Rhetorical device

In rhetoric, a rhetorical device or resource of languageis a technique that an author or speaker uses to con-vey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal ofpersuading him or her towards considering a topic from adifferent perspective, using sentences designed to encour-age or provoke a rational argument from an emotional dis-play of a given perspective or action. Note that althoughrhetorical devices may be used to evoke an emotional re-sponse in the audience, this is not their primary purpose.

1 Categories

Logos is the use of logical ideas to appeal to the audience.Pathos is an appeal to the audience’s emotions.Ethos describes the guiding tenets that characterize acommunity, nation, or ideology; it may also appeal to theauthor’s credibility. It is an appeal based on the characterof the speaker.

2 Irony and metaphor

Two common rhetorical devices are irony and metaphor.The use of irony in rhetoric is primarily to convey to theaudience an incongruity that is often used as a tool ofhumor in order to deprecate or ridicule an idea or courseof action.The use of metaphor in rhetoric is primarily to conveyto the audience a new idea or meaning by linking it toan existing idea or meaning with which the audience isalready familiar. Bymaking the new concept appear to belinked to — or a type of — the old and familiar concept,the person using the metaphor hopes to help the audienceunderstand the new concept.

2.1 Examples

An example of rhetorical device is this passage attributedto a speech by Abraham Lincoln about a political adver-sary in which Lincoln said that his adversary had “diveddown deeper into the sea of knowledge and come up drierthan any other man he knew”.

This attributed quote uses a body of water as a metaphorfor a body of knowledge with the ironical idea of someonewho gained so little from his education that he achieved

the impossible of jumping into a body of water and climb-ing back out without getting wet.

3 Sonic devices

Sonic devices depend on sound.

1. Alliteration is the use of a stream of words with thesame first phoneme, only interrupted by grammati-cally required words (e.g. a(n), the, to, for, by, etc.).It is used for emphasis, suggesting a humorous oreven threatening tone.

• The zoo kept several selfish seals.• I hate that heartless heathen.

2. Assonance is the repetition of a similar set of vowelsounds. It is used to emphasize intensity, mood, andimagery, among others.

3. Cacophony is the use of words with harsh conso-nants, usually at the beginning of a word.

• KitKat• pauper• cacophony• perpetuate

4. Onomatopoeia is the use of words that attempt toemulate a sound. When used colloquially, it is oftenaccompanied by multiple exclamation marks and inall caps. It is common in comic strips and some car-toons.

• smek - high-fiving someone; smacking some-one in the face

• thwap - lying down carelessly; dropping a pileof papers or books carelessly

• kaboom - exploding• ding-dong - ringing a doorbell• plop - sitting/lying down carelessly (also averb: “Plop down on the couch.”)

• bang - exploding; shooting a powerful gun• clap• badabada - operating a (semi-)automatic ma-chine gun (mainly in comics)

• shoosh - an individual shooshing another• pap - the sound of one patting another

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4 Altered signification devices

Devices of altered signification shift the meaning ofwords.

1. Metaphor comparison of two objects or ideas thatdoes NOT use “like or “as.”

2. Simile is a gentler form of metaphor which tends touse “as” or “like” to compare something to some-thing else. For example, “his beard was like a lion’smane.”

5 See also

Glossary of rhetorical terms

6 External links• Online Resource of Rhetorical Devices

• Handbook of rhetorical devices

• Rhetorical Figures in Sound

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7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1 Text• Rhetorical device Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_device?oldid=676174316 Contributors: SimonP, Michael Hardy,Mdebets, Timmyd, Altenmann, Rholton, Ruakh, Michael Devore, Mboverload, Avihu, Richardelainechambers, Saintswithin, ESkog,Kbh3rd, Jnestorius, Brim, Nomist, Alf7e, Gary, Ungtss, Elpincha, Kdau, Axeman89, PullUpYourSocks, E=MC^2, Holdspa, Taragui,Stefanomione, SMC, Bgwhite, Koveras, Rsrikanth05, Anetode, Moe Epsilon, Arthur Rubin, Josh3580, SmackBot, Mazeface, Thrane,DMacks, TenPoundHammer, Rokor, Nrrinard, Robofish, Antonielly, Phuzion, Aznboi89, Andyjsmith, James086, Dawnseeker2000, Dy-lan Lake, JAnDbot, MartinBot, Sidhekin, Malik Shabazz, Nburden, Complex (de), Meters, Ojjy27, Sterry2607, Bob98133, Capitalis-mojo, ClueBot, The Thing That Should Not Be, Mike Klaassen, Goldkingtut5, Megancadyconnor, Arjayay, Spetsnaz alfa, 1ForTheMoney,Rossen4, Stitchill, Khsora~enwiki, Frood, Addbot, Glane23, Chopperfritzz, Tide rolls, Jarble, Yobot, Materialscientist, ArthurBot, Lil-Helpa, JimVC3, Pinethicket, Piandcompany, Bobby122, Anarchia99, Timshel12, The Utahraptor, Λεξικόφιλος, Chatha1993, Makecat,WHIZ, ClueBot NG, Anonymusrhetoricchemist, MerlIwBot, PhnomPencil, Mark Arsten, BattyBot, Cup o' Java, Crynix, Sovaylogy, Frosty,FallingGravity, JaconaFrere, Epic Failure, Multiprecision and Anonymous: 162

7.2 Images

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