Rhetorical Devices

Techniques that writers use to enhance arguments and convey ideas.

EQ: What is the purpose of using rhetorical devices?

• How is figurative language used?

• It is used to create imagery and express ideas non-literally.

• The use of figurative language can help to engage the audience and make an argument more emotive, vivid and convincing.

• Examples:

Metaphor: After a long day, our refreshing lemonade is a taste of heaven.

Personification: Our properties embrace you and welcome you home.

Simile: She is the best teacher in the school; she is like a rose amongst thorns.

• Connotation • An idea or feeling which a word invokes.

• Words carry meaning beyond their literal definitions.

• For example, both cheap and inexpensiveessentially mean the same thing, but they have different connotations. When advertising a product, it’s better to call it inexpensive because cheap has negative connotations.

• Examples: (Think about the connotation of the underlined words.)

• This is a difficult task. / This is a challenging task.

• She is very slim. / She is very bony.

• Start a new job today. / Start a new careertoday.

• Repetition • A technique in which a sound, word, phrase, or line is repeated for emphasis or unity. • Repeating certain words and

phrases reinforces and emphasizes an argument and ensures that the point of view being expressed stays in the mind of the audience.

• There are different types of repetition, such as alliteration and parallelism.

• Example:

• “She's safe, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised.” (Jack Sparrow, The Pirates of the Caribbean)

• Alliteration • The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

•Alliteration helps to emphasize certain words and make them more memorable.

•Examples:

• The dare devil dove into the deep, dark sea.

•Functional, fashionable, and fabulous shoes!

• Parallelism • The use of similar grammatical constructions—words, phrases, clauses, or sentences—to express ideas that are related or equal in importance.

•Example:

• "We've seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers—in English, Hebrew, and Arabic." (George W. Bush, 9/20/01 Address to the Nation on Terrorism)

• Anaphora • The deliberate repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines to create a sonic effect.

• As a rhetorical device, anaphora can used to appeal to the emotions of the audience in order to persuade, inspire, motivate and encourage them.

•Examples:

• “My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration.”

• “Buying diapers for the baby, feeding the baby, playing with the baby: This is what your life is when you have a baby.

• A rhetorical question

• is one that is raised in order to make a point rather than elicit an answer, since the answer may be obvious or self-evident.

• A rhetorical question can be an effective persuasive device because it sets up a desired response from the audience.

•Examples:

• How many more times must I ask you to clean your room?

• “Isn't she lovely, / Isn't she wonderful, / Isn't she precious” (Song “Isn’t she Lovely” by Stevie Wonder)

• Hypophora • The technique of asking questions and immediately answering them. It is also known as “antipophora,” or “anthypophora.”• Hypophora may be used to capture the attention of

the audience, to introduce new topics of importance, or to change the topic.

• Hypophora can raise the type of questions which readers might already have on their minds and would like to get answers to.

• Hypophora is frequently used in political speeches as well as literary works.

Example:

• “After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.” (E.B. White, Charlotte's Web. Harper & Row, 1952)

• Juxtaposition

• A literary device wherein the author places a person, concept, place, idea or theme parallel to another.• The purpose of juxtaposing two directly or

indirectly related entities close together in literature is to highlight the contrast between the two and compare them.

• This literary device is usually used for etching out a character in detail, creating suspense or lending a rhetorical effect.

• Examples:

• “They are rich, while we are poor. They throw extravagant parties, while we struggle to put food on the table.”

• “My only love sprung from my only hate.” –Romeo and Juliet

• An allusion • A direct or indirect reference to something well known, such as a famous person, place, event, or literary work.

• Allusions can help simplify complex ideas.

Example: “I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father, Jor-el, to save the Planet Earth.” (Senator Barack Obama, speech at a fundraiser for Catholic Charities, October 16, 2008)

• Irony• A special kind of contrast between

appearance and reality—usually one in which reality is the opposite of what it seems.

• Situational irony is a contrast between what a reader or character expects and what actually exists or happens.

• Verbal irony exists when someone knowingly exaggerates or says one thing but means another.

•Examples:

• "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room.” (Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley in Dr. Strangelove, 1964)

• Lucky me! I’ve lost my wallet.

• Evidence • The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.

• Evidence adds weight to a speaker/writer’s point of view and makes it seem irrefutable (not able to be proved wrong) and objective.

• People are more likely to be persuaded if they think that there is “proof” to substantiate (to prove) a claim.

• Types of Evidence: graphs, statistics, diagrams, expert opinions, experience, research

• Examples:

• 87% of people surveyed reported a difference when using our products.

• Studies have proven that obesity can lead to diabetes.

• Making an assertion

• Presenting an idea as fact without explanation.

• By making bold claims, a speaker/writer asserts his or her authority and projects confidence and assurance which is convincing to an audience.

• Saying, “Smoking will kill you,” is more persuasive than saying, “It is possible that smoking might kill you.”

•Examples:

• We make the world’s best coffee.

• A gluten free diet will make you lose weight.

• “Because you’re worth it!” (L’Oréal)

• Exaggeration (hyperbole)

• Representing ideas as greater than is actually the case (overstate).

• Exaggeration (also called hyperbole) is often dramatic and therefore can be used to grab the attention of the listener/reader.

• It is also extremely persuasive as it emphasizes certain important points.

•Examples:

• I can give you a million reasons why you should buy this house.

• This is the single most important issue of all time.

• Understatement

• A figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.

• An understatement usually has an ironic effect, as an equally intense response is expected in severe situations, but the statement in response is the opposite of what was expected.

• Examples:

• Your friend returns your new coat with a large wine stain on the front of it. In response, you make an understatement, “It doesn’t look too bad.”

• Generalizations • General statements about a group of people or things that is based on only a few people or things in that group. • Generalizations can be persuasive because

they often speak to subconscious views or prejudices which an audience holds. The generalized statements appeal to prevailing ideas of what is true or right, and therefore an audience is less likely to question these views and more likely to be persuaded by the argument (even in the absence of evidence).

• Stereotyping is a form of generalization.

• Examples: (Note how these statements lead you to believe that they are true for all children and all people.)

• Children are exposed to too much violence these days.

• Everyone wants to lead a better life.

• Bias • The presentation of only one side of an issue or point of view.

• By presenting only one side of an argument (or a biased view), the writer/speaker can subjectively and subtly influence the audience.

• Bias can be a one‐sided personal view or a more public opinion, such as a news story, that only presents facts that support one viewpoint.

• Most advertisements are biased in that they present only the positive aspects of their products and/or the negative aspects of their competitors’ products.

• Examples:

• We should hire Betty; her mother has written an impressive letter of recommendation for her.

• A documentary produced by the Society for Vegetarianism clearly shows that eating meat is bad for our health.

• Jargon • special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand.

• Jargon is used to signal expertise and knowledge and therefore to establish credibility. It can also be used to target a particular audience. Saying, “Test drive our new 2.0 liter 4WD with 18 inch alloys and ABS” sounds technical and imposing.

• Examples:

• Our moisturizing cream is enriched with folic acid and microdermabrasion technology.

• Buy the latest laptop with 2GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 4MB of SDRAM.

• Your dad incurred severe lacerations, multiple abrasions and a large hematoma to the cranium, so he needs this surgery.

• Euphemism• A is a mild or pleasant term used in place of

an unpleasant or offensive one.

•Examples:

• Correctional facility instead of jail.

• Let go instead of fired.

• Passed away or departed instead of died.

• Fell off the back of a truck instead of stolen.

• Ethnic cleansing instead of genocide.

• Loaded words or charged words

• Are words charged with an underlying meaning or implication.

• Words that are loaded with meaning are often highly emotive and therefore are used to stir up the emotions of the listener/reader.

• Think about political speeches which make use of words such as “freedom,” “democracy,” “liberty” – these words all carry deep meaning and positive patriotic associations; whereas “terrorism,” “communism,” and “oppression” are charged with negative associations of fear.

• Example: (Note the use of loaded words here in Ronald Reagan’s speech.)

• “We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.”

• Attacks • The persuasive strategy of addressing and criticizing an opposing view.

• By stating opposing views and then disproving or discrediting them, the speaker/writer will be showing their own views to be more trustworthy or sound.

• Similarly, in this way the speaker may be addressing the very views of their audience, and thus are able to be more persuasive.

Examples: (These aren’t full examples, but they’re how you might start to address an opposing view.)• My opponent has proven that she is

untrustworthy when she lied about…• Other brands claim to be effective, but in

this study our brand was clearly superior.

• Groups of three

• People find it easier to remember things in threes. Therefore, when adjectives or phrases are arranged into lists of three, they are more memorable, they are emphasized, and therefore they’re more persuasive.

Examples:

• She is the best; she’s cool, calm, and collected.

• You need this car: it’s ridiculously fast; it’s fuel-efficient; it’s within your price range.

• Our food is healthy, fresh and delicious.

• Pronouns • Pronouns can be used persuasively. • Using we can create a sense of unity and

connection between the speaker and audience.

• Using them can help identify a common enemy.

• Using I can help create authority and control and establish credibility.

• Using you can create a personal tone, and help with reaching out to your audience.

Examples:

• We are all in this together; we will stand united.

• I know your pain. I know your struggles. I can help you.

• Adjectives • Adjectives can add emphasis and be extremely emotive.

• Adjectives can influence how a reader/listener feels about an issue or topic. Saying, “You should try this muffin” is not as persuasive as saying, “You should try this delicious muffin.”

•Examples:

• Try our new and improved moisturizing cream!

• Your son needs this innovative, life-saving surgery.