Top 10 Rhetorical Device Words Flashcards
Simile
A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as.
Anecdote
A short story told to illustrate a point.
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which two unrelated objects are compared.
Personification
A figure of speech in which inanimate objects are endowed with human qualities.
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.
Allusion
A reference to a person, place, or thing, historical or literary, that adds to the reader’s understanding of the subject.
Irony
Saying one thing and implying something else, usually the opposite of the expressed meaning.
Satire
The use of wit, irony, and sarcasm to make fun of human follies and vices.
Parallel Structure
The repetition of words, phrases, or sentences that are similar in meaning and structure.
Parenthetical Expression
An expression inserted into the flow if thought and set off by parentheses.