author, their main claims, a short summary of the work by you, and your thesis statement . 

Tell the reader what the text you are going to analyze represents (e.g., historically) or why it is relevant (e.g., because it has become some kind of reference for how something is done). Describe what the author claims, asserts, or implies and what techniques they use to make their argument and persuade their audience. Finish off with your thesis statement that prepares the reader for what you are going to present in the next section – do you think that the author’s assumptions/claims/arguments were presented in a logical/appealing/powerful way and reached their audience as intended?

Have a look at an excerpt from the sample essay linked above to see what a rhetorical analysis introduction can look like. See how it introduces the author and article , the context in which it originally appeared , the main claims the author makes , and how this first paragraph ends in a clear thesis statement that the essay will then elaborate on in the following Body section:

Cory Doctorow ’s article on BoingBoing is an older review of the iPad , one of Apple’s most famous products. At the time of this article, however, the iPad was simply the latest Apple product to hit the market and was not yet so popular. Doctorow’s entire career has been entrenched in and around technology. He got his start as a CD-ROM programmer and is now a successful blogger and author. He is currently the co-editor of the BoingBoing blog on which this article was posted. One of his main points in this article comes from Doctorow’s passionate advocacy of free digital media sharing. He argues that the iPad is just another way for established technology companies to control our technological freedom and creativity . In “ Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (and Think You Shouldn’t, Either) ” published on Boing Boing in April of 2010, Cory Doctorow successfully uses his experience with technology, facts about the company Apple, and appeals to consumer needs to convince potential iPad buyers that Apple and its products, specifically the iPad, limit the digital rights of those who use them by controlling and mainstreaming the content that can be used and created on the device . 

Doing the Rhetorical Analysis

The main part of your analysis is the Body , where you dissect the text in detail. Explain what methods the author uses to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience. Use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the other key concepts we introduced above. Use quotations from the essay to demonstrate what you mean. Work out why the writer used a certain approach and evaluate (and again, demonstrate using the text itself) how successful they were. Evaluate the effect of each rhetorical technique you identify on the audience and judge whether the effect is in line with the author’s intentions.

To make it easy for the reader to follow your thought process, divide this part of your essay into paragraphs that each focus on one strategy or one concept , and make sure they are all necessary and contribute to the development of your argument(s).

One paragraph of this section of your essay could, for example, look like this:

One example of Doctorow’s position is his comparison of Apple’s iStore to Wal-Mart. This is an appeal to the consumer’s logic—or an appeal to logos. Doctorow wants the reader to take his comparison and consider how an all-powerful corporation like the iStore will affect them. An iPad will only allow for apps and programs purchased through the iStore to be run on it; therefore, a customer must not only purchase an iPad but also any programs he or she wishes to use. Customers cannot create their own programs or modify the hardware in any way. 

As you can see, the author of this sample essay identifies and then explains to the reader how Doctorow uses the concept of Logos to appeal to his readers – not just by pointing out that he does it but by dissecting how it is done.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

The conclusion section of your analysis should restate your main arguments and emphasize once more whether you think the author achieved their goal. Note that this is not the place to introduce new information—only rely on the points you have discussed in the body of your essay. End with a statement that sums up the impact the text has on its audience and maybe society as a whole:

Overall, Doctorow makes a good argument about why there are potentially many better things to drop a great deal of money on instead of the iPad. He gives some valuable information and facts that consumers should take into consideration before going out to purchase the new device. He clearly uses rhetorical tools to help make his case, and, overall, he is effective as a writer, even if, ultimately, he was ineffective in convincing the world not to buy an iPad . 

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetorical Analysis Essays 

What is a rhetorical analysis essay.

A rhetorical analysis dissects a text or another piece of communication to work out and explain how it impacts its audience, how successfully it achieves its aims, and what rhetorical devices it uses to do that. 

While argumentative essays usually take a stance on a certain topic and argue for it, a rhetorical analysis identifies how someone else constructs their arguments and supports their claims.

What is the correct rhetorical analysis essay format?

Like most other essays, a rhetorical analysis contains an Introduction that presents the thesis statement, a Body that analyzes the piece of communication, explains how arguments have been constructed, and illustrates how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section that summarizes the results of the analysis. 

What is the “rhetorical triangle”?

The rhetorical triangle was introduced by Aristotle as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience: Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, Ethos to the writer’s status or authority, and Pathos to the reader’s emotions. Logos, Ethos, and Pathos can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify what specific concepts each is based on.

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How to Use Rhetorical Devices in Your College Essay

←Essential Grammar Rules for Your College Applications

Developing a Personalized Metaphor for Your College Applications→

Writing the personal statement is one of the most important, yet difficult aspects of the college application process. The elusive perfect personal statement is deeply moving, expertly written, rich with details of accomplishments or inspiring life stories, and fits neatly into the word limit. These constraints can leave many struggling to fit what they want to say in so few words. But what many fail to realize when writing personal statements is that admissions officers are evaluating more than just the story you have to tell. They’re also examining your writing style and ability to convey the abstract qualities in an eloquent way.

Long story short: you should be focused on not only what you’re saying, but also how you’re saying it.

Presenting Your Case: The Seed of a Personal Statement

It’s crucial to acknowledge that a personal statement should contain, at its core, an argument. We don’t mean an argument in the same way you might write a debate or an SAT essay – there’s no need for a rigid evidence and analysis structure here. However, you are setting forth a case to the office of undergraduate admissions at your school of choice that you’ll contribute substantially to their community; by telling your story, highlighting your personal strengths, and displaying how you’ve grown into the person you are today, you are essentially arguing that you’re a great candidate for admission. Like any great argument, your personal statement should contain the same rhetorical strategies you would employ when trying to write a persuasive essay or speech. The difference is that the subject matter isn’t some topic your teacher assigned – it’s you!

An exceptionally written personal statement that successfully employs rhetorical strategies can elevate your application enormously; it’s an opportunity to display creativity, strong writing skills, and personal depth that can’t be conveyed through a stellar GPA or strong test scores. Additionally, a personal statement is not a piece of academic writing. It’s meant to be personal – it should give the reader as clear an idea of who you are in the word count given. So don’t agonize over grammar conventions, formal speech, and populating your essay with as many vocabulary words as possible. Rather, take the opportunity to showcase your creativity and make the most of it!

Rhetorical Devices to Use in Your College Essay

While any rhetorical devices used in your essay will elevate the quality of your writing and strengthen your argument, there are some that work particularly well for the purpose of the personal statement. Below are a few of our favorite rhetorical devices and how you can use them to set your essay apart.

A conceit is a metaphor that extends throughout the length of a piece of writing. A well-developed conceit will leave a strong impression on readers and immediately make your essay distinctive and memorable. If you can assign a metaphor to the narrative of your personal essay that you can extend throughout, it will make your essay not only more interesting to read, but also more unique; standing out is, of course, of utmost importance in the college admissions process. For example, if you’re struggling to explain a powerful emotional experience like depression, consider using a conceit to develop the idea:

“In television and magazine advertisements, depression is often depicted as a small, feeble raincloud, showering its sufferer with negative thoughts and tiny anxieties. In reality, however, depression is more like a vast ocean; expansive, terrifying, impossibly powerful and seemingly invincible. Depression thrashes one mercilessly against the rocks one moment, only to suffocate one with silent, infinite waves the next. I spent two years of my life lost at sea, but through the turbulent journey, I have come to…”

Comparisons to natural entities like water, fire, storms, etc., work well (if you manage to avoid clichés), but be as creative and authentic as you can be; what’s most important is that whatever comparison you draw is logical and does not seem contrived, nonsensical, or immature. Consider opening and closing your essay with 2-4 sentences relating to your conceit, and make sure the tone throughout your essay is consistent too.

Another engaging, memorable way to open an essay is with a personal anecdote, or story. Specific sensory details setting a scene immediately capture the reader’s interest and immerse them in your story. For instance, if you plan to write about how being captain of the varsity soccer team has shaped you, try opening your essay with a vivid description of your state of mind when you’re playing a game:

“As I sprint across the field, savoring the sensation of my cleats cutting through the earth beneath me, I notice a gap in the opposing team’s defense that’s practically begging me to take the shot. The raucous soundtrack of the game – parents screaming, players shouting to one another, children crying – fades into white noise as I focus solely on the black and white ball stained with bright green grass, the glaring red of the goalkeeper’s gloves. The moment I kick, time seems to slow and then stop entirely; the ball hangs suspended in the air for a brief moment, hanging high above the players’ heads like the sun, before grazing just past the tips of the goalkeeper’s fingers…”

Beginning essays with anecdotes heavy with sensory language like the one above provide you with an opportunity to display both your writing skills and your passion about a specific topic. Anecdotes can be intense, humorous, tragic, joyful – no matter what they describe, they are a guaranteed way to catch a reader’s attention and offer an alternative to beginning with a sentence like, “all my life, I’ve loved playing soccer.”

Using anecdotes becomes crucial in light of one of the paradoxical truths about writing: people are always more able to relate their own experiences to detailed and personal writing rather than universal and bland writing, despite the fact that universal writing will apply to an audience in a more literal sense.

Anaphora is the repeated use of a certain word or phrase at the beginning of separate sentences or clauses. Consider the example below:

“Today, I am immensely proud of my family’s culture. Today, I can speak publicly with my parents in our native language without fear of judgment from others.”

Anaphora is extremely effective in emphasizing a specific emotion or idea. The deliberate repetition is dramatic and emotionally moving, an obvious superior alternative to the awkwardness and dullness of rewording the same idea in different ways repeatedly in order to avoid reusing the same words. Anaphora is also useful when highlighting a transition into a new mindset or environment, as in the sample above.

Still, using anaphora can be surprisingly tricky, and picking the right moment to use it is crucial. If there hasn’t been adequate build-up to create a dense and moving point in the essay, anaphora might come off as more redundant than anything. Anaphora, as with many rhetorical devices, can be watered down through overuse. Make sure that you’re balancing original and variegated writing with this rhetorical device if you want to maximize your impact.

Allusion is a reference to something that is well known, whether that be a person, place, thing, or event. Using allusion can help you to communicate large ideas quickly:

With an uncanny genius for hope, she was the Gatsby of our school; she could look to the past, present, and future, and see only possibility. 

Allusion can help you to draw on your reader’s knowledge of popular culture, history, and more, in order to avoid long and cumbersome descriptions that would ruin your word count. In the example above, the author alludes to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s widely known novel, The Great Gatsby, in order to emphasize the point they were making. Allusion can be especially useful when you want to give the reader extra insight into your meaning without leveraging an entire anecdote. In this way, anecdote and allusion can work together to help you give meaning to primary and secondary events, characters, and insights while still maintaining certain section’s primacy within the essay.

Be careful not to use too many allusions in one essay, though, as they are designed to stretch your essay outwards towards general social and historical knowledge. While this is immensely useful, and allows you to leverage details and feelings without actually explaining them, overuse runs the risk of pulling your essay apart entirely. Allusions are strongest when they are used in tandem with anecdotes that keep your essay in intensely personal territory.

Parallelism:

Parallelism is used to bring rhythm to a sentence or highlight a certain point, accomplished by repeating similar sentence structure, sounds, meter, or meaning.

I was sweaty, I was breathless, and I was hot. The humid air weighed down on my skin and my heavy thoughts weighed down on my mind. Maybe I just didn’t have it in me to be a runner.

In this excerpt, the writer emphasizes their physical state through parallelism. Repeating “I was” highlights their exhaustion. It feels like a more dramatic sentence than “I was sweaty, breathless, and hot.” Similarly, the parallelism of the humid air and their thoughts weighing down evoke an especially uncomfortable, almost suffocating feeling for the writer’s thoughts. 

Since parallelism can make a sentence more dramatic, it can be a powerful addition to the beginning or end of your essay. You can also use it at any other point in your essay, if you want to draw attention to a particular section. 

Personification:

Personification is when you give human-like qualities to inanimate objects. This can make your writing feel more descriptive, poetic, and emotive:

The brilliant fall leaves whispered a goodbye as we left our beloved forest and treehouse for the last time. 

Leaves can’t whisper, but by giving them this human action, the writer evokes a sense of longing. The personification highlights that the forest was so meaningful to the writer that it seemed like even the trees were saying goodbye.

That being said, personification should be used judiciously and viewed with a critical eye, as the wrong comparison can easily sound cheesy. Be sure to get a second or third opinion if you’re not sure whether your personification works.

Wrapping Up

These are only a select few of the vast array of rhetorical devices that can be used to enhance an essay. Try browsing a list of devices and attempting to incorporate several into the latest draft of your personal statement. The greatest advantage of rhetorical devices is that they are incredibly effective in lending an essay a strong emotional appeal, also known as pathos. The ability to skillfully appeal to emotion in an essay while also clearly communicating your accomplishments and personality will be invaluable as you complete your applications.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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General Education

Rhetoric is the art of effective communication; if you communicate with others at all, rhetorical devices are your friends!

Rhetorical devices help you make points more effectively, and help people understand you better. In this article, I'll be covering some important rhetorical devices so you can improve your own writing! 

What Are Rhetorical Devices?

A lot of things that you would think of as just regular everyday modes of communicating are actually rhetorical devices That’s because ‘rhetorical devices’ is more or less a fancy way of saying ‘communication tools.’

Most people don’t plan out their use of rhetorical devices in communication, both because nobody thinks, “now would be a good time to use synecdoche in this conversation with my grocery clerk,” and because we use them so frequently that they don’t really register as “rhetorical devices.”

How often have you said something like, “when pigs fly!” Of those times, how often have you thought, “I’m using a rhetorical device!” That’s how ubiquitous they are!

However, being aware of what they are and how to use them can strengthen your communication , whether you do a lot of big speeches, write persuasive papers, or just argue with your friends about a TV show you all like.

Rhetorical devices can function at all levels: words, sentences, paragraphs, and beyond. Some rhetorical devices are just a single word, such as onomatopoeia. Others are phrases, such as metaphor, while still others can be sentence-length (such as a thesis), paragraph-length (hypophora), or go throughout the entire piece, such as a standard five-paragraph essay.

Many of these (such as the thesis or five-paragraph essay) are so standard and familiar to us that we may not think of them as devices. But because they help us shape and deliver our arguments effectively, they're important to know and understand.

The Most Useful Rhetorical Devices List

It would be impossible to list every single rhetorical device in one blog post. Instead, I've collected a mixture of extremely common devices you may have heard before and some more obscure ones that might be valuable to learn.

Amplification

Amplification is a little similar to parallelism: by using repetition, a writer expands on an original statement and increases its intensity .

Take this example from Roald Dahl’s The Twits :

“If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

In theory, we could have gotten the point with the first sentence. We don’t need to know that the more you think ugly thoughts, the uglier you become, nor that if you think good thoughts you won’t be ugly—all that can be contained within the first sentence. But Dahl’s expansion makes the point clearer, driving home the idea that ugly thoughts have consequences.

Amplification takes a single idea and blows it up bigger, giving the reader additional context and information to better understand your point. You don’t just have to restate the point— use amplification to expand and dive deeper into your argument to show readers and listeners how important it is!

Anacoluthon

Anacoluthon is a fancy word for a disruption in the expected grammar or syntax of a sentence. That doesn’t mean that you misspoke—using anacoluthon means that you’ve deliberately subverted your reader’s expectations to make a point.

For example, take this passage from King Lear :

“I will have such revenges on you both, That all the world shall—I will do such things, What they are, yet I know not…”

In this passage, King Lear interrupts himself in his description of his revenge. This has multiple effects on the reader: they wonder what all the world shall do once he has his revenge (cry? scream? fear him?), and they understand that King Lear has interrupted himself to regain his composure. This tells us something about him—that he’s seized by passion in this moment, but also that he regains control. We might have gathered one of those things without anacoluthon, but the use of this rhetorical device shows us both very efficiently.

Anadiplosis

Anadiplosis refers to purposeful repetition at the end of one sentence or clause and at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. In practice, that looks something like a familiar phrase from Yoda:

“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Note the way that the ending word of each sentence is repeated in the following sentence. That’s anadiplosis!

This rhetorical device draws a clear line of thinking for your reader or listener—repetition makes them pay closer attention and follow the way the idea evolves. In this case, we trace the way that fear leads to suffering through Yoda’s purposeful repetition.

Antanagoge is the balancing of a negative with a positive. For example, the common phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is antanagoge—it suggests a negative (lots of lemons) and follows that up with a positive (make lemonade).

When writing persuasively, this can be a great way to respond to potential detractors of your argument. Suppose you want to convince your neighborhood to add a community garden, but you think that people might focus on the amount of work required. When framing your argument, you could say something like, “Yes, it will be a lot of work to maintain, but working together will encourage us all to get to know one another as well as providing us with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers.”

This is a little like procatalepsis, in that you anticipate a problem and respond to it. However, antanagoge is specifically balancing a negative with a positive, just as I did in the example of a garden needing a lot of work, but that work is what ultimately makes the project worth it.

Apophasis is a form of irony relating to denying something while still saying it. You’ll often see this paired with phrases like, “I’m not saying…” or “It goes without saying…”, both of which are followed up with saying exactly what the speaker said they weren’t going to say.

Take this speech from Iron Man 2 :

"I'm not saying I'm responsible for this country's longest run of uninterrupted peace in 35 years! I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a phoenix metaphor been more personified! I'm not saying Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an iced tea, because I haven't come across anyone man enough to go toe to toe with me on my best day! It's not about me."

Tony Stark isn’t saying that he’s responsible for all those things… except that’s exactly what he is saying in all of his examples. Though he says it’s not about him, it clearly is—all of his examples relate to how great he is, even as he proclaims that they aren’t.

A scene like this can easily be played for humor, but apophasis can also be a useful (albeit deceptive) rhetorical tool. For example, this argument:

Our neighborhood needs a community garden to foster our relationships with one another. Not only is it great for getting to know each other, but a community garden will also provide us with all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables. It would be wrong to say that people who disagree aren’t invested in others’ health and wellness, but those who have the neighborhood’s best interests in mind will support a community garden.

That last sentence is all apophasis. Not only did I imply that people who don’t support the community garden are anti-social and uncaring (by outright stating that I wouldn’t say that, but I also implied that they’re also not invested in the neighborhood at all. Stating things like this, by pretending you’re not saying them or saying the opposite, can be very effective.

Assonance and Alliteration

Assonance adds an abundance of attractive accents to all your assertions. That’s assonance—the practice repeating the same vowel sound in multiple words in a phrase or sentence, often at the beginning of a word, to add emphasis or musicality to your work. Alliteration is similar, but uses consonant sounds instead of vowel sounds.

Let’s use Romeo and Juliet as an example again:

“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.”

Here, we have repetition of the sounds ‘f’ and ‘l’ in ‘from forth...fatal...foes,’ and ‘loins...lovers...life.’

Even if you don’t notice the repetition as you’re reading, you can hear the effects in how musical the language sounds. Shakespeare could easily have just written something like, “Two kids from families who hate one another fell in love and died by suicide,” but that’s hardly as evocative as the phrasing he chose.

Both assonance and alliteration give your writing a lyrical sound, but they can do more than that, too. These tools can mimic associated sounds, like using many ‘p’ sounds to sound like rain or something sizzling, or ‘s’ sounds to mimic the sounds of a snake. When you’re writing, think about what alternative meanings you can add by emphasizing certain sounds.

Listen, asterismos is great. Don’t believe me? How did you feel after I began the first sentence with the word ‘listen?’ Even if you didn’t feel more inspired to actually listen, you probably paid a bit more attention because I broke the expected form. That’s what asterismos is—using a word or phrase to draw attention to the thought that comes afterward.

‘Listen’ isn’t the only example of asterismos, either. You can use words like, ‘hey,’ ‘look,’ ‘behold,’ ‘so,’ and so on. They all have the same effect: they tell the reader or listener, “Hey, pay attention—what I’m about to say is important.”

Dysphemism and Euphemism

Euphemism is the substitution of a more pleasant phrase in place of a familiar phrase, and dysphemism is the opposite —an un pleasant phrase substituted in place of something more familiar. These tools are two sides of the same coin. Euphemism takes an unpleasant thing and makes it sound nicer—such as using 'passed away' instead of 'died'—while dysphemism does the opposite, taking something that isn't necessarily bad and making it sound like it is.

We won’t get into the less savory uses of dysphemism, but there are plenty that can leave an impression without being outright offensive. Take ‘snail mail.’ A lot of us call postal mail that without any real malice behind it, but ‘snail’ implies slowness, drawing a comparison between postal mail and faster email. If you’re making a point about how going electronic is faster, better for the environment, and overall more efficient, comparing email to postal mail with the phrase ‘snail mail’ gets the point across quickly and efficiently.

Likewise, if you're writing an obituary, you probably don't want to isolate the audience by being too stark in your details. Using gentler language, like 'passed away' or 'dearly departed' allows you to talk about things that might be painful without being too direct. People will know what you mean, but you won't have to risk hurting anyone by being too direct and final with your language.

You’ve no doubt run into epilogues before, because they’re a common and particularly useful rhetorical device! Epilogues are a conclusion to a story or work that reveals what happens to the characters in the story. This is different from an afterword, which is more likely to describe the process of a book’s creation than to continue and provide closure to a story.

Many books use epilogues to wrap up loose ends, usually taking place in the future to show how characters have changed as a result of their adventures. Both Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series use their epilogues to show the characters as adults and provide some closure to their stories—in Harry Potter , the main characters have gotten married and had children, and are now sending those children to the school where they all met. This tells the reader that the story of the characters we know is over—they’re adults and are settled into their lives—but also demonstrates that the world goes on existing, though it’s been changed forever by the actions of the familiar characters.

Eutrepismus

Eutrepismus is another rhetorical device you’ve probably used before without realizing it. This device separates speech into numbered parts, giving your reader or listener a clear line of thinking to follow.

Eutrepismus is a great rhetorical device—let me tell you why. First, it’s efficient and clear. Second, it gives your writing a great sense of rhythm. Third, it’s easy to follow and each section can be expanded throughout your work.

See how simple it is? You got all my points in an easy, digestible format. Eutrepismus helps you structure your arguments and make them more effective, just as any good rhetorical device should do.

You’ve probably used hypophora before without ever thinking about it. Hypophora refers to a writer or speaker proposing a question and following it up with a clear answer. This is different from a rhetorical question—another rhetorical device—because there is an expected answer, one that the writer or speaker will immediately give to you.

Hypophora serves to ask a question the audience may have (even if they’re not entirely aware of it yet) and provide them with an answer. This answer can be obvious, but it can also be a means of leading the audience toward a particular point.

Take this sample from John F. Kennedy’s speech on going to the moon:

But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

In this speech, Kennedy outright states that he’s asking questions others have asked, and then goes on to answer them. This is Kennedy’s speech, so naturally it’s going to reflect his point of view, but he’s answering the questions and concerns others might have about going to the moon. In doing so, he’s reclaiming an ongoing conversation to make his own point. This is how hypophora can be incredibly effective: you control the answer, leaving less room for argument!

Litotes is a deliberate understatement, often using double negatives, that serves to actually draw attention to the thing being remarked upon. For example, saying something like, “It’s not pretty,” is a less harsh way to say “It’s ugly,” or “It’s bad,” that nonetheless draws attention to it being ugly or bad.

In Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave , he writes:

“Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for the superior goodness of his own over that of the others.”

Notice the use of “not uncommon.” Douglass, by using a double negative to make readers pay closer attention, points out that some slaves still sought superiority over others by speaking out in favor of their owners.

Litotes draws attention to something by understating it. It’s sort of like telling somebody not to think about elephants—soon, elephants becomes all they can think about. The double negative draws our attention and makes us focus on the topic because it’s an unusual method of phrasing.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to a sound represented within text as a mimicry of what that sound actually sounds like. Think “bang” or “whizz” or “oomph,” all of which can mean that something made that kind of a sound—”the door banged shut”—but also mimic the sound itself—”the door went bang .”

This rhetorical device can add emphasis or a little bit of spice to your writing. Compare, “The gunshot made a loud sound,” to “The gun went bang .” Which is more evocative?

Parallelism

Parallelism is the practice of using similar grammar structure, sounds, meter, and so on to emphasize a point and add rhythm or balance to a sentence or paragraph.

One of the most famous examples of parallelism in literature is the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities :

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

In the beginning, every phrase begins with “It was,” which is itself a parallelism. But there are also pairs of parallelism within the sentence, too; “It was the ___ of times, it was the ___ of times,” and “it was the age of ___, it was the age of ___.”

Parallelism draws your reader deeper into what you’re saying and provides a nice sense of flow, even if you’re talking about complicated ideas. The ‘epoch of incredulity’ is a pretty meaty phrase, but Dickens’ parallelism sets up a series of dichotomies for us; even if we don’t know quite what it means, we can figure it out by comparing it to ‘belief.’

Personification

Personification is a rhetorical device you probably run into a lot without realizing it. It’s a form of metaphor, which means two things are being compared without the words like or as—in this case, a thing that is not human is given human characteristics.

Personification is common in poetry and literature, as it’s a great way to generate fresh and exciting language, even when talking about familiar subjects. Take this passage from Romeo and Juliet , for example:

“When well-appareled April on the heel Of limping winter treads.”

April can’t wear clothes or step on winter, and winter can’t limp. However, the language Shakespeare uses here is quite evocative. He’s able to quickly state that April is beautiful (“well-appareled”) and that winter is coming to an end (“limping winter”). Through personification, we get a strong image for things that could otherwise be extremely boring, such as if Shakespeare had written, “When beautiful April comes right after winter.”

Procatalepsis

Procatalepsis is a rhetorical device that anticipates and notes a potential objection, heading it off with a follow-up argument to strengthen the point. I know what you’re thinking—that sounds really complicated! But bear with me, because it’s actually quite simple.

See how that works? I imagined that a reader might be confused by the terminology in the first sentence, so I noted that potential confusion, anticipating their argument. Then, I addressed that argument to strengthen my point—procatalepsis is easy, which you can see because I just demonstrated it!

Anticipating a rebuttal is a great way to strengthen your own argument. Not only does it show that you’ve really put thought into what you’re saying, but it also leaves less room for disagreement!

Synecdoche is a rhetorical device that uses a part of something to stand in for the whole. That can mean that we use a small piece of something to represent a whole thing (saying ‘let’s grab a slice’ when we in fact mean getting a whole pizza), or using something large to refer to something small. We often do this with sports teams–for example, saying that New England won the Super Bowl when we in fact mean the New England Patriots, not the entirety of New England.

This style of rhetorical device adds an additional dimension to your language, making it more memorable to your reader. Which sounds more interesting? “Let’s get pizza,” or “let’s grab a slice?”

Likewise, consider this quote from Percy Bysshe Shelly’s “Ozymandias”:

“Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them.”

Here, Shelly uses ‘the hand’ to refer to the sculptor. The hand did not sculpt the lifeless things on its own; it was a tool of the sculptor. But by using just the hand, Shelly avoids repeating ‘the sculptor,’ preserves the poem’s rhythm, and narrows our focus. If he had referred to the sculptor again, he’d still be a big important figure; by narrowing to the hand, Shelly is diminishing the idea of the creator, mirroring the poem’s assertion that the creation will outlast it.

Tautology refers to using words or similar phrases to effectively repeat the same idea with different wording. It’s a form of repetition that can make a point stronger, but it can also be the basis of a flawed argument—be careful that your uses of tautology is the former, not the latter!

For example, take this section of “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe:

“Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme… From the bells, bells, bells, bells.”

Poe’s poetry has a great deal of rhythm already, but the use of ‘time, time, time’ sets us up for the way that ‘bells, bells, bells, bells’ also holds that same rhythm. Keeping time refers to maintaining rhythm, and this poem emphasizes that with repetition, much like the repetitive sound of ringing bells.

An example of an unsuccessful tautology would be something like, “Either we should buy a house, or we shouldn’t.” It’s not a successful argument because it doesn’t say anything at all—there’s no attempt to suggest anything, just an acknowledgment that two things, which cannot both happen, could happen.

If you want to use tautology in your writing, be sure that it’s strengthening your point. Why are you using it? What purpose does it serve? Don’t let a desire for rhythm end up robbing you of your point!

That thing your English teachers are always telling you to have in your essays is an important literary device. A thesis, from the Greek word for ‘a proposition,’ is a clear statement of the theory or argument you’re making in an essay. All your evidence should feed back into your thesis; think of your thesis as a signpost for your reader. With that signpost, they can’t miss your point!

Especially in longer academic writing, there can be so many pieces to an argument that it can be hard for readers to keep track of your overarching point. A thesis hammers the point home so that no matter how long or complicated your argument is, the reader will always know what you’re saying.

Tmesis is a rhetorical device that breaks up a word, phrase, or sentence with a second word, usually for emphasis and rhythm . We often do this with expletives, but tmesis doesn’t have to be vulgar to be effective!

Take this example from Romeo and Juliet :

“This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.”

The normal way we’d hear this phrase is “This is not Romeo, he’s somewhere else.” But by inserting the word ‘other’ between ‘some’ and ‘where,’ it not only forces us to pay attention, but also changes the sentence’s rhythm. It gets the meaning across perfectly, and does so in a way that’s far more memorable than if Shakespeare had just said that Romeo was somewhere else.

For a more common usage, we can turn to George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion , which often has Eliza Doolittle using phrases like “fan-bloody-tastic” and “abso-blooming-lutely.” The expletives—though mild by modern standards—emphasize Eliza’s social standing and make each word stand out more than if she had simply said them normally.

What’s Next?

Rhetorical devices and literary devices can both be used to enhance your writing and communication. Check out this list of literary devices to learn more !

Ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are all modes of persuasion—types of rhetorical devices— that can help you be a more convincing writer !

No matter what type of writing you're doing, rhetorical devices can enhance it! To learn more about different writing styles, check out this list !

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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Rhetorical devices are techniques in writing and speech that try to persuade the audience. A rhetorical device uses language to shape ideas into arguments, convincing the reader through a plethora of literary strategies.

Why study rhetorical devices? Understanding how writers wield words to persuade you will help you read critically and carefully. And, if you’re a writer, a poet, a future lawyer, or even someone who writes a lot of emails, learning how to employ common rhetorical devices will help sharpen your writing style and skills. Familiarizing yourself with this article will help you learn how to identify rhetorical devices in literature.

But first, what are rhetorical devices? This article dives deep into the topic, with a full rhetorical devices list and ample examples from poetry, literature, and speech. This article is filled with inspiration, ideas, and strategies to fine tune your writing, so let’s dive in. What are rhetorical devices?

Common Rhetorical Devices List Contents:

• What are Rhetorical Devices?

Types of Rhetorical Devices

9 syntactic rhetorical devices list, 10 argumentative rhetorical devices list, 10 emphatic rhetorical devices list, 7 stylistic rhetorical devices list, what are rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical devices are literary strategies for persuading the audience. Through techniques involving syntax, style, emphasis, word choice , and appeals to the audience itself, the authors that employ rhetorical devices hope to convince you of a certain idea or argument.

What are rhetorical devices? They are literary strategies for persuading the audience.

It’s important to note that “rhetorical devices” is an open-ended term, because writers are always trying to convince you of something. The devices in this article pertain to strategies in the style and syntax of language itself. But, other literary devices , such as metaphors and onomatopoeias , can also be considered rhetorical, if employed rhetorically—that is, if they try to change your way of thinking. Even the elements of fiction , like setting and plot , want to persuade you to think in a certain way.

Nonetheless, this article focuses on common rhetorical devices employed in the art of argument. Before we look at these literary strategies, let’s examine the different types of rhetorical devices.

There aren’t any clear taxonomies for rhetorical devices, in part because the term itself is so open-ended. Rhetorical scholars certainly don’t try to taxonomize these devices, as language itself is so open-ended and can be employed in infinite ways. Nonetheless, to keep these devices organized, we use the following labels to categorize the different types of rhetorical devices:

• Rhetorical appeals —Devices that appeal directly to the reader’s feelings, thoughts, morals, and sense of time. You may have already heard of them: ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos.
• Syntactical devices —Devices that use sentence structures to communicate or simplify complex ideas.
• Argumentative rhetorical devices —Devices whose structures are conducive to the advancement of a certain argument.
• Emphatic rhetorical devices —Devices that underscore or emphasize certain ideas.
• Stylistic rhetorical devices —Devices that use word play and diction to advance an argument.

Let’s examine these 5 categories now, with a look at rhetorical devices examples in literature, poetry, and speech.

Rhetorical Appeals: Kairos, Ethos, Logos, Pathos Rhetorical Devices

The following common rhetorical devices appeal directly to the reader’s sensibilities. Do note: an appeal to ethos, for example, can also be an appeal to pathos. Many master rhetoricians will advance arguments that appeal to multiple sensibilities at the same time.

1. Kairos—Appeal to Time

Now is the time to use kairos!—a device that appeals directly to the audience’s sense of time.

Specifically, kairos is an appeal to immediacy, to a sense of “in this moment.” When employed ethically, kairos convinces the audience that we must act immediately for the better good. For example, Martin Luther King once said:

King’s call for radical optimism in the face of racism and oppression was a call to action: now is the time that we change our situation of segregation.

Of course, kairos can also be used unethically, in that it can encourage the audience to think about something uncritically. If I implored an audience that “now is the time to chop all the trees down,” and some audience members didn’t think about the effects of this statement, they might actually start deforesting the land around them.

Kairos creates a sense of urgency. Now is the time to act, to think, to hope, etc. The kairos rhetorical device also helps the speaker explain why they are speaking to the audience: Because it is the time for action , I am speaking to you now.

2. Ethos—Appeal to Ethics and Credibility

Ethos is a device which appeals to two different senses:

• The credibility of the speaker. Why should I trust this person’s arguments?
• The ethics of the argument. How can I trust the ethical good in this argument?

To see the ethos rhetorical device in action, let’s look at an excerpt of the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell , a novel filled with rhetorical devices examples. For reference, this novel is an allegorical representation of the rise of the U.S.S.R., and the below excerpt implores the animals on the farm to overthrow the farmers and establish an equitable, self-governing system. Appeals to ethos are bolded.

“Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. But I will come to the dream later. I have something else to say first. I do not think, comrades, that I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I die, I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have acquired. I have had a long life, I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living . It is about this that I wish to speak to you.

“Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.

“But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate is good, it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it. This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep—and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.”

The first paragraph demonstrates an appeal to character. The speaker, Old Major, tells the audience he is trustworthy because he has lived a long life, and he wishes to pass on his wisdom. (There is also an appeal to kairos here, because Old Major tells the animals he has not long to live, and needs to tell them this information now .)

The second and third paragraphs appeal to the ethics of the audience. Paragraph two demonstrates the awful conditions of the farm. The animals are, quite literally, worked to death, and they receive no share in the profits of the farm. But the animals do not deserve this: they can imagine a farm that supports a large population, each animal living “in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining.” Why not strive for this level of prosperity?

Words like “comfort” and “dignity” reinforce the ethics of Old Major’s argument. These ideas are benchmarks for the pig’s ideas, since the audience will now be considering how to construct a world that preserves each individual’s comfort and dignity. It also lends credibility to Old Major himself, who seeks, above all, to better the lives of the animals long after he has died himself.

3. Logos—Appeal to Logic

Logos employs reason or logic to convince the audience of a certain argument. Logos will often be the backbone of an argument, particularly among rhetoricians who have actually thought through the logic of the ideas they’re advancing. (If an argument relies too heavily on pathos or kairos, that argument will often be poorly thought through, or else be trying to achieve nefarious ends.)

There are two primary forms of logos: inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning.

• Inductive Reasoning: Drawing predictions from specific claims. For example, a specific claim might be “I have to wear a scarf every winter.” To make this a predictions, you might say “This winter, I will also wear a scarf.”
• Deductive Reasoning: Drawing specific conclusions from general claims. For example, a general claim might be “All birds have feathers.” To take this to a specific conclusion, you might note that “an emu has feathers. Therefore, an emu is a bird.” (This is also an example of syllogism, which we define later in the article.)

Another way to think about this: inductive reasoning makes predictions based on existing data, whereas deductive reasoning makes conclusions based on existing data. Both forms of argument are valid in different ways, and both are equally prone to being false or manipulated.

The use of facts and figures is also the use of logos, although logos itself is logical argument. In other words, simply writing “studies show” is not an appeal to logos, as the writer must explain how their argument is supported by the data.

Here’s an example of the logos rhetorical device, from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee . For reference, Atticus is a lawyer trying to prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of assaulting Mayella Ewell.

[Atticus] You’re a strong girl, what were you doing all the time, just standing there?”

[Mayella] “I told’ja I hollered’n‘kicked’n’fought—”

Atticus reached up and took off his glasses, turned his good right eye to the witness, and rained questions on her. Judge Taylor said, “One question at a time, Atticus. Give the witness a chance to answer.”

“All right, why didn’t you run?”

“Tried to? What kept you from it?”

“I—he slung me down. That’s what he did, he slung me down’n got on top of me.”

“You were screaming all this time?”

“I certainly was.”

“Then why didn’t the other children hear you? Where were they? At the dump? Where were they?”

“Why didn’t your screams make them come running? The dump’s closer than the woods, isn’t it?”

“Or didn’t you scream until you saw your father in the window? You didn’t think to scream until then, did you?”

“Did you scream first at your father instead of at Tom Robinson? Was that it?”

“Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?”

“What did your father see in the window, the crime of rape or the best defense to it? Why don’t you tell the truth, child, didn’t Bob Ewell beat you up?”

Atticus uses deductive reasoning here to demonstrate that Mayella’s bruises came from her father, not from Tom Robinson. Logically speaking, if Tom was the one assaulting her, she would have screamed, and wouldn’t someone have heard? Tried to get Tom off of her?

By canceling out all other possible scenarios, Atticus deduces that, because no one came to Mayella’s rescue, her story about being assaulted by Tom is fake, because the source of her bruises is actually her father.

Note: When appeals to logic are false or poorly argued, they are often logical fallacies .

4. Pathos—Appeal to Feeling

Pathos is an appeal to the feelings of the audience. The author employs pathos when the writing tries to evoke a particular emotion, especially for the purposes of advancing an argument.

Pathos is a common facet of all literature, since literature tries to connect the reader to our greater shared humanity. This can only happen on the levels of the symbolic : images, feelings, and the like.

In argument, politics, and the court of law, the pathos rhetorical device certainly helps win the audience over to a certain idea or position. That said, pathos is a very easy device to abuse. When the writing focuses on evoking strong emotions from the reader, particularly without the backing of research and credibility, then the author likely wants to persuade you without evidence. Pathos-heavy writing is the stuff of conspiracy theories, extremism, and propaganda. (See also: logical fallacies.)

We won’t dive into all nuances of pathos—that’s a different article for a different day. But let’s see pathos in action through the poem “It’s What Happens, Sometimes, in October” by Angel Gonzalez :

When nothing occurs, and summer is gone, and leaves start to fall off the trees, and the cold rusts the edges of rivers, and slows down the flow of waters;

when the sky seems a violent sea, and birds swap landscapes, and words sound more and more distant, like whispers strewn by the wind;

then, as you know, it’s what happens:

those leaves, birds, clouds, strewn words and rivers, fill us with sudden restlessness and despair.

Don’t seek the cause in your hearts. It is merely what I said: what happens.

Through both natural imagery and appeals to the reader’s emotions, this poem evokes the sense of “restlessness and despair” that one sometimes feels in the peak of autumn. Of course, don’t just let the poem tell you how to feel: immerse yourself in its images, its windswept chill and “strewn words and rivers.” This poem doesn’t ask us to feel any particular way about autumn, only to observe the feelings that arise in us, which are simply “what happens” in October.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to draw attention to a certain idea by playing with sentence structure. The English language can be toyed with in many different ways, and master rhetoricians know how to use syntax to their advantage through the following devices.

5. Anacoluthon—Interruptions in Grammatical Flow

An anacoluthon occurs when the writer employs different grammatical structures in the same sentence. This device is a grammatical discontinuity —the syntax of the sentence changes, often alongside an abrupt change in topic.

Both poets and rhetoricians use this device to highlight important ideas. Poets, and prose poets in particular, will use the device to replicate the disjointed nature of thoughts, as our brains naturally think and feel incoherently.

Here’s an example of anacoluthon, from our accomplished instructor Barbara Henning ( Retrieved from Posit ):

When I woke up, I was in the wrong place, holding a blooming dandelion in my hand.

I knew there was something wrong when I completely forgot the script so clearly encoded under my forehead.

The rush of spirit retreated through a pinhole and dropped me back in this square room with thunder and the sound of heavy metal.

On the other side of the window the microwave beeped. A door slammed. The tv was on automatic shut off.

The computer, some kind of advance on cuneiform writing was flashing the figure of a fish.

A drawing by Dr. Freud in 1878 of the neurons in a spinal ganglion. Through the pinhole of that glassy eye—

Dr. Agassiz made his student learn the truth about fish— and I put my ear to a conch shell.

The sound of a distant oceanic voice— “What is there is there. And that is that.”

Some poignant anacolutha occur at the ends of the final two stanzas. These interruptions in thought bring the reader to what is most important in the poem. Barbara’s poetry frequently finds insight through careful attention to the natural and the now; by bringing the reader back to the present through the image of the conch shell, the poem tries to remind us of the nature of things, of the complicated simplicity of the present.

6. Antithesis—Parallel Juxtaposition of Opposite Ideas

Antithesis refers to the placement of differing ideas side by side using parallel structure, with the intent of comparing and contrasting those ideas. It relies on two key concepts in writing: parallelism and juxtaposition .

A lot of common phrases in the English language rely on antithesis. You may have recently heard one of the following phrases:

• Go big or go home
• Get busy living or get busy dying
• No pain, no gain
• No guts, no glory
• If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail
• Out of sight, out of mind
• Hope for the best; prepare for the worst
• Easy come, easy go

Well written antitheses lodge themselves in the brain, laying out complex ideas in simple sentences. A lot of idioms and proverbs rely on this device. So do rhetoricians: see the below excerpt from Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” :

This excerpt shows a clean cause and effect, utilizing the power of antithesis to honor the Union soldiers that died for the nation’s survival.

7. Asyndeton—Absence of Conjunctions

A writer employs asyndeton when they don’t use conjunctions to separate clauses. This has the effect of making the sentence move quicker, while also making the sentence feel sharp and directed.

For example:

With conjunctions (polysyndeton): Swift and concise and pointed, the sentence makes you think and moves your heart and compels you to action.

Without conjunctions (asyndeton): Swift, concise, pointed, the sentence makes you think, moves your heart, compels you to action.

Notice how the flow and feel of the sentence changes with the inclusion of “and” in place of commas? The example of polysyndeton actually feels a little overwhelming. Later in this article, we’ll look at proper uses of polysyndeton.

Here’s an example of asyndeton from Othello (I.i) by William Shakespeare:

Asyndeton can also refer to a lack of conjunctions between sentences, as in the above excerpt.

8. Hypallage—Syntactic and Semantic Split in a Modifier

Hypallage occurs when the author uses a modifier (usually a single adjective) to describe something semantically, rather than syntactically.

Okay, that’s a tough sentence to parse. Let me give you an example right away, from “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen :

So, the word “clumsy” is modifying the word “helmets.” This is occurring on a syntactic level. However, “clumsy” isn’t describing the helmets, it’s actually describing the boys fumbling to put them on during World War I.

In other words, there’s a split between the modifier’s syntactic and semantic meanings. (You can also argue that “helmets” is being used as a synecdoche to describe the boys themselves.)

Some phrases in the English lexicon naturally use hypallage. If you have a “restless night,” it’s not the night that was restless, it was you restless during the night.

Hypallage helps make an idea more concise, and it also builds an interesting visual link between two ideas. What does a clumsy helmet look like? We can almost see the boys struggling to put their helmets on, without the author having to say “the boys donned their helmets clumsily.”

9. Hyperbaton—Inverted Word Order

One of the common rhetorical devices, hyperbaton is!

A hyperbaton occurs when the writer writes a sentence in an unusual order, in order to emphasize the most salient aspect of the sentence. It is also called anastrophe. Rhetoricians may use this device for emphasis, and poets will certainly use it to preserve the rhythm and flow of a poem’s line. In formal poetry , such as the works of Shakespeare, hyperbaton makes it easier for the poem to retain its meter, like iambic pentameter.

Here are a few rhetorical devices examples using hyperbaton:

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe :

Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare :

“anyone lived in a pretty how town” by E. E. Cummings :

anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

Women and men(both little and small) cared for anyone not at all they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew autumn winter spring summer) that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf she laughed his joy she cried his grief bird by snow and stir by still anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones laughed their cryings and did their dance (sleep wake hope and then)they said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon (and only the snow can begin to explain how children are apt to forget to remember with up so floating many bells down )

one day anyone died i guess (and noone stooped to kiss his face) busy folk buried them side by side little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep and more by more they dream their sleep noone and anyone earth by april wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding) summer autumn winter spring reaped their sowing and went their came sun moon stars rain

For this last example, pay attention to how hyperbaton preserves the flow of the poem, and how it creates a sense of mystery. Cummings was a master of using language not to impart direct communication, but to create senses, mysteries, and feelings in the text.

10. Hypotaxis—Hierarchical Sentence Structure

Before we explain hypotaxis, a brief grammar refresher might prove helpful.

The components of a sentence are clauses and phrases. A clause is a part of a sentence that has a noun and a verb; sometimes, a clause is a complete sentence. A phrase is a group of words without a complete noun-verb pairing, such as the verb phrase “will be writing.” (There’s no noun.)

A subordinate clause is a clause that has a noun and a verb, but cannot stand on its own as a sentence. This is because the clause is modifying another part of the sentence. The bolded portion of the following sentence is subordinate: “I cannot use rhetorical devices, although I try very hard to. ”

Now, to hypotaxis. A hypotactic sentence is one that has dependent, or subordinate, clauses. This creates a hierarchical relationship in the sentence: the most important part of the sentence is the clause that can exist independently, while the subordinate clauses, which are less important, still modify and sharpen the message of the sentence.

Here’s an example—from Simone Weil’s Waiting for God . The sentences containing hypotaxis are bolded.

In the bolded sentences, take note of which is the main clause, and which clauses are subordinate. Notice how this makes the main clause the most important aspect of the sentence, creating a hierarchy of information, and a sense of relationships between different interconnected ideas.

Notice, also, how this passage has a mix of complex and simple sentences. Too much hypotaxis will prove much harder to read and comprehend.

The opposite of hypotaxis is parataxis.

11. Parataxis—Equally Weighted Sentence Components

In opposition to hypotaxis, parataxis is the use of equally weighted sentences or clauses in succession to one another. Parataxis requires short, simple sentences and clauses. You can identify this device by an absence of subordinating conjunctions—words that make a clause subordinate, like “although” or “because” or “if.”

Parataxis plays an important role in the following excerpt from Sula , by Toni Morrison:

The sequence of nouns (written using asyndeton) all blur together in one long list of things that don’t belong to Shadrack (the subject of this excerpt). Parataxis makes this sentence quick and even overwhelming, as the reader is immersed in Shadrack’s poverty upon leaving the military hospital he was confined to for so long.

Parataxis plays an equally interesting role in the below prose poem by Barbara Henning. Prose poets often employ parataxis as it resembles the disjointed nature of thought.

With a Bang

Many of the items in this prose poem are equally weighted, allowing the poem to represent the honest, fast-moving nature of human thought and experience. It is up to the reader to understand and interpret the many different items and ideas juxtaposed in this piece.

12. Polysyndeton—Succession of Coordinating Conjunctions

Polysyndeton is the opposite of asyndeton. A sentence with polysyndeton uses coordinating conjunctions (usually “and,” sometimes “or” or “nor”) to join a series of clauses, which serves to quicken the pace of the sentence itself.

Polysyndeton is prominent in these first two stanzas from the poem “It’s What Happens, Sometimes, in October” by Angel Gonzalez:

The repeating “ands” quicken the pace of the poem, reflecting the way the seasons change swiftly in October. They also help create rhythm and tension in the language of the poem itself.

13. Synesis—“Sense” Over Syntax

A synesis occurs when a sentence lacks grammatical agreement, for the purpose of highlighting an agreement in “sense.”

This is easier demonstrated than defined. See the below excerpt from Shakespeare’s King Lear :

“Revenges,” here, is grammatically incorrect. The word should be singular, because it should agree, grammatically and syntactically, with “I.” One does not typically carry out “revenges,” and it’s actually rare to see that word in the plural.

But, in this instance, it is correct logically. Lear is promising revenge on two people, and he might even be promising a different kind of revenge on each person. So, while the sentence is wrong in grammar, it is correct in sense. 

This break in grammar also highlights the word breaking grammatical rules. Our attention is drawn to “revenges”, and so, the idea of revenge is highlighted and heightened in the text.

Synesis is considered a form of anacoluthon. Like anacoluthon, synesis reflects the ways that we naturally communicate to one another. King Lear’s syneses and anacolutha sound true to his character, as these devices feel disjointed, much like a man blind with anger might speak.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to convince the audience of something. Some of these devices are earnest, sincere, and logical; others are more manipulative.

14. Accismus—Feigned Indifference

What? No! I don’t want that thing (which I actually secretly really desperately want).

Accismus is a form of irony in which the speaker pretends not to desire something that they actually desire. They might do this so as not to scare off the person offering it, or to conceal that their entire motivation rests on this one thing.

For example, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (I.ii), Caesar pretends not to want the crown of Rome:

Caesar at first refuses the crown before accepting, so that the people of Rome don’t catch on to the fact that this crown is the only thing he wants . Were they to know this, the people might realize that Caesar is power hungry and tyrannical.

15. Anecdote—Story-Based Evidence

An anecdote is a short, pithy story, utilized to demonstrate a key point in an argument. Anecdotes are often funny, but can be serious, too.

The teller of the anecdote must not get too lost in the story that they lose track of their own argument; but they must also demonstrate their point clearly and emphatically.

We use anecdotes all the time, making this one of the more common rhetorical devices in this list. Here’s an example, from Timothy Donnelly’s poem “All Through the War” ( in New England Review ):

I said to my daughter on the phone: Be an honest person,

just be an honest person. Be honest, be honest, be honest. Some days I can’t believe what it means to be alive some days. Some days I think about tearing myself apart but not exactly

with pleasure. Some days I know the strongest feeling is grief but I believe it must be love: it has to be, has to be, has to. Some days I feel each cell in my body has its fingers crossed.

The first two lines in this excerpt are an example of the anecdote rhetorical device, with the following lines furthering the argument of the poem. The speaker demonstrates exactly what he means by being honest, sharing thoughts that are both radically intimate and deeply heartfelt.

When an anecdote is moral in nature, it is sometimes referred to as an “exemplum.”

16. Antanagoge—Deflection by Counter Allegation

An antanagoge refers to a deflection in which, instead of answering a question or defending a point, the speaker makes a counter allegation.

For example, if I charged you with “eating all the Oreos,” you might reply that I “ate all the pecan pie last week.” (It’s true; I did.)

Antanagoge can also be employed syntactically. If you raise a claim and then answer that claim with an opposing sentiment, you have used antanagoge. For example, the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The first clause is negative, the responding clause is positive.

17. Aporia—Feigned Uncertainty

An aporia occurs when the writer expresses uncertainty or doubt, with the intention of raising a certain argument and exploring it. This uncertainty is usually feigned, as the writer pretends to be uncertain so that they can enumerate their argument and ideas.

A famous example of this is Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech:

By frequently calling into question her own womanhood, Sojourner Truth highlights the blinding effects of racism—how Black women don’t get to have the same rights, privileges, and freedoms of white women, perhaps because no one even views them as women. This speech was quite provocative, and quite effective, for its time—delivered at the 1851 Woman’s Convention in Akron, Ohio, in the midst of rising racial tension and conversations about abolishing slavery.

Aporia is also a concept in philosophy, referring to irresolvable knots or logical impasses in a text.

18. Bdelygmia—Litany of Insults

Despite its weird and satisfying spelling, bdelygmia describes something neither weird nor satisfying: insults.

Specifically, bdelygmia is a litany of insults directed towards an opponent or someone with opposing ideas. It is sometimes called abominatio, is always a form of ad hominem , and it uses strong language to appeal to pathos.

At its cutest, bdelygmia is levied against the perceived antagonist of a story, such as this excerpt from How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss:

The list of insults (using asyndeton, no less!) compels the reader to believe that the Grinch, for lack of a better word, sucks. This has a strong influence on the reader, as it tinges the way they view the Grinch’s place in the story, and it also moves the reader when the Grinch comes around to Christmas.

At its ugliest, bdelygmia is the stuff of internet discourse and political rhetoric. If someone is casting a litany of insults towards their opposition, recognize that this is an abuse of rhetoric, and that no substantial argument is being levied. Bdelygmia is what incites hate groups, political polarization, cyberbullying, and all sorts of intentionally hurtful discourse. Don’t fall for it!

19. Enthymeme—Deductive Reasoning With an Unstated Premise

In our section on the Logos rhetorical device, we explain that deductive reasoning follows a series of premises to reach a conclusion. For example:

• Rhetorical devices use language to persuade the audience.
• Amplification is a rhetorical device.
• Amplification uses language to persuade the audience.

In other words, A = B, and B = C, so A must equal C. (This is a syllogism, which we define later in this article.)

An enthymeme uses deductive reasoning without stating one of the premises. This is because the unstated premise is obvious to the reader. If we remove that first premise, then we get:

You don’t need to be told that rhetorical devices use language to persuade the audience; so, this enthymeme implies that premise. The reader trusts that you already know this basic concept. Using enthymeme conveys trust in the audience, which can help build ethos. It also lets the writer build more concise arguments.

20. Hypophora—Raising and Answering a Question

What can learning about common rhetorical devices do for your writing? Everything.

Also known as antipophora or anthypophora, hypophora is when the writer asks a question and immediately answers it. This rhetorical strategy allows the writer to raise a new topic, and it also invites the audience to participate in the work, since asking questions (even rhetorical questions) makes the audience feel engaged.

A hypophora occurs at the end of the poem “When she told me” by Jean Valentine:

When she told me over the phone you died I lay down and cried, “Don’t you stop loving me.”

In the West Side Market, I heard your voice from the ceiling say out loud to me, I love you.

In the park, to a chestnut tree, to the light through hundreds of leaves, I said, I love you.

It was you. And it was my life, run, to what,

—you closer than touch. 

21. Procatalepsis—Raising and Responding to Rebuttal

I know what you’re going to say. Rhetorical devices? Who needs those?

Procatalepsis is the act of raising a possible rebuttal to your argument, in order to address it right away. It strengthens the argument by addressing criticism and predicting what the opponent might say. As long as that rebuttal is properly addressed, this device can greatly enhance the ethos of an argument. Like hypophora, procatalepsis can also create surprising transitions in literary texts.

Frederick Douglass used procatalepsis in his 1846 “Appeal to the British People.” See below:

Douglass raises and rebuts the argument that he should confine his efforts to the United States. By connecting his plight to humanity’s plight, Douglass not only crafts an effective argument, but also boosts his appeal to ethos and pathos.

22. Reductio ad Absurdum—Taking an Argument to its Absurd Extreme

Reductio ad absurdum is a Latin phrase meaning “Reducing to the point of absurdity.” It is a means of arguing that a certain position is actually absurd. This is one of the operating mechanisms of satire, because it takes an argument to its logical extreme, demonstrating the futility and absurdity of that argument.

At its simplest, reductio ad absurdum simply explains why an argument is incorrect. For example:

The sun cannot orbit the Earth. Otherwise, the Earth would be 1,000,000 times the size of the sun!

At its more complex, reductio ad absurdum pokes fun at the absurdity of the ways we think and act. Satirist Jonathan Swift makes fun of the ways women prepare themselves in his poem “The Ladies’ Dressing Room”:

Five hours, (and who can do it less in?) By haughty Celia spent in dressing; The goddess from her chamber issues, Arrayed in lace, brocades and tissues…

Her ointments, daubs, and paints and creams, Her washes, slops, and every clout Such order from confusion sprung, Such gaudy tulips raised from dung.

The details and imagery here, as well as the mention that Celia spends five hours getting ready, makes Celia’s actions seem simply absurd.

Reductio ad absurdum can become a logical fallacy if it misinterprets the premise of an argument, or else doesn’t show a clear cause and effect between a premise and its logical extreme. Use this device wisely, logically, and convincingly.

23. Syllogism—If A=B, and B=C, Then A=C

If rhetorical devices help strengthen your writing, and syllogism is one of the common rhetorical devices, then a syllogism must strengthen your writing!

A syllogism is the base structure of deductive reasoning—the means by which specific claims are drawn from general knowledge. It follows the template “If A equals B, and B equals C, then A must equal C.”

Shakespeare, of course, master poet and rhetorician that he was, used syllogism in The Life of Timon of Athens .

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.”

Of course, employing a syllogism does not mean that the argument holds true. One of the claims A or B could prove incorrect, or else not encompass the full truth. This results in a faulty syllogism, or the syllogism fallacy. For example:

• All cats have four legs.
• A zebra has four legs.
• Therefore, a zebra is a cat.

While both claims A and B are generally true, they don’t encompass the full truth, because cats are not the only category of animals with four legs.

When a syllogism is employed with one claim instead of two (A = B, therefore A = C), that’s known as enthymeme, which is defined elsewhere in this article.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to emphasize a certain idea. Many of these devices take ideas to their logical extreme, or else use repetition to make an argument stick.

24. Adynaton—Extreme Hyperbole

A hyperbole is an exaggeration. Adynaton is an extreme exaggeration—a hyperbole so out there that it’s beyond impossible. An adynaton might be employed for comic effect, or it might be evidence of the speaker’s extreme feelings.

Here’s an example: the poem “The Cow Speaks to the Child” by Evan Gill Smith :

There’s no me without you, says the cow in the sunlight being looked at, being drawn by the child with crayons.

Is the hill an almond? the child wants to know. Is life irrefutable?

The start of ‘me’ is the start of the ending of ‘you.’ See that hole in your sock where the cold can get through?

The child’s toe sticks through the hole now.

Some philosophers grow ulcers from eating loneliness. There’s not much we know.

The cow’s tongue smacks its lips.

The child fills in its spots with blue crayon and silence. A dragonfly or not.

The line “some philosophers grow ulcers from eating loneliness” can be considered adynaton, as philosophers cannot actually eat loneliness. The idea of growing ulcers from eating loneliness is certainly out there . Of course, this line is metaphorical, and it’s doing excellent work by making the abstract physical. But it’s also a great example of how to use adynaton, because the line is so surprising to the reader, and stands out so clearly from the rest of the piece, that it sticks with the reader long after they’ve finished the poem.

25. Amplification—Drawing Attention to Ideas

The amplification rhetorical device uses superfluous words, embellishments, and unnecessary additions to draw attention towards a particular idea which might otherwise escape the reader’s attention. (That sentence is one example!)

Sometimes, a concise, abruptly worded sentence might not convey what it intends to. The language itself is functional, but the sentence is so short, or so dense, that the reader won’t get it. Amplification ensures that the reader grasps the entirety of what the author believes to be a highly important idea.

Here’s an example, from The Twits by Roald Dahl . The amplifications have been bolded, so you can see how they’re highlighting the core idea.

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

Notice how the bolded additions aren’t adding anything “new” to the original ideas, but they help demonstrate, through imagery and example, a necessary concept for the reader to understand.

Be careful with this device. Err on the side of concision , unless you’re certain that the reader must slow down and sit with the idea(s) in the writing.

26. Antiphrasis—Using Words Opposite of Their Meanings

Antiphrasis is the use of words to mean the opposite of their dictionary definitions. For example, if you fell down on the asphalt, and I said “Nice going, ballerina!”, that would be antiphrasis—I do not think that was “nice going,” and I certainly don’t think you’re a ballerina.

Antiphrasis is the operating mechanism for things like irony, sarcasm, satire , and sometimes even euphemism and litotes. (We define euphemism in our article on dialogue ; litotes appears elsewhere in this article.)

Among rhetorical devices, antiphrasis helps writers emphasize what they mean by making the reader think. When the reader realizes that the words being used are opposite to what the writer means, the time spent thinking about those words makes them stick in the reader’s head.

Of course, antiphrasis can also be used as a weapon. It’s not a very kind device to use, so use it wisely and sparingly.

27. Asterismos—Calling Attention With Introductory Words

Behold , rhetorical devices! Asterismos is when you call attention to an idea with an introductory word or phrase. Behold! Alas! Hark! Listen. Hey…. Notice, I say to you!

We use asterismos all the time in daily conversation, and you might notice it used when writers try to capture colloquial speech in their work. Here’s one example, from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :

Asterismos won’t do much for the arguments in your writing. But, this device helps keep the audience’s attention, and it can clue them into something important that’s about to occur in the text.

28. Litotes—The Rhetorical Double Negative

These common rhetorical devices are not bad !

A litotes is a double negative for rhetorical emphasis. It is a form of pleonasm (defined elsewhere in this article) because it requires the addition of extra words to convey a certain point. By expressing something positive using a double negative, the writer makes the audience think a little harder, adding weight behind the feeling that the double negative expresses.

Here are some common expressions in the English vernacular that use Litotes:

• I don’t hate it.
• I can’t disagree.
• Not uncommon.
• Hardly difficult.
• It has not gone unnoticed.
• It’s not the worst!

And, here are a couple rhetorical devices in poetry involving litotes:

He hath not fail’d to pester us with message Importing the surrender of those lands Lost by his father, with all bands of law, To our most valiant brother. So much for him.— Hamlet (I.ii) by William Shakespeare

“To not harm each other is not enough. I want you

so much that you have no before .” —Our instructor Caitlin Scarano , out of their collection The Necessity of Wildfire .

Litotes is considered a form of meiosis, defined below.

29. Meiosis—Witty Understatement

A meiosis gives the impression that something is less important than it actually is. This understatement creates dramatic effect, because the reader knows that the thing described actually has profound importance. Understatement is considered a form of hyperbole.

In Romeo and Juliet , Mercutio offers several examples of meiosis during his death scene:

(after being stabbed) MERCUTIO. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough. Where is my page? Go villain, fetch a surgeon.

ROMEO. Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

MERCUTIO. No, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o’ both your houses. Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death. A braggart, a rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic!—Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.

As with other rhetorical devices where what’s said differs from what’s meant, meiosis makes the reader slow down and think about what’s being spoken. The ironic dissonance between what’s said and what’s meant emphasizes the true meanings of the words themselves.

30. Metanoia—Immediate Self-Correction

Rhetorical devices are great—no, amazing!

When a writer backtracks or modifies something they just wrote, they use the device metanoia. This is not erasing and rewriting something—it is acknowledging the thing just written, and correcting it with a new, more accurate meaning. This immediate self-correction emphasizes the correction itself, making it stick in the reader’s brain.

Additionally, metanoia mimics the way that we talk in real life. Employing rhetorical devices like this tactically can help build trust and ethos with the audience.

Metanoia can be used to strengthen an argument, soften it, or make it more precise.

Here’s an example of the device, from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitgerald:

The narrator’s self-correction indicates that he knows things now that he did not know before. Thus, this metanoia is also an example of foreshadowing , because it suggests we are about to learn much more about the owner of this mansion.

31. Paralipsis—Performative Refusal to Speak on a Topic

I will not bring up the importance of rhetorical devices in literature, so don’t ask me to talk about it!

Paralipsis is a form of raising a topic by pretending not to want to speak on that topic. In everyday speech, you might say something like “I can’t stand my mother-in-law’s perfume. Not to mention her drinking problem…”

That “not to mention” reveals the thing that you actually want to mention the most. Paralipsis is a form of irony and antiphrasis, because it’s emphasizing the thing that the writer pretends not to want emphasized.

This example comes from “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift:

Swift’s satirical essay argues that the Irish should start eating their 1 year old children to stave off famine and boost their economy. It is, of course, not a serious argument, because Swift is actually mocking the inability of the British to care for the Irishman’s plight. The above quote adds to the satire, because Swift is pretending like the other solutions aren’t worth anyone’s time, when in fact they are the solutions for helping Ireland.

32. Overstatement—Intentional Exaggeration

Rhetorical devices are the only way to make your writing sharp.

Not really. While rhetorical devices are powerful strategies for your writing, they’re not the only way to sharpen it. That was an overstatement—a device in which the writer intentionally exaggerates something to illustrate a point. While overstatements often add a sense of humor to the writing, poets in particular might use this device for strong, evocative emotions and imagery.

Here’s an example, from the poem “100 Bells” by Tarfia Faizullah (which also has great examples of parataxis):

This is, of course, a metaphor. The speaker probably doesn’t believe they actually have horns nestled beneath their hair. But, this visceral overstatement still rings true to the reader—it feels painful, intimate, real, true.

An overstatement is often another literary device, too, such as a metaphor or simile or hyperbole.

33. Tmesis—A Word or Phrase Embedded in Another Word or Phrase

Will rhetorical devices revolutionize your writing? Abso- freaking -lutely!

A tmesis (yes, spelled that way) is a word or phrase embedded in another word or phrase, usually for emphatic effect. It typically reflects the ways we speak to one another.

Some examples of tmesis in everyday speech include:

• That’s a whole nother story
• Leave it any old where you like.
• This is fan- bloody -tastic. (Typical of British English.)
• Ned Flanders in The Simpsons : “Well- diddly -elcome!”
• Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother : “Legen- wait for it -dary”

And, in literature:

While tmesis seems easiest to construct in languages like English, you can find examples of this device in both contemporary and classic literature. In Latin, Ovid’s Metamorphoses utilizes the device. Contemporarily, many stream of conscious poets and modernists have used tmesis to reflect the fractured nature of language in the brain.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to make the writing memorable. Stylistic writing can prove both persuasive and compelling, sticking in the audience’s mind long after the final sentence.

34. Adnomination—Words with Repeating Roots

A single root word can produce many words in the contemporary English lexicon. For example, the latin “facere,” which means “to make” or “to bring forth,” has spawned a bunch of English words. Some examples:

Adnomination is the use of two or more words that share similar roots in a sentence. By doing this, the writer makes something about the sentence memorable. This is a rhetorical device useful for both rhetoricians and for marketers.

Here’s an example from the poem “The Choice” by Franz Wright (which repeats the prefix “some”):

35. Aposiopesis—The Unfinished Sentence

An aposiopesis occurs when the speaker leaves their sentence unfinished. Doing so forces the audience to use their imaginations and “fill in the blank,” which makes the speaker’s message more impactful—provided it’s clear what the speaker implies.

Use aposiopesis clearly, or else—!

Shakespeare employed this device often in his plays. One example comes from King Lear (I.iv):

Two examples of this rhetorical device appear in the bolded line. They both communicate something similar: the “such revenges” that King Lear will take on his daughters. What those revenges are, the reader doesn’t know—and that not knowing actually makes these words scarier, as the reader is left to fill in the blanks with their own imagination, and why wouldn’t we imagine the worst “terrors of the earth?”

36. Circumlocution—Unnecessary Wordiness

Circumlocution (also known as periphrasis) is the use of extraneous words to describe something that could be described concisely. That sentence is one example!

At its most useful, a circumlocution helps define words, so you’ll see this device employed in dictionary entries. It’s also common for language learners to use circumlocution when they don’t have a strong vocabulary—for example, saying “my mother’s sister” if you don’t know the word “aunt.”

Circumlocution is also the operating mechanism for euphemisms. Instead of saying a person is “dumb,” you might say they “didn’t have the best schooling growing up.” In literature, this is the operating mechanism for calling Voldemort “He-who-must-not-be-named.”

Among rhetorical devices, circumlocution is commonly used when politicians try to talk in circles, or else express empty ideas using bloated language. This use of circumlocution is also known as “equivocation.”

For example, if you ask a politician why they decided to close an important public school, they might say they’re trying to “allocate resources in the interest of all students” or “optimize the city’s learning experience through tailored resource allocation.” Well, those ideas sound fine and dandy, but they’re not actually answering the question, they’re just appealing to the audience by being ambiguous and seemingly-moral.

37. Dysphemism—Language That’s Derogatory Instead of Neutral

A dysphemism is the opposite of a euphemism. When you use words derogatorily, particularly when a neutral word or phrase already exists, you are employing dysphemism—a device sometimes used alongside bdelygmia.

• Euphemism: It’s time for Number Two.
• Neutral term: I need to use the restroom.
• Dysphemism: I’ve gotta shit.

So, most insults, swear words, and vulgarities are dysphemisms.

There is something to be said about connotation, context, and the audience: in some instances, a dysphemism could be a euphemism, and vice versa. If someone died, for example, and the nurse said that he “kicked the bucket,” this would normally be a euphemism. But, if the family prefers direct communication, or if the nurse laughed while she said it, then the nurse might have used a dysphemism instead.

38. Ellipsis—Omission of Words

Ellipsis is the omission of words from a sentence, encouraging the reader to “fill in the blank.” Aposiopesis is a form of ellipsis, but an ellipsis can happen anywhere in the text, and is much more open in terms of subject matter.

Take a look at the following example sentences. The words in brackets can be removed without changing the meanings of the sentences. If those bracketed words were removed, these sentences would then contain ellipses:

• I rode the train, and he [rode] the bus.
• I rode the train, [but I did] not [ride] the bus.
• Who rode the train to school today? I did [ride the train, myself.]
• I’ll ride the train, and you will [ride the train] too.

Ellipsis is a useful tool in the art of concise writing. It can also add ambiguity, particularly in literary works, if the writer wants to imply but not outright state something occurring in the story. Here’s a famous example from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which suggests sexual relations between Mr. McKee and Nick Carraway:

Then Mr. McKee turned and continued on out the door. Taking my hat from the chandelier, I followed.

“Come to lunch some day,” he suggested, as we groaned down in the elevator.“Where?”

“Anywhere.”

“Keep your hands off the lever,” snapped the elevator boy.

“I beg your pardon,” said Mr. McKee with dignity, “I didn’t know I was touching it.”

“All right,” I agreed, “I’ll be glad to.”

… I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.

“Beauty and the Beast… Loneliness… Old Grocery Horse… Brook’n Bridge…”

Then I was lying half asleep in the cold lower level of the Pennsylvania Station, staring at the morning Tribune, and waiting for the four o’clock train.

The ellipses are marked by the three dots (…). It’s the ellipses after the main bit of dialogue that suggests the two men had some sort of relations: we know time has passed, but not what precisely occurred so that Nick was beside the bed and McKee was in his underwear.

39. Isocolon—Parallelism With an Equal Number of Words or Syllables

A writer uses isocolon when they write a parallel sentence in which each element has the same number of words or syllables. This device is naturally built into certain other rhetorical devices, such as antithesis (“go big or go home!”), and it’s also built into poetry forms like iambic pentameter.

Here are two rhetorical devices examples that use isocolon:

Same number of words: 

Same number of syllables:

Notice how each item replicates the same grammatical and syntactical structures. Isocolon presents ideas in a balanced manner, maintaining rhythm and flow in the sentence while advancing equally weighted ideas.

Isocolon can be further defined as bicolon (two parallel items), tricolon (three parallel items), tetracolon (four parallel items), and so on.

40. Pleonasm—Intentional Redundancy

If you use rhetorical devices, you are a smart, intelligent person!

A pleonasm is an intentional redundancy. It is typically used to emphasize a certain idea or draw attention to it, though it can also add a sense of urgency and intensity to language, so long as it’s employed properly.

Pleonasm is very similar to tautology, which is when you use different words that have the same meanings side by side. The only difference is that a pleonasm is any sort of rhetorical magniloquence.

Some phrases in the English language are inherently pleonastic/tautological. You might have said or heard recently:

• I saw it with my own two eyes. (You can just say “my.” The “two” is redundant, too.)
• Can I have a chai tea ? (“Chai” literally means “tea.”)
• I’ll have the tuna fish for supper. (Just “tuna” communicates the same idea.)
• It may be possible.
• I got a free gift !
• Under false pretenses.
• PIN Number (PIN stands for Personal Identification Number.)
• ATM Machine (ATM stands for Automatic Teller Machine.)

Pleonasm is also a prominent feature in Mary Oliver’s poem “Every Dog’s Story”:

I have a bed, my very own . It’s just my size. And sometimes I like to sleep alone with dreams inside my eyes .

But sometimes dreams are dark and wild and creepy and I wake and am afraid , though I don’t know why. But I’m no longer sleepy and too slowly the hours go by.

So I climb on the bed where the light of the moon is shining on your face and I know it will be morning soon.

Everybody needs a safe place.

Pleonasm, here, emphasizes the dog’s intense emotions, and also somehow emulates the way a dog might think. The writing here certainly feels feasible for a dog’s own thoughts, if a dog thought in the English language.

The key here is whether or not the writer is abusing their poetic license: some pleonasm may be useful, though of course it’s best to err on the side of concision.

Master These Common Rhetorical Devices in Literature at Writers.com

Poets, rhetoricians, storytellers, lawyers, politicians, journalists, and translators all use these common rhetorical devices in their work. These devices can be leveraged for style, for argument, or for effective, evocative writing.

Whatever your screed, master these common rhetorical devices at Writers.com. Take a look at our upcoming classes , where you’ll receive expert feedback on every piece of writing you submit.

Sean Glatch

Useful article. The implications or the complications of using certain words or phrases are well explained.

The implications or the complications of using certain words or phrases are well explained. This helps to improve my writing skills.

This has built me. Making me to increase my standard in styles and other things in literary work.

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Using Rhetorical Strategies for Persuasion

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There are three types of rhetorical appeals, or persuasive strategies, used in arguments to support claims and respond to opposing arguments. A good argument will generally use a combination of all three appeals to make its case.

Logos or the appeal to reason relies on logic or reason. Logos often depends on the use of inductive or deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning takes a specific representative case or facts and then draws generalizations or conclusions from them. Inductive reasoning must be based on a sufficient amount of reliable evidence. In other words, the facts you draw on must fairly represent the larger situation or population. Example:

In this example the specific case of fair trade agreements with coffee producers is being used as the starting point for the claim. Because these agreements have worked the author concludes that it could work for other farmers as well.

Deductive reasoning begins with a generalization and then applies it to a specific case. The generalization you start with must have been based on a sufficient amount of reliable evidence.Example:

In this example the author starts with a large claim, that genetically modified seeds have been problematic everywhere, and from this draws the more localized or specific conclusion that Mexico will be affected in the same way.

Avoid Logical Fallacies

These are some common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Also, watch out for these slips in other people's arguments.

Slippery slope: This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur A must not be allowed to occur either. Example:

In this example the author is equating banning Hummers with banning all cars, which is not the same thing.

Hasty Generalization: This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts. Example:

In this example the author is basing their evaluation of the entire course on only one class, and on the first day which is notoriously boring and full of housekeeping tasks for most courses. To make a fair and reasonable evaluation the author must attend several classes, and possibly even examine the textbook, talk to the professor, or talk to others who have previously finished the course in order to have sufficient evidence to base a conclusion on.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc: This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.' Example:

In this example the author assumes that if one event chronologically follows another the first event must have caused the second. But the illness could have been caused by the burrito the night before, a flu bug that had been working on the body for days, or a chemical spill across campus. There is no reason, without more evidence, to assume the water caused the person to be sick.

Genetic Fallacy: A conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth. Example:

In this example the author is equating the character of a car with the character of the people who built the car.

Begging the Claim: The conclusion that the writer should prove is validated within the claim. Example:

Arguing that coal pollutes the earth and thus should be banned would be logical. But the very conclusion that should be proved, that coal causes enough pollution to warrant banning its use, is already assumed in the claim by referring to it as "filthy and polluting."

Circular Argument: This restates the argument rather than actually proving it. Example:

In this example the conclusion that Bush is a "good communicator" and the evidence used to prove it "he speaks effectively" are basically the same idea. Specific evidence such as using everyday language, breaking down complex problems, or illustrating his points with humorous stories would be needed to prove either half of the sentence.

Either/or: This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices. Example:

In this example where two choices are presented as the only options, yet the author ignores a range of choices in between such as developing cleaner technology, car sharing systems for necessities and emergencies, or better community planning to discourage daily driving.

Ad hominem: This is an attack on the character of a person rather than their opinions or arguments. Example:

In this example the author doesn't even name particular strategies Green Peace has suggested, much less evaluate those strategies on their merits. Instead, the author attacks the characters of the individuals in the group.

Ad populum: This is an emotional appeal that speaks to positive (such as patriotism, religion, democracy) or negative (such as terrorism or fascism) concepts rather than the real issue at hand. Example:

In this example the author equates being a "true American," a concept that people want to be associated with, particularly in a time of war, with allowing people to buy any vehicle they want even though there is no inherent connection between the two.

Red Herring: This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them. Example:

In this example the author switches the discussion away from the safety of the food and talks instead about an economic issue, the livelihood of those catching fish. While one issue may affect the other, it does not mean we should ignore possible safety issues because of possible economic consequences to a few individuals.

Ethos or the ethical appeal is based on the character, credibility, or reliability of the writer. There are many ways to establish good character and credibility as an author:

• Use only credible, reliable sources to build your argument and cite those sources properly.
• Respect the reader by stating the opposing position accurately.
• Establish common ground with your audience. Most of the time, this can be done by acknowledging values and beliefs shared by those on both sides of the argument.
• If appropriate for the assignment, disclose why you are interested in this topic or what personal experiences you have had with the topic.
• Organize your argument in a logical, easy to follow manner. You can use the Toulmin method of logic or a simple pattern such as chronological order, most general to most detailed example, earliest to most recent example, etc.
• Proofread the argument. Too many careless grammar mistakes cast doubt on your character as a writer.

Pathos , or emotional appeal, appeals to an audience's needs, values, and emotional sensibilities.  Pathos can also be understood as an appeal to audience's disposition to a topic, evidence, or argument (especially appropriate to academic discourse). 

Argument emphasizes reason, but used properly there is often a place for emotion as well. Emotional appeals can use sources such as interviews and individual stories to paint a more legitimate and moving picture of reality or illuminate the truth. For example, telling the story of a single child who has been abused may make for a more persuasive argument than simply the number of children abused each year because it would give a human face to the numbers.  Academic arguments in particular ​benefit from understanding pathos as appealing to an audience's academic disposition.

Only use an emotional appeal if it truly supports the claim you are making, not as a way to distract from the real issues of debate. An argument should never use emotion to misrepresent the topic or frighten people.