Types of Rhetoric
Alliteration Definition. Alliteration is derived from Latin’s “Latira”. It means “letters of alphabet”. It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.
Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers.
Amplification is a rhetorical term for all the ways that an argument, explanation, or description can be expanded and enriched. Amplification is a rhetorical term for all the ways that an argument, explanation, or description can be expanded and enriched.
In rhetoric, analogy is reasoning or explaining from parallel cases. Adjective: analogous. A simile is an expressed analogy; a metaphor is an implied one. "As useful as analogies are," say O'Hair, Stewart, and Rubenstein, "they can be misleading if used carelessly.
Anaphora is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses. Anaphora is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
Antistrophe is similar to epistrophe, which also involves the repetition of words at the ends of successive clauses or sentences. However, it is opposite to anaphora, which is a repetition of words at the beginning of sentences or clauses.
Antithesis, which literally means “opposite,” is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect. Antithesis emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses.
Function of Assonance. Similar to any other literary device, assonance has a very important role to play in both poetry and prose. Writers use it as a tool to enhance a musical effect in the text by using it for creating internal rhyme. This consequently enhances the pleasure of reading a literary piece.
The epigraph given in this novel presents the true picture of a gangster who earns a lot of wealth, and wields much control over the lives of others. The Godfather is a true reflection of what its epigraph suggests.
Euphemism Definition. The term euphemism refers to polite, indirect expressions that replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite, or which suggest something unpleasant. Euphemism is an idiomatic expression, which loses its literal meanings and refers to something else, in order to hide its unpleasantness.
Definition of Foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, or a chapter, and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story. There are various ways to create foreshadowing.
Definition of Hyperbole. Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.
Hypophora is a rhetorical term for a strategy in which a speaker or writer raises a question and then immediately answers it. Hypophora is a rhetorical term for a strategy in which a speaker or writer raises a question and then immediately answers it.
Imagery needs the aid of figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia, in order to appeal to the bodily senses. Let us analyze how famous poets and writers use imagery in literature. Short Examples of Imagery. The old man took the handful of dust, and sifted it through his fingers.
Litotes, derived from a Greek word meaning “simple”, is a figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions.
This post is part of a series on rhetoric and rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. Device: Metaphor Origin: From the Greek μεταφορά (metaphora), meaning "transfer".
Aristotle said, “The greatest thing by far is to have mastered the metaphor.” Simile is similar to metaphor in that it compares two things, but it must contain “like” or “as”; e.g., as hungry as a bear; as sly as a fox; fight like cats and dogs; eat like a pig.
Personification: Figure which represents abstractions or inanimate objects with human qualities, including physical, emotional, and spiritual; the application of human attributes or abilities to nonhuman entities.