Mastering Rhetorical Devices for 11th Grade

Front

Alliteration

Back

Definition

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words

Example:

sells seashells by the seashore"

Front

Allusion

Back

Definition:

A reference to a well-known person, event, or work

Example:

He was a real Romeo with the ladies"

Front

Figurative Language:
Analogy, Metaphor, Simile

Back

Definition:

Showing similarities between two different things.

Example:

Falling in love is like learning to ride a bike - you have to fail a few times before getting it right.

Front

Anaphora

Back

Definition:

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

Example:

"I have a dream... I have a dream..."
(Martin Luther King Jr.)

Front

Antithesis

Back

Definition:

Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases

Example:

"One small step for (a) man. One giant leap for mankind."
(Neil Armstrong)

Front

Repetition

Back

Definition:

Repeated use of words or phrases for emphasis

Example:

The 3 most important things in real estate are location, location, location.

Front

Rhetorical Question

Back

Definition:

A question used for effect, not intended to be answered.

Example:

How many of you students love doing homework?

Front

Parallelism

Back

Definition:

Repetition of grammatical/sentence structures

Example:

"we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

(John F. Kennedy)

Front

Hyperbole

Back

Definition:

Exaggeration - making something seem bigger than it really is

Example:

I've told you a million times

Front

Understatement

Back

Definition:

Making something seem smaller than it really is.

Example:

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped.