1. Rhetorical Devices How to Win an Argument with Style

2. What is a Rhetorical Strategy? A rhetorical strategy is a specifically chosen type of writing that will help you win your argument.

3. Alliteration Definition – the close repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginnings of words. Examples: Dynamic Duo, Terrific Trio, or Magical Math

4. Allusion Definition – a reference to a person, object, or event from the Bible, mythology, literature, or popular culture. Examples: “If you tell him that, you are opening up Pandora’s Box.” “They thought they were Romeo and Juliet.”

5. Antithesis Definition – a technique of putting two opposite ideas near each other in a sentence to create a powerful effect. Examples: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” -John F. Kennedy “We are caught in a war, wanting peace.” -Richard Nixon

6. Hyperbole Definition – use of exaggeration to emphasize a point. We use hyperboles naturally and often. Examples: “I was waiting a year for you to get off the phone!” “That bag weighs a ton.”

7. Metaphor/Simile Definition – short comparisons of the characteristics of two unlike things. A simile uses “like” or “as” to make those comparisons; a metaphor makes a direct comparison. Examples: “…the manacles of segregation…” - Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream” He is comparing manacles (chains) to segregation (separation/discrimination), making it a metaphor. “Our ignorance is like a vast sea, deep and wide.” The comparison is made using the word “like,” so this is a simile.

8. Repetition Definition – repeating a word, phrase, or sentence throughout a speech to create some kind of rhythm. Example: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” - Martin Luther King

9. Rhetorical Question Definition –questions used for effect that are not to be answered. This draws the audience’s attention to a specific area. Example: “Are we really free when we cannot walk happily into our closets and choose clothes that allow us to express ourselves?”

10. Rule of Three Definition – a technique of grouping together three words, phrases, or sentences. Examples: “I came. I saw. I conquered.” -Julius Caesar “… a government of the people, by the people, for the people…” -Abraham Lincoln, “The Gettysburg Address”