Was That a Rhetorical Question?

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Rhetorical Question: A question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer – “Can’t you do anything I ask you to do?”

Rhetoric: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially by the use of figures of speech and other techniques.

Rhetorical Device: Technique used in speaking (or writing) to persuade, inform, or entertain the audience by evoking an emotional response.

Here are some common rhetorical devices. Note that some of them are commonly called literary devices and are often used in writing prose as well as poetry.

Allusion: A brief, often indirect reference to a well-known person, event, or work. “We cannot all write like the Bard of Avon himself.”Alliteration: The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words – “I see people, purpose, practicality, and progress as our priorities.”Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last word of a clause at the beginning of the next one – Day leads to night. Night leads to darkness. Darkness leads to light.”Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses – “We will fight for our freedoms. We will fight for our country. We will fight for our neighbors.”Asyndeton: The omission of conjunctions in a series to create a fast pace –  “We cooked, we ate, we cleaned up, we watched the movie.”Antithesis: Placing contrasting ideas side by side –  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.Chiasmus: A reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses –  “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Epistrophe: Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive phrases or clauses – “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”Euphemism: A more polite or mild word or phrase used to replace a more pleasant one. “My beloved cat crossed over the rainbow bridge last week.”Hyperbole: An extreme exaggeration used to make a point – “I’ve told you at least a million times.”Metaphor: A comparison that states one thing is another –  “All the world’s a stage.”Polysyndeton: The use of several conjunctions in close succession – “She visited Spain and Portugal and Greece and France in the course of a few days.” Simile: A comparison that uses “like” or “as” – “The baby is as sweet as honey.”Zeugma: A figure of speech in which one word applies to two others that are completely different – “She broke my heart and my wallet.”Please check out the rest of my modernized, revamped website! www.TheGrammarDiva.com ORwww.bigwords101.com