Terms To Know Rhetorical Devices

Develop an understanding of the following concepts. Your understanding will be fuller if you go beyond definitions. Take notes as you develop this understanding. You may want to organize your notes in a chart with columns for definitions, examples and typical rhetorical effects, where applicable

Diction

Word	Definition	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
High/formal	Where sophisticated language is used, without slang or colloquialism Complex syntax of sentence, usually in business doc	“Thank you for accepting me into your institution. It would be an honor to attend and participate in this prestigious event.”	Usually makes author sound intelligent, appeals to the audience’s intelligence Also makes author sound credible, makes readers trust the author Formality lends a serious feeling too
Middle/moderate	Not formal or informal, but a middling diction that can be applied to a broad audience The way educated people talk	“Thank you for letting me join you in your lab. I look forward to seeing you again.”	Overall has a sense of indifference or neutrality. Makes readers feel familiar with the type of speech, but still distant with somewhat “formal” structure
Low/informal	Conversational or narrative, like how real people communicate in real life Especially used in social media or texts	“Thanks man. See ya later.”	More friendly feeling, as well as realistic and easygoing
Abstract	When words are used to express something intangible (idea or emotion) Not detailed or specific	“Falling in love is pleasing, unique, and beautiful”	Sounds lofty, hard to understand because it cannot be expressed by words
Concrete	Words that have literal meanings and refer to things that appeal to senses Not open to interpretation	“I ate an apple”	Full commitment to the details, and full trust in the author for providing concrete details
Colloquial	Conversational speech that uses informal words Words specifically represent a place or time	“Y’all have yourselves a good day folks!”	Fills in the setting of a plot possibly, with colloquial speech filling in background info Very informal, so friendly as well
Monosyllabic	Choosing one syllable words specifically	“sad”	Short could have the effect of being simple, very direct at conveying to the reader
Polysyllabic	Choosing words with many syllables	“melancholy”	More complex words convey more complex meanings to the reader, also sounds more intelligent at times
Connotation	Feelings or associations that are attached to a word, not necessarily the definition	“Blue” is a color, but also connotated as sadness	Influence readers to draw on past experiences, and also more concise way to describe something for the author.

Syntax

Word	Definition	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
Simple	Subject + verb + direct object Only one independent clause, subject-verb structure	The girl ran. The sky is pink. I like food.	Very simple, so childlike tone?
Compound	Two or more independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (but, or, so)	I went to the park, but Sarah stayed at home.	With a lot of info, could overwhelm reader Also equal importance of each clause Relationship shown through the conjunction
Complex	Independent clause + dependent clause Between with subordinating conjunction (although, because, so that, until, etc”	I like pizza, although it is a little unhealthy.	Forces reader to focus on one idea More complicated thinking or logic, also more relationships with cause effect More graceful, flowing sentences
Compound-complex	Two independent clauses w/ at least one subordinate/dependent clauses	I went to the park, but Sarah stayed at home because she had homework to do	More complex relationships, so more analytical and academic More “credible” for writer
Declarative	A sentence that makes a statement, provides fact, explains, etc Present tense Most common form	My dog is sick.	Declares fact, so shows confidence in writer Very clear for the reader, trust
Parallel Construction	Using same pattern of words in a sentence to show that both are same importance Usually uses coordinating conjunctions (and/or) Can be with verbs, clause structure, lists, etc	I like hiking, biking, and running.	Adds clarity to the writing, because it is more readable with repeating areas Establishes relationship between things and ideas, compare/contrast Equal importance of things

Tone

Word	Definition	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
Tone	The mood implied by an author’s word choice, evoking emotion Also reveals author’s attitude to a topic	Thanks for inviting me! (appreciative tone)	Conveys to the reader the attitude of the writer towards the subject Influences the intention and meaning of the words read by the reader, and sets them into a certain mood

What kind of adjectives describe tone?

• Nostalgic

• Happy

• Joyful

• Regretful

• Dry

• Passive

• Neutral

• Ironic

• Inspirational

• Fearful

• Anticipating

• Angry

• Playful

• Sarcastic

• Pessimistic

• Humorous

• Lighthearted

• Assertive

  • The type of adjective is mostly just that describing emotion or writing

What creates tone?

• Usually through word choice (diction)

  • Use of personal pronouns (puts a call onto the reader)

  • Colloquialism is informal tone, personal connection

  • Imagery, figurative language for formal, imaginative tone

• Sentence construction (syntax)

  • Punctuation (less is usually more casual)

• In fiction: the viewpoint of the character/context

• Consistency to convey strong feelings

The Appeals

Word	Definition	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
Logos	Appealing to the logic of audience Uses facts, data, stats How well writer argues a point	One in five women experience sexual assault in college	Appeals to logic, so leads to emotional response like sympathy, anger, etc Also makes the argument strong, defensible
Ethos	Appeals to authority to persuade audience Convince of reputation, virtue, intelligence, qualifications Can be both of author or of a quote	Multiple dermatologists have backed this skin healing cream	Gives author credibility Builds trust with audience Audience will feel that the author is “right” due to the qualifications
Pathos	Evoke emotions in the audience words like imagery Also context of audience’s beliefs and values Word choice, language, stories	“If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die!” Feel nervous	Persuades an audience through the emotions Helps audience to be further intertwined with the argument, feeling the emotions

Rhetorical Situation

Word	Definition	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
Exigence	The reason why there is the rhetorical discourse A problem, issue, situation that makes one write a message	A defense attorney defends the client’s innocence The exigence: it is the attorney’s job to keep the client fair	Determines the mood of the piece, what the message or topic the reader is going to see
Audience	Recipient of the communication Has personal experiences, that may affect their view on the author/context	Ex: the listeners to MLK Jr “I have a dream” speech Mostly black people, but also white perspectives	Depends on the audience how they interpret the rhetoric
Speaker	The writer/person who communicates to others Has individual background, with age, gender, location, etc all influencing Changes way they use rhetoric	Ex: Joe Biden in his campaign speech Specific ideals as an older man, as well as a democrat	Depends on the speaker, so it changes based on audience’s interpretation of the speaker itself
Occasion	The circumstances of the text: Where, when, why, how, etc was written Changes language used Also where the audience hears it, with context	MLK’s speech, in a public setting with many listening. Also in the time of segregation and unfair laws made against Black people	Sways audience’s opinion on something, and the level of understanding or connection they have
Purpose	Why the author creates the message and why the audience will accept/not accept it Usually to inform, instruct, persuade Purpose for audience is to be informed, to be entertained, etc (takeaway something) Overall the intended outcome for the piece	An advertisement to quit smoking with their medication: Purpose is for the audience to buy their medicine to stop smoking	Usually convinces the audience to learn or do something that the author wants to do
Message	The big idea that the author tries to tell the reader Not like purpose, because this is the concrete part The true idea of what they want to “persuade”, “entertain”, etc	The message behind MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech is to end segregation to usher in a new age of equality for all in America	Touches the readers if they are accepting, can be heartfelt or angry, depends on the message still

Claim

Definition: the main argument of an essay

• Defines the purpose, direction, goals of the paper; must have evidence

• Also need to argue a point, and a good one is focused and specific

• Can be debated or challenged to be a claim

• Nuanced, complex, specific, detailed

  • Cannot support with “opinion”, majority, tradition, morality

  • Need specific reasons inside the claim

Examples:

• Although both smartphones and laptops are used for productive work, laptops is overall a better fit for professional workloads due to its larger size, relatively faster speed, and wider support for accessories.

Rhetorical Effects

• Notifies the reader what the point or idea of the paper is

Evidence

• Facts and supporting pieces of information that supports the thesis and claim

• Should be relevant to the claim, and smoothly integrated/analyzed

• Must be explained to how it supports the argument

What is the purpose of evidence?

• Needs to convince reader of the validity of the argument

• Persuade the reader to accept claims by connecting supporting evidence for the claim

• Supports, tests, or refines the thesis

• Makes the writing more convincing as the opinions would be supported

What can serve as evidence?

• Books, authors, people (speeches), etc

• Primary source (documents, photos, interviews) and secondary (interpreted information)

• Found online, also in real life (observing the world), surveys, experiments, personal experience

• Statistics, data, charts, etc

Rhetorical and Literary Strategies

Word	Definition	Examples	Typical Rhetorical Effects
allusion	implied/indirect reference to person, event, thing or another text Helps add a lot of meaning/significance in short phrase Needs to be interpreted by reader Can be casual (not integral to plot), single, etc	Fried chicken is my achilles heel. Alluding to achilles, who has a weak spot there	Used to build trust with readers, as there is a common base of knowledge Also can disclose plot, give context, exposition Help compare characters Gives work a deeper meaning, stimulate reader
Rhetorical questions	A question that does not expect an answer Could be obvious, or answered later Might add emphasis Often used after a comment, might be the opposite	Did you hear me? You need to pay attention.	Persuasive, gets the response the author wants from an audience Also dramatic/comedic Adds emphasis to a point
Pronoun usage	Words that stand in for nouns, to be specific/refer back to another noun Singular w/ I, me, he, she, etc Plural w/ they, them, we Personal pronouns are for people Needs to agree in number, in person (first, second, third), refer to a specific noun	I want to have my own computer.	Repetition of a certain pronoun (like a singular I) could represent things like self-centeredness Also more intimate with the reader, directly points to a noun Cuts down repetition, makes text enjoyable to read
Selection of detail	The details the author reveals to help add to the dominant impression Anything the author shares is what they choose to share, so it must be important Which things the author decides to put into writing, as well as which things they didn’t describe	Depends on the writing? Needs a lot of context	Conveys to the reader what is important in the text Focuses the text onto something important
juxtaposition	Two things put together with contrasting effect Fleshes out a character, explores nuances in an idea, create humor, etc Putting two things side by side to create ironic contrast, but is implied comparison	Light and darkness Wealth and poverty (George Grosz Gray Day)	Creates humor dramatic/ironic contrast Reader has to infer, discern the differences/similarities More profound understanding of this contrast
Use of absolutes (all, none, etc)	Words that go to the extreme Completely all in or all out (already used the all)	This is a never before seen cake recipe.	Used to exaggerate and emphasize points Go beyond the true meaning, doesn’t actually mean the absolute part Often more casual, as one cannot make assumptions that absolutely
Point of view	The writers perspective, the eye through which we see the story (first, second, or third) First: I, me, we, our, etc (inside the author, sees and feels with the author) Second: You, the author directly addresses you and makes YOU part of the action Third: she, he, it, them, etc; all seeing and all knowing, sees/feels all characters and the whole scene	First: I fell onto the ground, writhing in pain. Second: You need to cut distractions in order to be productive. Third: His brain was working at a million miles per hour, while everybody stared at him in awe.	First: very intense emotions, as inside the character Second: direct address to audience, so feels like a direct connection Third: very informative to the reader, also feels smart/objective (omniscient)