rhetorical devices Flashcards
ad hominem
an attack “on the person” rather than an attack on his or her ideas or reasoning.
ex. Her opinion is irrelevant because she didn’t graduate college.
allusion
an implicit reference to something.
ex. Chocolate is his Kryptonite.
In this example, the word “kryptonite” alludes to, or hints at, the hero Superman.
analogy
an illustrative comparison between things that have a similar function or structure.
ex. “What you’re doing is as useful as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”
anecdote
an illustrative story
ex. “My aunt has been on a low-fat diet for 2 months now, and she has lost several kilograms. She says it’s definitely the best diet out there.”
*aphorism
a widely accepted truth. Also called, maxims, adages, or proverbs.
ex. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
appeal to authority
a suggestion that the reader should agree with an idea because a respected authority happens to believe it.
ex. The world’s greatest scientist, Sir Issac Newton, believed that iron could be turned into gold, so who are we to question the idea?
appeal to emotion
an attempt to persuade the reader through an emotionally charged anecdote or allusion.
ex. A story about an infuriating experience with an insurance salesman may be an effective way to argue against aggressive sales tactics.
characterization
the use of imagery, diction, or description to convey a particular attitude toward a person, thing, or idea.
ex. referring to a proposal as a scheme characterizes it as being deceitful.
*euphemism
a term that makes something seem more positive than it is.
ex. salespersons or political canvassers often use the term ‘courtesy call’ as a euphemism for an unwanted disruption.
irony
a deliberate reversal of expectations in order to surprise a reader.
ex. I belive in free will, because I have no choice.
metaphor
an application of a word or phrase to something it doesn’t literally apply to.
ex. calling a refusal a slap in the face.
parallelism
the use of repeated grammatical forms to emphasize a point.
ex.
Lily likes eating M&Ms and binge-watching series on Netflix.
Lily likes to eat M&Ms and to binge-watch series on Netflix.
personification
the attribution of personal qualities to something that is not a person.
ex.
The flower’s limbs started to give out as the chill wind current transformed into a monstrous storm.
simile
a comparison using like or as.
ex.
Her smile is as pretty as the morning sunrise.
understatement
suggests that some situation is less significant than it obviously is.
ex.
“It rained a bit more than usual.” – Describing an area being flooded by heavy rainfall.
