Rhetoric: the art of speaking or

writing effectively

Public speakers and writers use a variety of tools to improve the way

they sound…these are called rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical Devices

RHETORICAL DEVICES OF REPETITION

• Anadiplosis

– (“Doubling back") The rhetorical repetition of one or several words; specifically, repetition of a word that ends one clause at the beginning of the next.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/anadiplosis.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

• Anaphora

– The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/anaphora.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

• Epistrophe

– Repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.

• http://www.americanrhetoric.com/figures/epistrophe.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

RHETORICAL DEVICES OF BALANCE

• Parallelism

• To use identical sentence or phrase patterns to express ideas that are closely related. Parallel construction is always a vital and powerful tool of oral communication; it makes your random ideas fit together better in the minds of your listeners.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/parallelism.htm

• Listen to at least 2 examples!

• Antithesis

– Opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/antithesis.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

RHETORICAL DEVICES OF OMISSION

• Asyndeton

– Lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/asyndeton.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

• Polysyndeton

– Use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause; structurally the opposite of asyndeton.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/polysyndeton.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

RHETORICAL DEVICES OF DICTION

• Hypophora

– Consists of raising one or more questions and then proceeding to answer them, usually at some length.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/hypophora.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

• Euphemism

– Substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant.

• http://americanrhetoric.com/figures/euphemismos.htm

– Listen to at least 2 examples!

This I Believe

• Now, go back to your This I Believe draft.

• Incorporate 2 different rhetorical devices.

• Highlight them in bright green.

You now have 2 yellow highlights

and 2 bright green highlights.

Anadiplosis Parallelism Polysyndeton

Anaphora Antithesis Hypophora

Epistrophe Asyndeton Euphemism