Rhetorical Appeals & Devices

a rhetorical device in which the author makes a reference to a text, person, place, historical event, artwork, or any other item the audience likely knows 

a rhetorical device in which the author repeats a grammatical structure (i.e. words, phrases) across several clauses or sentences

a rhetorical appeal in which the author uses loaded or charged language and other devices to arouse emotions

a rhetorical device in which the author makes a comparison between a concept and another idea, object, situation, or image to explain the concept in a simpler, more understandable way

a rhetorical appeal in which the author makes uses language that affirms the speaker/author's credibility, character, and authority to speak on the subject

a rhetorical device in which the author asks a question without expecting an answer 

a rhetorical appeal in which the author uses a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence, such as facts, data, or expert testimony

a rhetorical device in which the author creates a sentence that contrasts two opposing images or concepts using a balanced structure

"We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was 'legal' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was 'illegal.'”

--Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

• allusion

• analogy

• antithesis

• parallelism

• rhetorical question

"I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. ”

--Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

• allusion

• analogy

• antithesis

• parallelism

• rhetorical question