Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unrelated things without using “like” or “as.”

• “Time is a thief.”
• “She had a heart of stone.”
• “The classroom was a zoo.”
• “His words were daggers to her heart.”
• “The world is a stage.”

Simile

A comparison using “like” or “as.”

• “She was as brave as a lion.”
• “His smile was like sunshine.”
• “The water was as smooth as glass.”
• “Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard.”
• “He fought like a tiger in the ring.”

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things.

• “The wind whispered through the trees.”
• “The sun smiled down on us.”
• “The flowers danced in the breeze.”
• “Time marches on.”
• “The car groaned as it climbed the hill.”

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for emphasis.

• “I’ve told you a million times!”
• “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
• “She cried a river of tears.”
• “It was the longest night of my life.”
• “This bag weighs a ton!”

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely placed words.

• “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
• “She sells seashells by the seashore.”
• “The wild winds whistled through the woods.”
• “Big brown bears bounced beyond the bushes.”
• “Dunkin’ Donuts” (brand name using alliteration)

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within words.

• “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”
• “The mellow wedding bells.”
• “Go and mow the lawn.”
• “Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dark fox.”
• “Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese.”

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the end of words.

• “The lumpy, bumpy road.”
• “Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.”
• “Mike likes his new bike.”
• “All mammals named Sam are clammy.”
• “Shelly sells shells by the shore.”

Anaphora

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

• “I have a dream that one day… I have a dream that my four little children… I have a dream today!” (Martin Luther King Jr.)
• “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
• “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France.” (Winston Churchill)
• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” (Charles Dickens)
• “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right…” (Abraham Lincoln)

Epistrophe

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

• “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” (Abraham Lincoln)
• “I want the best, and we need the best, and we deserve the best.”
• “There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.”
• “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
• “Where now? Who now? When now?”

Parallelism

Use of similar grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses.

• “Like father, like son.”
• “Easy come, easy go.”
• “What you see is what you get.”
• “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (Julius Caesar)
• “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” (JFK)

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas close together for effect.

• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” (Charles Dickens)
• “All’s fair in love and war.”
• “Better late than never.”
• “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
• “The young and the old, the rich and the poor, all gathered together.”

Oxymoron

A combination of contradictory words.

• “Deafening silence.”
• “Act naturally.”
• “Bittersweet.”
• “Jumbo shrimp.”
• “Living dead.”

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

• A fire station burns down.
• A pilot has a fear of heights.
• “Oh, great! Another homework assignment!”
• “The Titanic was said to be unsinkable.”
• A traffic cop gets a parking ticket.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not to get an answer.

• “Are you kidding me?”
• “Who wouldn’t want to be rich?”
• “Isn’t it obvious?”
• “Why bother?”
• “Do I look like I care?”

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas in parallel structure.

• “Speech is silver, but silence is golden.”
• “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
• “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.”
• “To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
• “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next.

• “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” (Yoda)
• “Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution.”
• “The land of my fathers, my fathers can have it.”
• “Strength through unity, unity through faith.”
• “I am Sam. Sam I am.”

Chiasmus

A reversal of grammatical structures in successive clauses.

• “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” (JFK)
• “You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.”
• “Do I love you because you are beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?”
• “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (Shakespeare)
• “It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.”

Polysyndeton

Using multiple conjunctions for emphasis.

• “We lived and laughed and loved and left.”
• “I want a car and a house and a job and a family.”
• “He ran and jumped and laughed and played.”
• “It was dark and cold and rainy and miserable.”
• “She is intelligent and kind and brave and strong.”

Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions for effect.

• “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (Julius Caesar)
• “We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe.”
• “The air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish.”
• “She was young, she was pure, she was new, she was nice.”
• “He was a bag of bones, a floppy doll, a broken stick, a maniac.”

Epanalepsis

Repetition of the same word at the beginning and end of a clause.

• “The king is dead, long live the king!”
• “Nothing is worse than doing nothing.”
• “Next time, there won’t be a next time.”
• “Always low prices. Always.” (Walmart slogan)
• “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice.”

Litotes

Understatement using negation.

• “Not bad” (meaning very good).
• “She’s no ordinary girl” (meaning she’s special).
• “It wasn’t my best moment” (meaning it was bad).
• “You won’t be sorry” (meaning you’ll be happy).
• “He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed” (meaning he’s unintelligent).

Apostrophe

Addressing an absent person or inanimate object.

• “O Death, where is thy sting?”
• “Oh, cruel fate, why must you do this to me?”
• “Hello darkness, my old friend.”
• “Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean—roll!”
• “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”

Antimetabole

Repeating words in reverse order.

Examples:

• “Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”
• “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
• “You like it; it likes you.”
• “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”
• “The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.”

Zeugma

Using one word to modify two others in different ways.

Examples:

• “She stole my heart and my wallet.”
• “He lost his coat and his temper.”
• “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
• “They covered themselves with dust and glory.”
• “He fished for trout and compliments.”

Hypophora

Asking and immediately answering a question.

Examples:

• “What’s the secret to success? Hard work.”
• “Why should we care? Because it affects all of us.”
• “Can we win? Yes, we can!”
• “What do we want? Justice!”
• “Is it worth the risk? Absolutely.”

Paradox

A self-contradictory statement with deeper meaning.

Examples:

• “Less is more.”
• “The only constant is change.”
• “I can resist anything except temptation.”
• “The beginning of the end.”
• “You have to be cruel to be kind.”

Epizeuxis

Immediate repetition of a word.

Examples:

• “Never, never, never give up.”
• “Alone, alone, all all alone.”
• “Location, location, location.”
• “Run, run, run!”
• “Faster, faster, faster!”

Pleonasm

Use of redundant words for emphasis.

Examples:

• “I saw it with my own eyes.”
• “It was a free gift.”
• “She cried tears of joy.”
• “The burning fire was hot.”
• “This is a true fact.”

Synecdoche

Using a part to represent a whole.

Examples:

• “All hands on deck!” (Hands = sailors)
• “Give me a hand.” (Hand = help)
• “Nice wheels!” (Wheels = car)
• “The White House issued a statement.” (White House = government)
• “He’s got a great head on his shoulders.” (Head = intellect)

Metonymy

Using an associated word instead of the actual thing.

Examples:

• “The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Pen = writing, Sword = war)
• “Hollywood is obsessed with reboots.” (Hollywood = film industry)
• “The crown will decide the fate of the kingdom.” (Crown = monarchy)
• “The suits are in a meeting.” (Suits = businesspeople)
• “Wall Street is nervous today.” (Wall Street = stock market)

Cacophony

Use of harsh, discordant sounds for effect.

Examples:

• “I detest war because cause of war is always trivial.”
• “The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!” (Lewis Carroll)
• “A screaming, screeching, scratching sound echoed in the dark alley.”
• “The clashing and clanging of the bells filled the air.”
• “The gnarled, cracked hands grasped the rusted railing.”

Euphony

Use of pleasant, harmonious sounds.

Examples:

• “The murmuring brook flowed gently through the meadow.”
• “The soft whisper of the wind lulled me to sleep.”
• “Silver bells chimed in the moonlight.”
• “Golden sunshine warmed the blossoming fields.”
• “The cello’s melody was smooth and soothing.”

Antanaclasis

Repetition of a word with different meanings.

Examples:

• “We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately.” (Benjamin Franklin)
• “Your argument is sound, nothing but sound.”
• “I live by the bank, and I work at the bank.”
• “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”
• “The long cigarette holder held no cigarette for long.”

Periphrasis (Circumlocution)

Using more words than necessary to express an idea.

Examples:

• “The answer to your question is in the negative.” (Instead of just saying “no.”)
• “He who must not be named.” (Instead of saying “Voldemort.”)
• “A utensil with which to consume soup” (Instead of just “spoon.”)
• “I find myself in a situation where I need to use the restroom.”
• “It is a device with a rotating blade for cutting grass.” (Instead of “lawnmower.”)

Paraprosdokian

A sentence with an unexpected ending.

Examples:

• “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” (Groucho Marx)
• “Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.”
• “I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.”
• “You don’t need a parachute to skydive. You only need one to skydive twice.”
• “Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.”

Aposiopesis

Breaking off a sentence suddenly for dramatic effect.

Examples:

“If you do that one more time, I swear—”
“I just can’t believe that you—”
“Get out, or else—”
“If only I had known… but it’s too late now.”
“I was going to say something, but—never mind.”

Dysphemism

Using a harsh or offensive term instead of a neutral one.

Examples:

“Kicked the bucket” (instead of “died”).
“Old hag” (instead of “elderly woman”).
“Pigsty” (instead of “messy room”).
“Cancer stick” (instead of “cigarette”).
“Junk food” (instead of “fast food”).

Euphemism

Using a mild term instead of a harsh one.

Examples:

“Passed away” (instead of “died”).
“Between jobs” (instead of “unemployed”).
“Economically disadvantaged” (instead of “poor”).
“Senior citizen” (instead of “old person”).
“Correctional facility” (instead of “prison”).

Procatalepsis

Addressing an opposing argument before it is made.

“Some may say that this policy is unfair, but let me explain why it is necessary.”
“You may think that I am exaggerating, but the statistics prove otherwise.”
“I know what you’re thinking: this sounds impossible, but it’s not.”
“Many people argue that video games are bad, but research suggests otherwise.”
“You might ask why we need change, and the answer is simple.”

Homoioteleuton

Repetition of similar endings in words.

“He’s the nation’s frustration and irritation.”
“We came, we saw, we conquered.”
“Happily, merrily, and cheerily, they danced.”
“Thriving, surviving, and arriving at success.”
“The situation required dedication and determination.”

Hypotaxis

Using complex sentence structures to show relationships.

Examples:

“Because it was raining, I stayed inside.”
“She didn’t go to school since she was sick.”
“Although he was late, he was still allowed in.”
“While I enjoy reading, I also love movies.”
“I will help you if you ask nicely.”

Parataxis

Placing clauses side by side without conjunctions.

Examples:

“I came; I saw; I conquered.”
“He was cold. He put on a jacket.”
“The sky darkened, the wind howled, the storm began.”
“The dog barked, the cat hissed, the baby cried.”
“She ran, she stumbled, she fell.”

Enjambment

A sentence or phrase that continues beyond a line break in poetry.

Examples:

“I wonder by my troth, what thou and I Did, till we loved?” (John Donne)
“April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land…” (T.S. Eliot)
“The fog comes on little cat feet.” (Carl Sandburg)
“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,” (John Masefield)
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments.” (Shakespeare)

Tautology

Repetition of an idea using different words.

Examples:

“It was a free gift.”
“The reason why is because…”
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Let’s meet together at 10 AM.”
“He made a prediction about the future.”

Antiphon

A response or counter-statement in literature.

Examples:

“Call and response” in gospel music.
“O Lord, have mercy—Christ, have mercy.”
“I am strong. You are weak.”
“We will fight. They will fall.”
“Let us rise up. Let them fall down.”

Polyptoton

Repetition of the same root word with different endings.

Examples:

“Choosy mothers choose Jif.”
“To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.”
“Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”
“The things you own end up owning you.”
“No end to the endless.”

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that conveys a hidden meaning, often moral or political.

Examples:

Animal Farm (George Orwell) represents the Russian Revolution.
The Lord of the Flies represents civilization vs. savagery.
The Crucible serves as an allegory for McCarthyism.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave illustrates enlightenment and ignorance.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has Christian allegories.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.

Examples:

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
“She sells seashells by the seashore.”
“Big brown bears bounce bravely.”
“The whispering wind whistled wildly.”
“Dunkin’ Donuts” (brand name example).

Understatement

Making something seem less significant than it is.

Examples:

• “It’s just a scratch.” (When it’s a huge wound.)
• “Not bad.” (For an amazing performance.)
• “The desert can get a bit warm in summer.”
• “I suppose winning the lottery is nice.”
• “It rained a little.” (During a flood.)

Symbolism

Using an object or concept to represent something deeper.

Examples:

• A dove representing peace.
• The color red symbolizing passion or danger.
• A storm foreshadowing chaos.
• A locked door symbolizing missed opportunities.
• A caged bird symbolizing oppression.

Allusion

A reference to another literary work, history, or culture.

Examples:

• “He has the patience of Job.” (Biblical reference)
• “She met her Romeo at the party.” (Shakespeare)
• “It was his Achilles’ heel.” (Greek mythology)
• “That’s his Waterloo.” (Historical reference)
• “He’s a Scrooge with money.” (Dickens)

Anecdote

A short, personal story used to illustrate a point.

Examples:

• “When I was a kid, I used to…”
• “One time, I met a celebrity…”
• “In my first job, I learned the value of…”
• “Back in high school, I failed a test because…”
• “I once saw someone give up their seat for an elderly person.”

Paronomasia (Pun)

A play on words with similar sounds but different meanings.

Examples:

“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”
“I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.”
“The wedding cake had me in tiers.”
“I’m reading a book on anti-gravity—it’s impossible to put down!”
“The duck said to the bartender, ‘Put it on my bill.’”

Aphorism

A short, witty statement expressing a truth.

“Actions speak louder than words.”
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“The early bird catches the worm.”
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

Peroration

The conclusion of a speech designed to inspire action.

“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you…” (JFK)
“We shall go on to the end. We shall never surrender.” (Churchill)
“I have a dream today!” (MLK)
“Yes we can!” (Obama)
“Let us unite and build a better future!”

Tricolon

Three parallel elements in a sentence.

“Veni, vidi, vici.” (Caesar)
“Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
“Blood, sweat, and tears.”

Climax

Arranging words in increasing order of importance.

“He came, he saw, he conquered.”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
“Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman!”
“For God, for country, for family.”
“She fought, she bled, she died.”

March 10, 2025