9 Syntactic Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
Anacoluthon
An anacoluthon occurs when the writer employs different grammatical structures in the same sentence.
Ex. I ate two times more than normal beaver consumption which isn’t much for my time period.
Antithesis
Antithesis refers to the placement of differing ideas side by side using parallel structure, with the intent of comparing and contrasting those ideas.
Ex. Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.
Asyndeton
A writer employs asyndeton when they don’t use conjunctions to separate clauses.
the sentence move quicker, feeling sharp and directed.
Ex. Swift, concise, pointed, the sentence makes you think, moves your heart, compels you to action.
Hypallage
Hypallage occurs when the author uses a modifier (usually a single adjective) to describe something semantically, rather than syntactically.
Hypallage helps make an idea more concise.
Ex. The trigger happy pistols eyeball the girls.
Hyperbaton
A hyperbaton occurs when the writer writes a sentence in an unusual order, in order to emphasize the most salient aspect of the sentence.
Ex. This I must see.
Hypotaxis
A hypotactic sentence is one that has dependent, or subordinate, clauses.
This creates a hierarchical relationship in the sentence.
Ex. With two eggs, I made an omelette.
Parataxis
Parataxis is the use of equally weighted sentences or clauses in succession to one another.
Parataxis makes sentences quick and even overwhelming.
Polysyndeton
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.
Synesis
A synesis occurs when a sentence lacks grammatical agreement, for the purpose of highlighting an agreement in “sense.”
Ex. He run home
