Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies

Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies

• Allusion: Reference to another text or body of knowledge to connect ideas.
• Analogy: Comparing different things to explain one.
• Anaphora: Repeating words or phrases at the start of sentences for emphasis.
• Anecdote: Short story to illustrate a point or capture attention.
• Antithesis: Using contrasting ideas for a powerful effect.
• Appeal (Rhetorical): Method of persuasion (ethos, logos, pathos).
• Ethos: Persuading with credibility or character.
• Logos: Persuading through logic and reason.
• Pathos: Persuading through emotions.
• Chiasmus: Reversing terms in parallel structure.
• Claim: Main point of an argument, supported by evidence.
• Colloquialism: Informal words or phrases.
• Concession: Acknowledging an opponent’s point.
• Connotation: Implied meaning of a word.
• Denotation: Dictionary definition of a word.
• Diction: Author's word choice.
• Euphemism: Indirect, polite way to state something unpleasant.
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect.
• Imagery: Evokes sensory experiences (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
• Inference: Conclusion drawn from evidence.
• Irony: Contrast between appearance and reality.
  • Dramatic irony: Reader knows something characters don't.
  • Situational irony: Opposite of what's expected.
  • Verbal irony: Saying the opposite of what's meant.
• Juxtaposition: Placing things side-by-side for emphasis.
• Metaphor: Implied comparison without "like" or "as".
• Metonymy: Referring to one thing by its attribute.
• Onomatopoeia: Words imitating sounds.
• Paradox: Seemingly untrue yet true statement.
• Parallelism: Similar structure in phrases or clauses.
• Persona: Author's voice or character in a story.
• Principle of Charity: Interpreting statements reasonably.
• Rhetoric: Art of effective communication.
• Rhetorical choices: Author's stylistic choices for impact.
• Rhetorical question: Question used for effect, not answer.
• Rhetorical Triangle: Diagram showing relationships between ethos, logos, and pathos.
• Satire: Ironic composition criticizing aspects of society or humanity through humor.
• Synecdoche: Using a part to represent the whole.
• Syntax: Sentence structure.
• Tone: Author's attitude toward the subject.
• Understatement: Intentionally making something seem less important.
• Zeugma: One word applies to multiple nouns, but each meaning differs.