rhetorical devices Flashcards
personification
giving human qualities to non-human objects (“the thunder growled angrily as the storm rolled in”)
hyperbole
isn’t meant to be taken literally, emphasizes a point or create a dramatic effect (“her smile was so bright, it lit up the whole city”)
polysyndeton
conjunctions are used repeatedly in a sentence, can make writing feel more intense (“we laughed and played and danced and sang all night”)
repetition
Repetition is a literary or rhetorical device where words, phrases, or ideas are repeated to emphasize a point, makes the message more memorable (“let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!”)
anithesis
a rhetorical device where two opposite ideas or contrasting concepts are placed together in a sentence to highlight their differences, may be used to highlight tension between the two (“the darkness of despair” to “the light of hope”)
irony
a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens, or between what is said and what is meant. It often highlights something surprising or humorous. May be used to exposes contradictions of ideas (“It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the forecast predicted no rain, but of course, I forgot my umbrella and got completely soaked!”)
pun
a joke or play on words that uses a word with two or more meanings, or words that sound alike but have different meanings, to create humor or cleverness. (“I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough”)
paradox
a statement that seems contradictory or impossible, but upon closer examination, it may reveal a deeper truth or make sense. May be used to highlight the complexity of a topic (“The more connected we become, the more isolated we feel”)
allusion
a reference to a well-known person, event, place, work of art, or piece of literature, often made indirectly. It relies on the audience’s knowledge to make a point or enhance meaning. May be used to create more credibility because they can connect it to something else (“He was a real Romeo with the ladies”)
extended metaphor
a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences, paragraphs, or even an entire work. It’s not just a one-time comparison; instead, it’s developed in greater detail over a longer passage. May be used to clarify complex ideas (“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.”)
motif
A motif is a repeated element, such as an idea, symbol, word, phrase, image, or concept, that appears throughout a work of literature, art, or music. May be used to help reinforce the theme. (“In The Great Gatsby, the motif of the green light reinforces the theme of the unattainability of the American Dream, as it symbolizes Gatsby’s longing for an idealized future that is forever out of reach.”)
alliteration
the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. May be used to make the point stand out more (“We must stand strong and strive for success.”)
imperative sentence
a type of sentence that gives a command, request, or instruction. It is used to tell someone what to do or how to act. May be used to create a sense of urgency and self importance (“vote today for change”)
declarative sentence
a type of sentence that makes a statement or expresses an idea, opinion, or fact. It provides information and ends with a period. The purpose of a declarative sentence is to convey a fact, thought, or assertion, without asking a question or giving a command. May be used to convey confidence and assertion. (This is the solution we’ve been waiting for.”)
litotes
a figure of speech that uses negation to express an idea by stating what it is not, often in a way that emphasizes the opposite. It typically involves using double negatives or saying something is “not bad” to mean that it is good. May be used to appear more modest and persuade the reader to side with them. (“I’m not entirely unskilled at this” instead of “Im good at this”)
compound sentence
a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses (complete thoughts or ideas) joined together by a coordinating conjunction (such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or a semicolon. may be used to emphasize connections like cause and affect. (“She didn’t study for the exam, so she didn’t do well.””)
complex sentence
a sentence that contains one independent clause (a complete thought) and at least one dependent clause (a group of words that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence). The dependent clause is connected to the independent clause by a subordinating conjunction (“I wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining”)
semi-colon
a punctuation mark that links two closely related independent clauses within a sentence, without the need for a conjunction like and or but (“she was extremely tired; still, she kept going.”)
anastrophe (Yoda)
a rhetorical device where the usual order of words in a sentence is reversed or rearranged for emphasis, dramatic effect, or to create a unique or poetic rhythm. May be used to place emphasis on specific words be misplacing them. (“Glistens the dew on the morning grass”)
