Transcript Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical Devices
“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of
men.”
- Plato
Good writing depends upon more than
making a collection of statements worthy of
belief, because writing is intended to be read by
others, with minds different from your own. Your
reader does not make the same mental
connections you make; he does not see the world
exactly as you see it; he is already flooded daily
with thousands of statements demanding assent,
yet which he knows or believes to be false,
confused, or deceptive. If your writing is to get
through to him--or even to be read and
considered at all--it must be interesting, clear,
persuasive, and memorable, so that he will pay
attention to, understand, believe, and remember
the ideas it communicates.
Rhetorical Devices
Literary techniques that an author or
speaker use to convey meaning with the
goal of persuading the reader or listener
to consider a topic from a different
perspective
 The goal of rhetoric is persuasion

Biased Language

Bias is the predisposition of a writer
toward the particular subject about
which he/she is writing
 Bias doesn’t need to be stated directly
 Often established through the connotation
of words used
Review:
Denotation - Dictionary definition or literal
meaning
Connotation - Implied meaning
Bias - Example

For example, all of the following words
have similar denotations but their
connotations are very different:
 PERFUME
 SCENT
 ODOUR
 STENCH
Which words have positive
connotations, and which are negative?
 Use of one over the other reveals an
author’s bias

Hyperbole

A deliberate exaggeration or
overstatement which helps to
emphasize a point
 In
formal writing, must be clearly intended
as an exaggeration and should be used
sparingly
 “Treat
hyperbole like an exclamation point, to
be used only once a year.”
Hyperbole - Example

An effective attention getter or introductory
line:


Make a single point very enthusiastically:


“There are a thousand reasons why more
research is needed on solar energy.”
“I said ‘rare’ not ‘raw.’ I’ve seen cows hurt worse
than this get up and get well.”
Exaggerate one thing to show how really
different it is from something supposedly
similar to which it’s being compared:

“This stuff is used motor oil compared to the coffee
you make, my love.”
Understatement

Deliberately expresses an idea as less
important than it actually is, either for ironic
emphasis or for politeness/tact

Example: If your audience already knows a lot
about the subject, so the writer/speaker chooses
to draw on the audience’s own power of
description


Speaking about the destruction of a massive earthquake:
“The earthquake in Haiti interrupted business somewhat
in that area.”
The reader supplies a more vivid and personal
description than the writer might have
Understatement (continued)

Example: As a tool for modesty and
tactfulness, such as whenever you represent
your own accomplishments or position and
want to avoid people accusing you of being
egotistical or self-interested


“Yes, I know a little bit about coaching rowing.”
Especially useful in dealing with a hostile
audience or in disagreeing with someone,
because you can make the same point
without being as offensive.

The goal is to persuade, not offend - “The degree
and power of pride in the human heart must never
be underestimated.”
Rhetorical Question

Asked merely for effect, with either no answer
expected or an obvious answer implied
 Used for effect, emphasis, provocation, or for
drawing a conclusion from the facts at hand
 Be carefult to avoid sinking into absurdity!

“The use of this device allows your reader to think,
query and conclude along with you; but if your
questions become ridiculous, your essay may
become wastepaper!”
Repetition

The repeating of words or phrases for
emphasis
 Amplification:
Repeating a word or
expression while adding more detail to it
 “This
orchard, this lovely, shady orchard, is the
main reason I bought this property.”
 Anaphora:
Repetition of the same word or
words at the beginning of successive
phrases, clauses or sentences
 “In
books I find the dead as if they were alive; in
books I foresee things to come; in books
warlike affairs are set forth; from books come
forth the laws of peace.”
Irony

The use of a word or phrase to mean
the exact opposite of its literal meaning
 Verbal
Irony: When an author says one
thing and means something else (a.k.a.
sarcasm)
 Situational Irony: Incongruity between what
is expected or intended and what actually
occurs
Allusion

A short, informal, direct or indirect
reference to a well-known person,
place, thing or event that the writer
assumes the reader is familiar with
 Allusions
should be well-known, not
obscure
 Best
sources are literature, history, Greek myth,
Bible
 Reference
serves to explain, clarify or
enhance whatever subject is under
discussion, without sidetracking the reader
 “Plan
ahead: it wasn’t raining when Noah built
the ark.”
Abnormal Word Order
Modify the usual subject-verb sentence
pattern
 Gives variety & emphasis to your writing

 Example:
word order (subject-verb): “The actor’s
worst nightmares stood laughing at him from
the shadows.”
 Abnormal word order (verb-subject): “Laughing
at him from the shadows stood the actor’s
worst nightmare.”
 Normal
Balanced Sentence
Expresses two or more equal and
parallel ideas
 Two ideas are set one against the other
in statements that are grammatically
similar

 Example:
“Silence is as deep as eternity;
speech is as shallow as time.”
Balanced Sentence (continued)
CONTRAST

You can also use parallel structure to
demonstrate contrast
 Example:
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but
that I loved Rome more.”
 Example: “Knowledge comes, but wisdom
lingers.”
Climactic Word Order

Presents several facts from least to
most important
 Example:
“The young politician’s career
rise was meteoric; after beginning as a
municipal councilor, she became mayor,
and three short years later a Member of
Parliament.”
Parallel Structure
Repeats specific words, phrases, or
clauses in a series, giving emphasis to
key words and making them memorable
 Ideas which are parallel in thought
should be parallel in form

 Example:
“Government of the people, by
the people, for the people”
 Preposition
a series
+ definite article + noun repeated in
Periodic Sentence
Withholds an important part of the
sentence until the end so that it doesn’t
make complete sense until the last word
is read
 Keeps the reader in suspense

“Whether playing a young wild
adventurer, a fugitive from the law, or a
U.S. president, there is one actor whose
films always make money – Harrison
Ford.”
 Example:
Sentence Fragment

Places emphasis on key words to
create an overall effect, such as humour
or suspense
 Example:
“A cold room. A lonely room. A
bare room. No place to spend twenty
years of a life.”
Reversals (Chiasmus)

Make a balanced sentence even more
memorable by repeating words in
reverse order
 “Ask
not what your country can do for you;
as what you can do for your country.”