1. Rhetorical Devices Ways to give our writing stylistic interest or power

2. Two ways...  SYNTAX The way we arrange our words length/grammar types of sentences voice (active/passive) structural variations  DICTION The words we actually choose imagery ideas sound

3. SYNTAX: Types of sentences  Simple ( The cow sang.)  Compound (The cow sang and the birds hummed along.)  Complex (When the cow sang, the birds hummed along.)  Compound Complex (When the cows sang, the birds hummed along and the humans thought of the Macdonald’s theme song)

4. Sentence lengths  Very short sentences can add emphasis  Long sentences can develop complex ideas, and build tension  Sentence fragments can add extra punch

5. Voice  Different speakers often organize their sentence in different ways that suggests their personality (Oh, I do believe, unless I’m wrong, that perhaps it is time to be off)  Using the active voice is punchier than using the passive voice I raised taxes (active voice) Taxes were raised by me (passive voice)

6. Structural Variations Periodic Sentences I, after much thought, left my home

7. Structural Variations: Parallelism Parallelism: clauses or phrases of similar structure I loved the ones best who cared for me, who fought for me, and who died for me Antithesis: balanced sentences contrasting each other You always want to know what I’ve been doing; I always want to forget what I’ve been doing. Climactic Parallelism: parallel phrases that build I was born tall, grew up tall, and I died even taller. Chiasmus: parallel phrases with reversed elements When the going gets tough, the tough get going

8. DICTION CONNOTATIVE WORDS: Words with interesting associated meanings (black, white, slobbering, lunged,...) IMAGERYIDEASSOUND Metaphor/similerepetitionassonance Symbolexaggerationconsonance Analogyunderstatementrhyme Allusioncontrastonomatopoeia

9. Imagery (creating pictures)  Metaphor: He is a rat! He scurried from the room  Simile: He scurried like a rat.  Symbol: Every day the maple leaf was being pecked at by the eagle  Analogy: a formal essay is a three-piece suit; an informal essay is khakis and a golf shirt  Allusion: I loved with a passion like Romeo loved his Juliet

10. IDEAS  Repetition: I have a dream (Martin Luther King Jr. speech series of paragraphs)  Exaggeration: Speaking to the class was my worst nightmare! (Hyperbole)  Understatement: I was somewhat pleased to win the Lotto Jackpot.  Contrast: Richard Parker would be a better travel mate than my sister.

11. SOUND EFFECTS  Assonance: Able, and capable, and full, I waited for my call. (repeating vowel sounds– when at start of word, it is called alliteration)  Consonance: I am happy when I’m particularly uppity. (repeating consonant sounds—when at start of word, it is called alliteration)  Rhyme: Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee  Onomatopoeia: Screech! Bang! Boom!

12. Let our readers FEEL and UNDERSTAND using the power of rhetoric