Rhetorical Terms

Rhetorical Devices

The art of persuasion

What are rhetorical devices?

In rhetoric, rhetorical devices are techniques that an author or speaker use to convey to the listener or reader a meaning, with the goal of persuading them towards considering a topic from a perspective, using language designed to encourage or provoke an emotional display of a given perspective or action. Rhetorical devices evoke an emotional response in the audience through use of language, but that is not their primary purpose. Rather, by doing so, they seek to make a position or argument more compelling than it would otherwise be.

Basically

Rhetorical Devices help us make our arguments more compelling and convincing.

We will focus on:

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Questions

• Synecdoche

• Allusions

Repetition

repetition repetition

Repetition is used to produce:

• emphasis

• clarity

• amplification

• emotional effect

Examples of repetition

• The sad truth is that the truth is sad. (Lemony Snicket)

• The horror! The horror! (Heart of Darkness)

• Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

  Creeps in this petty pace from day to day (the Scottish Play)

Multiple Select

Why would an author choose to use repetition as a rhetorical device?

• To help us remember

• To emphasize a point

• To clarify

• To annoy

Multiple Choice

Dr. Seuss got into the repetition game early, using it in children's books. In addition to showing importance or placing emphasis, how can repetition in children's literature help young readers?

• It helps with selecting new books.

• It helps clarify the meaning of words.

• It helps create vivid imagery.

Parallelism

Learn to use it. Learn to love it.

Parallelism

Parallelism, also known as parallel structure, is when phrases in a sentence have similar or the same grammatical structure. In its most basic usage, parallelism provides a phrase with balance and clarity. Parallelism also serves to give phrases a pattern and rhythm.

For example:

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

When Neil Armstrong first stepped foot onto the moon, he said what would become a famous quote. In this example, parallelism occurs in the repetition of “one … for ….” Both phrases also follow the same grammatical structure:

One small (adjective) step (action) for (preposition) man (noun)… one giant (adjective) leap (action) for (preposition) mankind (noun).

This parallelism gives it a memorable rhythm and repetition.

Multiple Select

Select all of the examples of parallelism.

• … and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. (Abraham Lincoln)

• To generalize about war is like generalizing about peace. Almost everything is true. Almost nothing is true. (Tim O'Brian)

• Water, water everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

• fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me

Rhetorical Questions

What's the deal with that?

Rhetorical Questions:

• Start a discussion - "How many people will have to die before we take action?"

• Make a point - "Can't you do anything right?"

• Create a certain tone - "Going to bed late will leave you tired in the morning. Who knew?"

Multiple Select

Select all of the examples of rhetorical questions.

• When will this end?

• What's in a name? A rose called by any other would smell as sweet.

• “…O Wind,

  If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

  -Percy Bysshe Shelley

• When does this play end?

Synecdoche

Give me a hand with this one.

It’s important that writers understand the distinction between the two basic categories of synecdoche:

Microcosm vs. Macrocosm

• Microcosm: synecdoche in which a smaller part of something stands in to refer to the larger whole. For example, “blue hair” is a figure of speech that refers to an older woman. Therefore, a smaller part of a woman’s body is used to represent her as a whole in terms of age.

• Macrocosm: synecdoche in which a larger entity is used to refer to a smaller part within it. For example, “Ivy League” is a figure of speech that refers to a group of prestigious colleges in the northeastern United States. Therefore, if someone is called an “Ivy League” student, this indicates that the student attends one of these specific universities.

When to Use Synecdoche

• Synecdoche is commonly used when discussing organizations such as sports teams, universities, and governments, allowing the whole to represent the individual members.—The Dallas Cowboys, the University of SC, or the Civil Rights Movement for example—

• Synecdoche can also provide us with catchy, poetic, or interesting references ranging from “bringing home the bacon” for bringing home a paycheck that pays for food and bills, to “plastic” for the credit card which pays those bills.

• It can be a source of nicknames that emphasize certain traits such as “long legs” or “green eyes.”

Multiple Select

What is synecodoche?

• A part of the whole

• The whole for a part

Multiple Choice

Which of the following does NOT include synecdoche?

• The White House made no comment.

• I want to see that face.

• Let's go see her.

• The construction company is here.

Allusions

You don't have to be Einstein to use them.

Allusions...

• allow a writer to compress a great deal of meaning and significance into a word or phrase.

• are only effective to the extent that they are recognized and understood by the reader, and that they are properly inferred and interpreted by the reader.

• can lose effectiveness by confusing the reader, if an allusion is obscure or misunderstood

Multiple Choice

Allusion is a...

• metaphor

• reference

• symbol

• cliche

Multiple Select

Which of the following are allusions?

• You've opened a real Pandora's Box.

• Jenny's backpack was a disaster.

• That test went about as well as the Hindenburg.

• Look at you all young, scrappy, and hungry.

Let's Practice

Multiple Select

The following statement includes which rhetorical device(s)?

Give me a hand on this test Einstein.

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Question

• Synecdoche

• Allusion

Multiple Select

The following statement includes which rhetorical device(s)?

Permission! Who needs permission?

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Question

• Synecdoche

• Allusion

Multiple Select

The following statement includes which rhetorical device(s)?

I came. I saw. I conquered.

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Question

• Synecdoche

• Allusion

Multiple Select

The following statement includes which rhetorical device(s)?

Nice wheels! What wouldn't I give to drive a car like that?

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Question

• Synecdoche

• Allusion

Multiple Select

The following statement includes which rhetorical device(s)?

Tomorrow and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day.

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Question

• Synecdoche

• Allusion

Multiple Select

The following statement includes which rhetorical device(s)?

It was Eden on a hill, a song on the wind, a light in the dark.

• Repetition

• Parallelism

• Rhetorical Question

• Synecdoche

• Allusion