Rhetorical Devices

Anaphora-Definition is the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines, sentences, phrases, or paragraphs

Anaphora-Example IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way… Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Anaphora – why? Authors often use anaphora to emphasize an idea or underlying point. Ask yourself WHY is this being repeated? WHAT idea is being emphasized?

Antithesis-Definition is a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced; a figure of speech characterized by contrasting words, clauses, sentences, or ideals; the balancing of one term against another for effectiveness; balanced opposition

Antithesis - Example Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas; antithetical items are often next to one another in writing but do NOT have to be Within a sentence:“…a noisy kind of peace can be found in the camaraderie of war.” The direct opposite: Good vs. Evil; Rich vs. Poor Opposing Characters: Ariel vs. Ursula; Scar vs. Mufasa

Antithesis – why? By pairing opposites closely together, the author adds a contrasting relationship. Readers can easily see the contrast between these two ideas. When you notice an example of antithesis in writing, ask yourself, “Why THESE opposites? WHAT do I associate with each one? WHAT do I gain by looking at them together?”

Rhetorical Question Definition is a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer; RQ’s often imply answers, but do not provide them explicitly

Rhetorical Question Example American politicians still make use of this technique in debate, as evidenced by Senator Edward Kennedy's arguments before the senate concerning the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968: How can the poor feel they have a stake in a system which says that the rich may have due process but the poor may not?

Rhetorical Question- why? Authors often use rhetorical questions to guide a reader’s thinking. By asking the question, readers automatically answer…very sneaky, huh? (See what I did there?)

Hypophora- Definition when a writer asks a question and immediately answers it; a figure of speech in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one's own question(s)

Hypophora-Example The question remains, why did the chicken cross the road? One theory remains that he needed to get to the other side.

Hypophora – why? This is a handy device authors often use to answer questions they anticipate their readers may have. Can you think of ways you might use a hypophora? I think you can. (See what I did there?)

Parallelism is recurrent syntactical similarity. Parallelism occurs when several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed similarly

Not Parallel: From the white landowners above him there had not been handed to him a chance to learn the meaning of loyalty, sentiment, of having tradition. Parallel: “From the white landowners above him there had not been handed to him a chance to learn the meaning of loyalty, of sentiment, of tradition.” Not Parallel: To read Black Boy will teach people more about the African American experience than listening to rap music. Parallel: Reading Black Boy will teach people more about the African American experience than listening to rap music. Grammatically Parallel

Coordinating conjunctions: Richard’s mother tells the judge her husband has deserted his family and their children are hungry. Ideas in a series: The boys were yelling, nursing their heads, and staring at Richard in disbelief. Correlative conjunctions: Richard not only threatens to hit his father with a poker but also tells his companion that she ought to be dead. Linking Ideas

Parallel – Why? Parallelism shows that the ideas in the parts or sentences are equal in importance. Parallelism also adds balance and rhythm and, most importantly, clarity to the sentence.

Paradox-Definition using contradiction in a manner that oddly makes sense on a deeper level – LIKE antithesis, the contrast between the ideas is what the author wants the audience to consider

Paradox- Examples “You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without getting a job.” “Things are simultaneously knowable and incomprehensible.” “Somebody in his family had fought and died in every single American war… I guess you could say he had a lot to live up to.” A statement that seems contradictory to common sense yet may, in fact, be true “The coach considered this a good loss.”

Paradox-Why? Paradoxes seem to reveal a deeper truth through their contradictions, such as noting that “without laws, we can have no freedom”

Ellipsis-Definition (elliptical sentence) the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary for complete syntactical construction, but not necessary for understanding (“Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.”) *one specific form of ellipsis that involves the dot-dot-dot (…) DOES NOT COUNT as a viable rhetorical device when used for editing or transitional purposes only

Ellipsis-Example An author might write, "The American soldiers killed eight civilians, and the French eight." The writer of the sentence has left out the word soldiers after French, and the word civilians after eight. However, both words are implied by the previous clause, so a reader has no trouble following the author's thought.

Ellipsis – Why? Because the author leaves out information, they have a chance to interact with the audience. The absent information is understood – which means the author and audience are on the same page! Ellipsis also helps maintain an even “flow” to the writing.

Sources: Applied Practice in American Speeches Selections. Dallas, TX: Applied Practice, Ltd., Wheeler, L. Kip. "Literary Vocabulary." Welcome to Dr. Wheeler's Website. 15 Aug Carson-Newman College. 18 Aug 2008.