Rhetorical Devices

Alliteration

• Two or more consonants are repeated, but the adjacent vowels differ 

• the same sound is repeated at the beginning of several words or stressed syllables in close proximity 

• The repetition of identical or similar syntactic elements (word, phrase, clause).

• The repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred in the beginning.

Answer explanation

Touch each object you want to touch as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail. (Helen Keller, “The Seeing See Little”) 

Assonance

• use of words with the same or similar meanings

• A word or expression is repeated at the end of successive phrases, clauses or lines. Reversal of Anaphora

• The sound of the word imitates the sound of the thing 

• the same or similar vowel sounds are repeated in the stressed syllables of words that are in close proximity while the consonants differ 

Consonance

• Two or more consonants are repeated, but the adjacent vowels differ 

• A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

• a reference in a work of literature to something outside the work of literature, especially to a well-known historical or literary event, person, or work.

• Feelings the word evokes

The sound of the word imitates the sound of the thing 

Similar to antithesis in that it involves contradiction. It differs in that it brings together two contradictory terms. For example, Wise fool,  Civil War, Jumbo Shrimp

Anaphora (example: Let us march to the realization of the American dream. Let us march on segregated housing.

Let us march on segregated schools. Let us march on poverty. Let us march on ballot boxes. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

• the same sound is repeated at the beginning of several words or stressed syllables in close proximity 

• Word Choice Denotation/Connotation                     Words in unusual combinations     Degree of difficulty or complexity of a word. Level of formality of a word—formal or informal

• Dictionary definition

• A word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive phrase, clauses or lines

Obvious exaggeration for emphasis or effect 

Juxtaposition

• Feelings the word evokes

• A daring statement which unites seemingly contradictory words but which on closer examination proves to have unexpected meaning and truth

• The arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, actions, settings, phrases, or words side by side in order to compare/contrast the two.

• A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

Dictionary definition

Euphemism

• Substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant.

• Obvious exaggeration for emphasis or effect 

• Division of an idea into three harmonious parts, usually of increasing power.

• use of words with the same or similar meanings