Rhetorical Devices: A technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective.

Alliteration: repetition of the initial consonant sounds beginning several words in sequence. Example: Let us go forth to lead the land we love." -President J. F. Kennedy, Inaugural 1961

Assonance: repetition of the same vowel sounds in words close to each other. Example: My shoe flew through the blue goo.

Anaphora: the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines. Example: "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender."  -British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Example: Euphemisms for "stupid“ Euphemism: substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant. Example:    Euphemisms for "stupid“ A few fries short of a Happy Meal. Dumber than a box of rocks. Doesn't have all his cornflakes in one box. The wheel's spinning, but the hamster's dead. One Fruit Loop shy of a full bowl.

Hyperbole: exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect. Example: If you call me that name again, I'm going to explode! I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

made when it is raining or nasty. Irony: expression of something which is contrary to the intended meaning; the words say one thing but mean another. Example: “Beautiful weather, isn't it?”  made when it is raining or nasty.

Metaphor: implied comparison achieved through a figurative use of words; the word is used not in its literal sense Example: He was drowning in paperwork He has a heart of stone. Crocodiles' teeth are white daggers, so be careful.

Oxymoron: apparent paradox achieved by the paring of words which seem to contradict one another. Example: Jumbo Shrimp awfully good larger half clearly confused

Personification: giving a non human thing, human characteristics Example: Time flew when she was having fun. She did not realize that her last chance was walking out the door. The wind howled in objection to the tears of the clouds.

Simile: a direct comparison between two things using 'like' or 'as'. Example: She is like a candy so sweet. Her eyes twinkled like stars. He runs like a cheetah.