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Defining Characteristics: a single word or short phrase that interrupts the syntax, or the structure of the sentence
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Function: emphasizes the words nearby; if beginning the sentence, it emphasizes the entire sentence as significant
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Rhetorical Devices 2
Syntactic and emphatic/repetitive devices
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Defining Characteristics: a single word or short phrase that interrupts the syntax, or the structure of the sentence | expletive |
| Function: emphasizes the words nearby; if beginning the sentence, it emphasizes the entire sentence as significant | expletive |
| Example: She, predictably, spent her paycheck rather than putting it into her college savings. | expletive |
| Function: gives the impression that the list is ongoing or incomplete, creates a climactic effect, or gives the impression that words are synonymous | asyndeton |
| Defining Characteristics: leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses | asyndeton |
| Example: He fell into despair, poverty, homelessness. | asyndeton |
| Defining Characteristics: inserting a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause | polysyndeton |
| Function: creates an energetic effect of having variety | polysyndeton |
| Example: They read and studied and wrote and passed. I laughed and played and talked and failed. | polysyndeton |
| Defining Characteristics: known as “reverse parallelism”, second part of a grammatical construction is parallel with the first, but the order of elements are reversed. | chiasmus |
| Function: useful in creating balance (especially in sentences where it is difficult to make parallel effectively because parallel structure would emphasize the wrong words) | chiasmus |
| Example: The textbooks for next semester are now on sale; also available are the course note packets. | chiasmus |
| Defining Characteristics: a word, phrase, or whole sentence inserted as an aside in the middle of another sentence & can be set off by either using parentheses or dashes | parenthesis |
| Function: provides information that might not neatly fit elsewhere in the sentence, but needs to be addressed as soon as it is mentioned; provides context for some statements; makes a one's point more dramatic & forceful | parenthesis |
| Example: "I was dressed in black leather from head to toe and wearing a black helmet with a tinted face guard--exhibiting some resemblance to Darth Vader--or you got it-- the Black Avenger." | parenthesis |
| Example: Miss America was not so much interested in serving herself as she was eager to serve her family, her community, and her nation. | climax |
| Function: creates a progressive argument that gets stronger as one goes along | climax |
| Defining Characteristics: arranging words, clauses, or sentences in increasing importance, weight, or emphasis; parallelism usually forms the arrangement, but isn't required | climax |
| Example: The only thought you think/ is the thought which you learned to think. / The only life you live/ is the life you have chosen to live. / The only space you need is time. / The only time you have, is now. –Unknown | anaphora |
| Defining Characteristics: repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences (commonly used with parallelism and climax) | anaphora |
| Function: creates emphasis on the repeated word(s) or phrase | anaphora |
| Function: places emphasis on the last word in a phrase or sentence | epistrophe |
| Example: Where affectations bear rule, there reason is subdued, honesty is subdued, good will is subdued, and all things else that withstand evil, for ever are subdued. –Thomas Wilson | epistrophe |
| Defining Characteristics: the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences | epistrophe |
| Defining Characteristics: combining anaphora and epistrophe so that one word or phrase is repeated at the beginning and another word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences | symploce |
| Function: emphasizes the repeated words/ideas while creating rhythm and climax | symploce |
| Example: To think clearly and rationally should be a major goal for man; but to think clearly and rationally is always the greatest difficulty faced by man. | symploce |
| Defining Characteristics: repeats the last word of one phrase, clause or sentence very near the beginning of the next | anadiplosis |
| Function: clarifies the main point by reinforcing the repeated word | anadiplosis |
| Example: It is a matter of definition, and our definitions vary greatly it seems. For I consider “hard” to be synonymous with intellectual effort whereas your definition seems to refer to any effort at all. | anadiplosis |
| Defining Characteristics: while resembling anadiplosis, this repeats a key word from a preceding phrase, clause, or sentence at the beginning of the next | conduplicatio |
| Function: serves to effectively focus an idea and to reinforce what the reader should focus upon | conduplicatio |
| Example: It is indifference that whites can potentially recognize and acknowledge within themselves, and it is in combating indifference that the fulcrum of change may be most effectively placed. | conduplicatio |
| Defining Characteristics: repeats the beginning word of a clause or sentence at the end | epanelepsis |
| Function: calls special attention to the repeated word by placing it in both of the strongest positions in a sentence | epanelepsis |
| in both of the strongest positions in a sentence Example: To report that your committee is still investigating is to tell me that you have nothing to report. | epanelepsis |
| Defining Characteristics: repeating a word or expression while adding more detail to it | amplification |
| Function: emphasizes what might otherwise be passed over; ensures the reader realizes the importance or centrality of the repeated in discussion | amplification |
| Example: He showed a rather simple taste, a taste for good art, good food, and good friends. | amplification |
| Defining Characteristics: a string of generally synonymous phrases or statements | scesis onomaton |
| Function: emphasizes the repeated phrase, statement, or idea | scesis onomaton |
| Example: We succeeded, won, and walked away victorious. | scesis onomaton |
| Defining Characteristics: asserts or emphasizes something by pointedly seeming to pass over, ignore, or deny it | apophasis |
| Function: calls attention to sensitive or inflammatory facts or statements while allowing the writer to remain detached from them; provides a suggestion that holds in the reader’s mind while the writer can deny it | apophasis |
| Example: No one would suggest that those who are homeless elected to live on the streets willingly. | apophasis |
| Defining Characteristics: using more words than required to express an idea; being redundant | pleonasm |
| Function: done for emphasis | pleonasm |
| Example: We heard it with our own ears. | pleonasm |
Created by:
nmitchellAPE