12 Fascinating Rhetorical Devices (And How to Use Them)
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Rhetorical devices are everywhere, so as an editor, you’ll need to know what to do when you encounter them. But do you know your alliteration from your anaphora? How about the difference between epanalepsis and epistrophe?
If it’s all Greek to you, don’t panic – just read our guide to 12 rhetorical devices and how to approach them when editing.
What Is a Rhetorical Device?
Rhetorical devices are linguistic tools we may use to evoke a particular response or emotion in the audience. They can make use of syntax, rhythm, perspective, vocabulary, and other elements of language to sway the audience in favor of a particular argument.
Much of our modern understanding of rhetoric (the art of using language persuasively) originates with the ancient Greeks and Romans, who applied the theory to public speaking.
In the modern era, however, rhetorical devices appear as frequently in writing as they do in scripted speeches and show up in everything from marketing copy to fictional dialogue.
Types of Rhetorical Devices
While the purpose of all rhetorical devices is to present a more compelling and memorable argument, we can group individual devices into four main types according to their specific effects:
- Ethos
- Logos
- Pathos
- Kairos
We’ll explain these categories of rhetorical devices in more detail below.
Ethos
Rhetorical devices that rely on ethos attempt to prove that the speaker or writer is credible, informed, and experienced enough to pass judgment on the subject they are discussing:
As both a father and a paleontologist, I speak from experience when I say that kids love dinosaurs.
Logos
Logos is the use of logic, fact, and reasoning in an argument. Rhetorical devices in this category may employ tangible evidence, such as quotations and statistics, to back up points:
Forty-two percent of the local budget goes toward fast food subsidies. In contrast, only 1.5% is invested in our schools.
Pathos
Rhetoric based on pathos makes appeals to the audience’s emotions. The technique can involve stirring up sadness and anger or encouraging feelings of happiness and pride:
Do you think these innocent puppies deserve a life of poor-quality chew toys?
Whichever emotion is the target, the purpose of pathos is to move people to action or sway their opinion.
Kairos
Writers and speakers may use kairos to argue that a particular action should be taken because the time is right to do so:
We have waited long enough for pizza-flavored ice cream. The time for a new culinary experience is now!
These devices may foster a sense of urgency in the audience.
12 Examples of Rhetorical Devices
1. Alliteration
Alliteration occurs when several words near one another begin with the same sound. The words with the repeating sound may be adjacent, or other words may break them up. Here are some examples:
Tiny tots love Tony’s Tricycles.
We’ll win this war.
Going green? Ditch the dishwasher.
Alliteration can draw attention to certain important words and phrases and make them more memorable.
2. Anaphora
Anaphora is the repetition of a word at the start of multiple sentences:
Anaphora is powerful. Anaphora is rhythmical. Anaphora is the rhetorical device we are using in this very paragraph.
Who delivers all your favorite goodies directly to your door each month? Who works with small local businesses to pick out bespoke sweet treats? Who does all of this for an amazing $30 subscription fee? We do.
Anaphora highlights the repeated word or phrase and helps to build the rhetorical power behind that word or phrase. A famous example of anaphora is in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
3. Antithesis
Antithesis refers to the presentation of two opposing images, thoughts, or ideas alongside each other, usually with the same or similar grammatical structure. This technique emphasizes the contrast between the two things, and speakers or writers often use it to present one option in a more favorable light:
Should we embrace the brightness that the future promises or linger in the shadows that the past commands?
No work, all play.
4. Asyndeton
Asyndeton is the deliberate removal of conjunctions from a sentence. Usually, a comma replaces the missing conjunction:
I came, I saw, I conquered.
Stand still, don’t speak, keep quiet.
Asyndeton can make a sentence seem more direct and immediate.
5. Anastrophe
In anastrophe, we reverse the typical word order of a sentence. Therefore, a different syntax – for example, placing the object first – replaces the usual subject-verb-object order English uses:
But following one online tutorial does not a blacksmith make.
Respected are the proofreaders.
By changing the expected order of the words in a sentence, anastrophe can place emphasis on the words the speaker or writer has moved or draw attention to the expressed idea.
6. Epanalepsis
Epanalepsis is the repetition of the first part of a clause or sentence at the end of that clause or sentence:
A child has no purpose except to be a child.
Without nature, there are many other things we would have to go without.
As with many rhetorical devices, the point of epanalepsis is to emphasize the repeated part.
7. Anadiplosis
Anadiplosis is similar to epanalepsis, except that we repeat the end of one sentence or clause at the beginning of the next:
We love dogs. Dogs love good food. Good food is our specialty.
When others don’t respect how we feel, we feel worse.
Anadiplosis forms a train of thought that draws the audience toward a conclusion.
8. Epistrophe
While anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of subsequent sentences or clauses, epistrophe is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end:
Eat well, drink well, be well.
For unique handmade gifts, shop local. To make connections in your community, shop local. When you need that personal touch, shop local.
US President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address features one famous example of epistrophe: “Of the people, for the people, by the people.”
9. Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration to make a point or statement. Hyperbolic statements often feature superlatives, such as most, best, and worst:
Postage stamp theft is the most pressing issue facing our country today.
It felt like the worst day of my life.
You’re not usually expected to take hyperbole literally. People use the device to highlight the importance of what they’re saying.
10. Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound similar to the actual sounds they describe:
Boom! The room shook.
There was a steady drip, drip, drip.
Onomatopoeia is a form of imagery that can help evoke specific sensations in an audience, painting a more vivid picture of what the speaker or writer is describing.
11. Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a word or phrase that contains a contradiction, and usually, two opposites appear next to each other:
When I asked for the time, he gave a distinctly indefinite answer.
The silence was deafening.
Oxymorons can present familiar words or phrases in a new light, inviting the audience to think about their meaning. They can also make particular phrases more compelling and memorable.
12. Syllepsis
Syllepsis is the use of the same word in two different contexts. Usually, the speaker or writer presents a literal and a metaphorical use together:
I turned over a new leaf and turned back the way I came.
After running the local library for 10 years, Mrs. Wilson is now running marathons for charity.
As a play on words, syllepsis can encourage an audience to pay closer attention to what the speaker or writer is saying.
Editing Rhetorical Devices
Rhetorical devices can sway opinion, encourage a response, and leave an audience with a lasting impression, but people don’t always use them effectively. In writing, a rhetorical device should achieve one or more of the following:
- Emphasize a point
- Make a point more memorable
- Create humor
- Clarify meaning
- Inspire emotion
When editing your client’s work, if you come across a rhetorical device that doesn’t achieve any of the above effects, you should flag it as a potential issue.
Conversely, if you are editing a piece of persuasive writing that contains few or no rhetorical devices, you may want to advise your client that they can improve their argument by including more.
Finally, keep in mind when editing that what might appear to be an error – such as missing conjunctions or an unusual word order – may in fact be the deliberate use of a rhetorical device!
If you’re not sure, you can always leave a comment for your client, asking to clarify their intentions.
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