English 9 / Unit 7: Argument and Rhetoric
7.4 Rhetorical Devices
Notes
Speakers use patterns of language to make arguments memorable.
- Rhetorical question: asked for effect, not for an answer ("Do we want our children to breathe dirty air?").
- Repetition: repeating words or phrases for emphasis. Anaphora repeats words at the start of clauses ("We will not wait. We will not quit. We will not fail.").
- Parallelism: similar grammatical structures in a series ("to learn, to grow, to lead").
- Antithesis: contrasting ideas side by side ("Not a hand-out, but a hand up").
- Hyperbole and loaded language can also persuade.
Practice
"Is it fair to charge students for a test they are required to take?" This is a(n):
It is asked for effect; the speaker expects the answer "no."
"We must stand together, we must speak together, and we must act together." The repeated "we must" at the start of each clause is:
Repeating words at the beginning of clauses is anaphora.
"It is not the size of the team that matters, but the size of its heart." This sentence uses:
It sets contrasting ideas side by side.
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