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40+ Rhetoric Devices With Rules and Examples

The Rhetoric Devices or Figures of Speech is that thing which poet uses in his verse line to make it more attractive and meaningful. 

Here is 40 most useful and easy to mean Rhetoric Devices I have included:


1. Alliteration

Rule: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely placed words.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

2. Allusion

Rule: A reference to a well-known event, person, place, or work of art.

Example: He met his Waterloo.

3. Anacoluthon

Rule: A sudden break in the grammatical structure of a sentence.

Example: I was going to—but you wouldn’t understand.

4. Anadiplosis

Rule: Repetition of the last word of one sentence or clause at the beginning of the next.

Example: Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

5. Analogy

Rule: Comparing two things to explain a complex idea.

Example: Finding a good man is like finding a needle in a haystack.

6. Anaphora

Rule: Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Example: We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields.

7. Antithesis

Rule: Juxtaposing contrasting ideas in parallel structure.

Example: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

8. Apostrophe

Rule: Addressing someone absent or something non-human as if it were present.

Example: O Death, where is thy sting?

9. Assonance

Rule: Repetition of vowel sounds in closely placed words.

Example: The early bird catches the worm.

10. Asyndeton

Rule: Omitting conjunctions between words or clauses.

Example: I came, I saw, I conquered.

11. Chiasmus

Rule: Reversing the structure of two clauses for effect.

Example: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

12. Climax

Rule: Arranging words or ideas in increasing importance.

Example: He risked his reputation, his fortune, and finally his life.

13. Euphemism

Rule: Substituting a mild or indirect expression for one that is harsh.

Example: He passed away (instead of he died).

14. Hyperbole

Rule: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.

Example: I’ve told you a million times!

15. Hypophora

Rule: Asking a question and immediately answering it.

Example: Why do we do this? Because it matters.

16. Imagery

Rule: Using vivid descriptions to appeal to the senses.

Example: The golden rays of the setting sun painted the sky.

17. Irony

Rule: Conveying meaning by using language that signifies the opposite.

Example: The fire station burned down.

18. Litotes

Rule: Making an understatement by negating its opposite.

Example: He’s not the worst singer in the world.

19. Metaphor

Rule: Comparing two unrelated things without using "like" or "as."

Example: Time is a thief.

20. Metonymy

Rule: Substituting the name of something with a related concept.

Example: The crown will decide (instead of the king).

21. Onomatopoeia

Rule: Words that imitate sounds.

Example: The bees buzzed.

22. Oxymoron

Rule: Pairing contradictory terms.

Example: Jumbo shrimp.

23. Paradox

Rule: A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.

Example: Less is more.

24. Parallelism

Rule: Using similar structures in related phrases or clauses.

Example: She likes cooking, jogging, and reading.

25. Personification

Rule: Attributing human characteristics to non-human things.

Example: The wind whispered through the trees.

26. Polysyndeton

Rule: Using multiple conjunctions in close succession.

Example: We have ships and men and money and supplies.

27. Rhetorical Question

Rule: Asking a question for effect, not to get an answer.

Example: Isn’t this the best day ever?

28. Simile

Rule: Comparing two things using "like" or "as."

Example: She’s as busy as a bee.

29. Synecdoche

Rule: A part represents the whole or vice versa.

Example: All hands on deck (hands = sailors).

30. Zeugma

Rule: Using one word to modify two others in different ways.

Example: He stole my heart and my wallet.

31. Allegory

Rule: A story or narrative that represents a broader concept.

Example: George Orwell’s "Animal Farm" is an allegory for communism.

32. Antanagoge

Rule: Placing a negative point next to a positive one to soften the impact.

Example: The car is old, but it runs well.

33. Epithet

Rule: A descriptive word or phrase expressing a characteristic.

Example: Alexander the Great.

34. Paronomasia

Rule: A pun or play on words.

Example: A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat.

35. Procatalepsis

Rule: Anticipating objections and responding to them.

Example: You may wonder why this matters—here’s why.

36. Antimetabole

Rule: Repetition of words in reverse order.

Example: You like it; it likes you.

37. Hyperbaton

Rule: Reordering words for emphasis.

Example: This I must see.

38. Epistrophe

Rule: Repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses.

Example: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

39. Tricolon

Rule: A series of three parallel words or phrases.

Example: Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered).

40. Synesthesia

Rule: Blending sensory experiences.

Example: She spoke in honeyed tones.

Art of Fiction by Henry James