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Rhetoric is the name for the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion, and though a writer doesn’t need to know the specific labels for certain writing techniques in order to use them effectively, it is sometimes helpful to have a handy taxonomy for the ways in which words and ideas are arranged. This can help to ...
Jul 8, 2019 · A rhetorical device is a linguistic tool that employs a particular type of sentence structure, sound, or pattern of meaning in order to evoke a particular reaction from an audience. Each rhetorical device is a distinct tool that can be used to construct an argument or make an existing argument more compelling.
- Jeffrey Somers
Dec 19, 2023 · 13 types of rhetorical devices. Like literary devices, some rhetorical devices are used on the sentence level, while others operate as the “big picture” in the writing. Similarly, some play with words’ sounds, creating rhythm and texture.
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- What Are Literary devices?
- Literary Devices vs. Literary Elements vs. Literary Techniques
- How to Identify Literary Devices When You’Re Reading
- How to Use Literary Devices in Your Writing
- 28 Different Literary Devices and Their Meanings
“Literary device” is a broad term for all the techniques, styles, and strategies an author uses to enhance their writing. With millennia of literature in hundreds of different languages, humankind has amassed quite a few of these writing devices, which continue to evolve. Literary devices can entail general elements that come back again and again i...
There are a few competing terms when discussing literary devices, so let’s set the record straight. Literary elementsand literary techniquesare both types of literary devices. Literary elements are “big-picture” literary devices that extend throughout the entire work, such as setting, theme, mood, and allegory. Literary techniquesare the literary d...
You don’t necessarily need to understand literary devices to enjoy a good book. Certain devices like personification, onomatopoeia, and anthropomorphismare still entertaining to read, even if you don’t know them by their proper name. However, identifying literary devices enables you to reflect on the artistry of a piece of writing and understand th...
To use literary devices in your own writing, you first need to recognize them “in the wild.” Read the list below so you know what you’re looking for, and then pay extra attention when you’re reading. See how literary devices are used in the hands of expert writers. When you’re ready to experiment with literary devices yourself, the most important t...
Allegories arenarrativesthat represent something else entirely, like a historical event or significant ideology, to illustrate a deeper meaning. Sometimes the stories are entirely fabricated and only loosely tied to their source, but sometimes the individual characters act as fictional stand-ins for real-life historical figures. Examples: George Orwell’s Animal Farm, an allegory about the Russian Revolution of 1917, is one of the most famous allegories ever written; a more modern example is t...
Alliteration is the literary technique of using a sequence of words that begin with the same letter or sound for a poetic or whimsical effect. Examples: Many of Stan Lee’s iconic comic book characters have alliterative names: Peter Parker, Matthew Murdock, Reed Richards, and Bruce Banner.
An allusion is an indirect reference to another figure, event, place, or work of art that exists outside the story. Allusions are made to famous subjects so that they don’t need explanation—the reader should already understand the reference. Example: The title of Haruki Murakami’s novel 1Q84is itself an allusion to George Orwell’s novel 1984. The Japanese word for the number nine is pronounced the same as the English letter Q.
- Amplification. Amplification is a little similar to parallelism: by using repetition, a writer expands on an original statement and increases its intensity.
- Anacoluthon. Anacoluthon is a fancy word for a disruption in the expected grammar or syntax of a sentence. That doesn’t mean that you misspoke—using anacoluthon means that you’ve deliberately subverted your reader’s expectations to make a point.
- Anadiplosis. Anadiplosis refers to purposeful repetition at the end of one sentence or clause and at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. In practice, that looks something like a familiar phrase from Yoda
- Antanagoge. Antanagoge is the balancing of a negative with a positive. For example, the common phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is antanagoge—it suggests a negative (lots of lemons) and follows that up with a positive (make lemonade).
Rhetorical devices are literary elements used to convince or persuade audiences using logos, pathos, and ethos. Their appropriate use makes the text rich, lifelike and enjoyable in prose and poetry. When carefully inserted, they transform an ordinary piece of writing into a memorable, evocative and pleasant literary work.
The term rhetorical device has almost exactly the same meaning, but it’s a little broader: whereas literary devices occur in literature, rhetorical devices can occur in any kind of speech or writing. So all literary devices are rhetorical devices, but not all rhetorical devices are literary devices. The specific devices used are almost all ...
