Wording Speeches

Rhetorical devices, wording techniques, figures of speech, and

phrasing methods

Alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or accented syllables

"She sells sea shells by the sea shore" "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" slithering snake patently preposterous policy

Assonance

the repetition of similar vowel sounds

...the broad circumferenceHung on his shoulders like the Moon, whose OrbThrough Optic Glass the Tuscan Artist viewsAt ev'ning from the top of Fesole...

In this case, the assonance involves the sound u and o.

Simile

comparison of two things using "like" or "as”

And his eyes were like holes poked in a snowbank.

My love is like a red, red rose. His hair was as smooth as a bird's breast. Her hair was like gravy, running brown off her

head and clumping up on her shoulders.

Metaphor

comparisons of two things that don't use like or as…trick is to watch out for cliches

Metaphors: Love: old flame, ring of fire

Metaphorical Cliches: the calm before the storm he’s the apple of her eye

Analogyexplicit comparison is made between two

things (events, ideas, people, etc) to further a line of reasoning or drawing an inference

Withdrawal of U.S. troops will become like salted peanuts to the American public; the more U.S. troops come home, the more will be demanded.

I don't think there's anything certainly more unseemly than the sight of a rock star in academic robes. It's a bit like when people put their King Charles spaniels in little tartan sweats and hats. It's not natural, and it doesn't make the dog any smarter. (-- Bono, 2004 Commencement Address of the University of Pennsylvania)

Remember this, ladies and gentlemen. It's an old phrase, basically anonymous. Politicians are a lot like diapers: You should change them frequently and for the same reason. Keep that in mind next time you vote. Good night.

Onomatopoeia

formation or use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to

hiss; murmur; smack Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The

horse-hoofs ringing clear… Ding dong! the bells are gonna chime… Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!

Oxymoron

figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side

O miserable abundance, O beggarly riches! act naturally, found missing, alone together,

peace force, terribly pleased, ill health, jumbo shrimp, alone together, small crowd, and clearly misunderstood

the sounds of silence

Paradox

statement that appears to contradict itself

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. I do not love you except because I love you;

I go from loving to not loving you,From waiting to not waiting for youMy heart moves from cold to fire.

Personification

figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities

Because I could not stop for Death--He kindly stopped for me

An optimist is the human personification of spring. Fear knocked on the door. Faith answered. There

was no one there.

Understatement

figure of speech in which a writer or a speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is

The grave's a fine and private place,But none, I think, do there embrace.

I have to have this operation…It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.“ (Holden Caulfield in The Catcher In The Rye, by J. D. Salinger)

"It's just a flesh wound.“ (Black Knight, after having both of his arms cut off, in Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

Pun

play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words

What food these morsels be! It is better to be looked over than to be

overlooked. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two

dead possums. The flight attendant looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

Comparison

how something compares and contrasts with other similar/dissimilar items

Administrative work is like juggling a chain saw: once in a while you pull it off and really wow people.

Health is a greater good than justice, because while people can be content with the mere reputation for being just, they prefer being healthy to only seeming healthy.

Parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

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.

Imagerywords or phrases that appeal to one or more of

the five senses

Touch: gripped their chilled drinks; showered with freezing cold Gatorade

Hear: cried in excitement Taste: it tastes sweet yet spicy at once, with a tinge of orange

taste Smell: the air smells like going to the countryside-- fresh and

green--no smell of smoke but the fresh waters and the leaves Sight: the rose is bright red; yellow and black bees buzzing

Rhetorical Questiona question whose answer is obvious or

implied

Can anyone look at the record of this administration and say, "Well done"?

Can anyone compare the state of our economy when the Carter administration took office with where we are today and say, "Keep up the good work"?

Can anyone look at our reduced standing in the world today and say, "Let's have four more years of this"?

(Ronald Reagan, 1980 Republican National Convention Acceptance Address)

Epistrophe/Antistrophe repetition that occurs when the last

word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is repeated one or more times at the end of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases

...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth

The minister who has been called by God, ordained by God, appointed by God, and anointed by God, is assumed guilty until proven innocent.

Antithesiscontrasting of opposing ideas in

adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!

The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

That's one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind."

Hyperbole

intentional and deliberate exaggeration of a person, thing, quality, event to emphasize a point external to the object of exaggeration

So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

The only place where democracy comes before work is in the dictionary.

Enumeratiofigure of amplification in which a subject is

divided into constituent parts or details, and may include a listing of causes, effects, problems, solutions, conditions, and consequences

It is true that this international union is a strong, militant organization. This international union is comprised of 17 trade divisions, an executive board of 15 individuals, 13 Vice Presidents...."

Kramer: "Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate; it's peppermint; it's delicious…it's very refreshing!”

Web Sites & Examples

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/rhetoricaldevicesinsound.htm

http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/silva.htm