Rhetorical Devices Persuasive techniques to enhance an argument

Rhetorical Question: a question that does not require a reply because the answer is obvious.

Rhetorical Questions Grandma Simpson and Lisa are singing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" ("How many roads must a man walk down/Before you call him a man?"). Homer overhears and says, "Eight!" Lisa: "That was a rhetorical question!" Homer: "Oh. Then, seven!" Lisa: "Do you even know what 'rhetorical' means?" Homer: "Do I know what 'rhetorical' means?" (The Simpsons, "When Grandma Simpson Returns")

Rhetorical Questions "Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everybody did?" (1960s television advertisement for Dial soap) "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?" (H. L. Mencken) "If practice makes perfect, and no one's perfect, then why practice?" (Billy Corgan)

Antithesis When contrasting ideas are expressed in a grammatically balanced statement.

Antithesis "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee" (advertising slogan). “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” (Neil Armstrong). Brutus: "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more" (William Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar”).

Antithesis "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 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).

Antithesis I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time" (Jack London).

Repetition: The use of the same word or phrase more than once for emphasis.

Repetition “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” (Winston Churchill).

Repetition “There are couples who dislike one another furiously for several hours at a time; there are couples who dislike one another permanently; and there are couples who never dislike one another; but these last are people who are incapable of disliking anybody” (George Bernard Shaw).

Repetition “The question we writers are asked most often is: Why do you write? I write because I have an innate need to write. I write because I want to read books like the ones I write. I write because I love sitting in a room all day writing. I write because I can partake of real life only by changing it. I write because I love the smell of paper, pen, and ink. I write because I believe in literature, in the art of the novel, more than I believe in anything else. I write because it is a habit, a passion. I write because I am afraid of being forgotten. I write because I like the glory and interest that writing brings. I write to be alone. I write because I have a childish belief in the immortality of libraries, and in the way my books sit on the shelf. I write because it is exciting to turn all life’s beauties and riches into words. I write not to tell a story but to compose a story. I write because I have never managed to be happy. I write to be happy” (The Nobel Lecture, 7 December Translated from the Turkish, by Maureen Freely. © THE NOBEL FOUNDATION 2006).

Parallelism: a form of repetition in which a grammatical pattern is repeated

Parallelism parallelism of words: She tried to make her pastry fluffy, sweet, and delicate. parallelism of phrases: Singing a song or writing a poem is joyous. parallelism of clauses: Perch are inexpensive; cod are cheap; trout are abundant; but salmon are best.

Can you make these parallel? Not Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle. Not Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a thorough manner. Not Parallel: The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.

Can you make these parallel? Not Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm- up exercises before the game. Not Parallel: The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.