argument essay rhetorical devices

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to write a rhetorical analysis | Key concepts & examples

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis | Key Concepts & Examples

Published on August 28, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay  that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Key concepts in rhetoric, analyzing the text, introducing your rhetorical analysis, the body: doing the analysis, concluding a rhetorical analysis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about rhetorical analysis.

Rhetoric, the art of effective speaking and writing, is a subject that trains you to look at texts, arguments and speeches in terms of how they are designed to persuade the audience. This section introduces a few of the key concepts of this field.

Appeals: Logos, ethos, pathos

Appeals are how the author convinces their audience. Three central appeals are discussed in rhetoric, established by the philosopher Aristotle and sometimes called the rhetorical triangle: logos, ethos, and pathos.

Logos , or the logical appeal, refers to the use of reasoned argument to persuade. This is the dominant approach in academic writing , where arguments are built up using reasoning and evidence.

Ethos , or the ethical appeal, involves the author presenting themselves as an authority on their subject. For example, someone making a moral argument might highlight their own morally admirable behavior; someone speaking about a technical subject might present themselves as an expert by mentioning their qualifications.

Pathos , or the pathetic appeal, evokes the audience’s emotions. This might involve speaking in a passionate way, employing vivid imagery, or trying to provoke anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response in the audience.

These three appeals are all treated as integral parts of rhetoric, and a given author may combine all three of them to convince their audience.

Text and context

In rhetoric, a text is not necessarily a piece of writing (though it may be this). A text is whatever piece of communication you are analyzing. This could be, for example, a speech, an advertisement, or a satirical image.

In these cases, your analysis would focus on more than just language—you might look at visual or sonic elements of the text too.

The context is everything surrounding the text: Who is the author (or speaker, designer, etc.)? Who is their (intended or actual) audience? When and where was the text produced, and for what purpose?

Looking at the context can help to inform your rhetorical analysis. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech has universal power, but the context of the civil rights movement is an important part of understanding why.

Claims, supports, and warrants

A piece of rhetoric is always making some sort of argument, whether it’s a very clearly defined and logical one (e.g. in a philosophy essay) or one that the reader has to infer (e.g. in a satirical article). These arguments are built up with claims, supports, and warrants.

A claim is the fact or idea the author wants to convince the reader of. An argument might center on a single claim, or be built up out of many. Claims are usually explicitly stated, but they may also just be implied in some kinds of text.

The author uses supports to back up each claim they make. These might range from hard evidence to emotional appeals—anything that is used to convince the reader to accept a claim.

The warrant is the logic or assumption that connects a support with a claim. Outside of quite formal argumentation, the warrant is often unstated—the author assumes their audience will understand the connection without it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still explore the implicit warrant in these cases.

For example, look at the following statement:

We can see a claim and a support here, but the warrant is implicit. Here, the warrant is the assumption that more likeable candidates would have inspired greater turnout. We might be more or less convinced by the argument depending on whether we think this is a fair assumption.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

Rhetorical analysis isn’t a matter of choosing concepts in advance and applying them to a text. Instead, it starts with looking at the text in detail and asking the appropriate questions about how it works:

• What is the author’s purpose?
• Do they focus closely on their key claims, or do they discuss various topics?
• What tone do they take—angry or sympathetic? Personal or authoritative? Formal or informal?
• Who seems to be the intended audience? Is this audience likely to be successfully reached and convinced?
• What kinds of evidence are presented?

By asking these questions, you’ll discover the various rhetorical devices the text uses. Don’t feel that you have to cram in every rhetorical term you know—focus on those that are most important to the text.

The following sections show how to write the different parts of a rhetorical analysis.

Like all essays, a rhetorical analysis begins with an introduction . The introduction tells readers what text you’ll be discussing, provides relevant background information, and presents your thesis statement .

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how an introduction works.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is widely regarded as one of the most important pieces of oratory in American history. Delivered in 1963 to thousands of civil rights activists outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech has come to symbolize the spirit of the civil rights movement and even to function as a major part of the American national myth. This rhetorical analysis argues that King’s assumption of the prophetic voice, amplified by the historic size of his audience, creates a powerful sense of ethos that has retained its inspirational power over the years.

The body of your rhetorical analysis is where you’ll tackle the text directly. It’s often divided into three paragraphs, although it may be more in a longer essay.

Each paragraph should focus on a different element of the text, and they should all contribute to your overall argument for your thesis statement.

Hover over the example to explore how a typical body paragraph is constructed.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The conclusion of a rhetorical analysis wraps up the essay by restating the main argument and showing how it has been developed by your analysis. It may also try to link the text, and your analysis of it, with broader concerns.

Explore the example below to get a sense of the conclusion.

It is clear from this analysis that the effectiveness of King’s rhetoric stems less from the pathetic appeal of his utopian “dream” than it does from the ethos he carefully constructs to give force to his statements. By framing contemporary upheavals as part of a prophecy whose fulfillment will result in the better future he imagines, King ensures not only the effectiveness of his words in the moment but their continuing resonance today. Even if we have not yet achieved King’s dream, we cannot deny the role his words played in setting us on the path toward it.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.

Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.

The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.

Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.

Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.

In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis | Key Concepts & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/rhetorical-analysis/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write an argumentative essay | examples & tips, how to write a literary analysis essay | a step-by-step guide, comparing and contrasting in an essay | tips & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

The 20 Most Useful Rhetorical Devices

General Education

Rhetoric is the art of effective communication; if you communicate with others at all, rhetorical devices are your friends!

Rhetorical devices help you make points more effectively, and help people understand you better. In this article, I'll be covering some important rhetorical devices so you can improve your own writing! 

What Are Rhetorical Devices?

A lot of things that you would think of as just regular everyday modes of communicating are actually rhetorical devices That’s because ‘rhetorical devices’ is more or less a fancy way of saying ‘communication tools.’

Most people don’t plan out their use of rhetorical devices in communication, both because nobody thinks, “now would be a good time to use synecdoche in this conversation with my grocery clerk,” and because we use them so frequently that they don’t really register as “rhetorical devices.”

How often have you said something like, “when pigs fly!” Of those times, how often have you thought, “I’m using a rhetorical device!” That’s how ubiquitous they are!

However, being aware of what they are and how to use them can strengthen your communication , whether you do a lot of big speeches, write persuasive papers, or just argue with your friends about a TV show you all like.

Rhetorical devices can function at all levels: words, sentences, paragraphs, and beyond. Some rhetorical devices are just a single word, such as onomatopoeia. Others are phrases, such as metaphor, while still others can be sentence-length (such as a thesis), paragraph-length (hypophora), or go throughout the entire piece, such as a standard five-paragraph essay.

Many of these (such as the thesis or five-paragraph essay) are so standard and familiar to us that we may not think of them as devices. But because they help us shape and deliver our arguments effectively, they're important to know and understand.

The Most Useful Rhetorical Devices List

It would be impossible to list every single rhetorical device in one blog post. Instead, I've collected a mixture of extremely common devices you may have heard before and some more obscure ones that might be valuable to learn.

Amplification

Amplification is a little similar to parallelism: by using repetition, a writer expands on an original statement and increases its intensity .

Take this example from Roald Dahl’s The Twits :

“If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

In theory, we could have gotten the point with the first sentence. We don’t need to know that the more you think ugly thoughts, the uglier you become, nor that if you think good thoughts you won’t be ugly—all that can be contained within the first sentence. But Dahl’s expansion makes the point clearer, driving home the idea that ugly thoughts have consequences.

Amplification takes a single idea and blows it up bigger, giving the reader additional context and information to better understand your point. You don’t just have to restate the point— use amplification to expand and dive deeper into your argument to show readers and listeners how important it is!

Anacoluthon

Anacoluthon is a fancy word for a disruption in the expected grammar or syntax of a sentence. That doesn’t mean that you misspoke—using anacoluthon means that you’ve deliberately subverted your reader’s expectations to make a point.

For example, take this passage from King Lear :

“I will have such revenges on you both, That all the world shall—I will do such things, What they are, yet I know not…”

In this passage, King Lear interrupts himself in his description of his revenge. This has multiple effects on the reader: they wonder what all the world shall do once he has his revenge (cry? scream? fear him?), and they understand that King Lear has interrupted himself to regain his composure. This tells us something about him—that he’s seized by passion in this moment, but also that he regains control. We might have gathered one of those things without anacoluthon, but the use of this rhetorical device shows us both very efficiently.

Anadiplosis

Anadiplosis refers to purposeful repetition at the end of one sentence or clause and at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. In practice, that looks something like a familiar phrase from Yoda:

“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Note the way that the ending word of each sentence is repeated in the following sentence. That’s anadiplosis!

This rhetorical device draws a clear line of thinking for your reader or listener—repetition makes them pay closer attention and follow the way the idea evolves. In this case, we trace the way that fear leads to suffering through Yoda’s purposeful repetition.

Antanagoge is the balancing of a negative with a positive. For example, the common phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is antanagoge—it suggests a negative (lots of lemons) and follows that up with a positive (make lemonade).

When writing persuasively, this can be a great way to respond to potential detractors of your argument. Suppose you want to convince your neighborhood to add a community garden, but you think that people might focus on the amount of work required. When framing your argument, you could say something like, “Yes, it will be a lot of work to maintain, but working together will encourage us all to get to know one another as well as providing us with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers.”

This is a little like procatalepsis, in that you anticipate a problem and respond to it. However, antanagoge is specifically balancing a negative with a positive, just as I did in the example of a garden needing a lot of work, but that work is what ultimately makes the project worth it.

Apophasis is a form of irony relating to denying something while still saying it. You’ll often see this paired with phrases like, “I’m not saying…” or “It goes without saying…”, both of which are followed up with saying exactly what the speaker said they weren’t going to say.

Take this speech from Iron Man 2 :

"I'm not saying I'm responsible for this country's longest run of uninterrupted peace in 35 years! I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a phoenix metaphor been more personified! I'm not saying Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an iced tea, because I haven't come across anyone man enough to go toe to toe with me on my best day! It's not about me."

Tony Stark isn’t saying that he’s responsible for all those things… except that’s exactly what he is saying in all of his examples. Though he says it’s not about him, it clearly is—all of his examples relate to how great he is, even as he proclaims that they aren’t.

A scene like this can easily be played for humor, but apophasis can also be a useful (albeit deceptive) rhetorical tool. For example, this argument:

Our neighborhood needs a community garden to foster our relationships with one another. Not only is it great for getting to know each other, but a community garden will also provide us with all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables. It would be wrong to say that people who disagree aren’t invested in others’ health and wellness, but those who have the neighborhood’s best interests in mind will support a community garden.

That last sentence is all apophasis. Not only did I imply that people who don’t support the community garden are anti-social and uncaring (by outright stating that I wouldn’t say that, but I also implied that they’re also not invested in the neighborhood at all. Stating things like this, by pretending you’re not saying them or saying the opposite, can be very effective.

Assonance and Alliteration

Assonance adds an abundance of attractive accents to all your assertions. That’s assonance—the practice repeating the same vowel sound in multiple words in a phrase or sentence, often at the beginning of a word, to add emphasis or musicality to your work. Alliteration is similar, but uses consonant sounds instead of vowel sounds.

Let’s use Romeo and Juliet as an example again:

“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.”

Here, we have repetition of the sounds ‘f’ and ‘l’ in ‘from forth...fatal...foes,’ and ‘loins...lovers...life.’

Even if you don’t notice the repetition as you’re reading, you can hear the effects in how musical the language sounds. Shakespeare could easily have just written something like, “Two kids from families who hate one another fell in love and died by suicide,” but that’s hardly as evocative as the phrasing he chose.

Both assonance and alliteration give your writing a lyrical sound, but they can do more than that, too. These tools can mimic associated sounds, like using many ‘p’ sounds to sound like rain or something sizzling, or ‘s’ sounds to mimic the sounds of a snake. When you’re writing, think about what alternative meanings you can add by emphasizing certain sounds.

Listen, asterismos is great. Don’t believe me? How did you feel after I began the first sentence with the word ‘listen?’ Even if you didn’t feel more inspired to actually listen, you probably paid a bit more attention because I broke the expected form. That’s what asterismos is—using a word or phrase to draw attention to the thought that comes afterward.

‘Listen’ isn’t the only example of asterismos, either. You can use words like, ‘hey,’ ‘look,’ ‘behold,’ ‘so,’ and so on. They all have the same effect: they tell the reader or listener, “Hey, pay attention—what I’m about to say is important.”

Dysphemism and Euphemism

Euphemism is the substitution of a more pleasant phrase in place of a familiar phrase, and dysphemism is the opposite —an un pleasant phrase substituted in place of something more familiar. These tools are two sides of the same coin. Euphemism takes an unpleasant thing and makes it sound nicer—such as using 'passed away' instead of 'died'—while dysphemism does the opposite, taking something that isn't necessarily bad and making it sound like it is.

We won’t get into the less savory uses of dysphemism, but there are plenty that can leave an impression without being outright offensive. Take ‘snail mail.’ A lot of us call postal mail that without any real malice behind it, but ‘snail’ implies slowness, drawing a comparison between postal mail and faster email. If you’re making a point about how going electronic is faster, better for the environment, and overall more efficient, comparing email to postal mail with the phrase ‘snail mail’ gets the point across quickly and efficiently.

Likewise, if you're writing an obituary, you probably don't want to isolate the audience by being too stark in your details. Using gentler language, like 'passed away' or 'dearly departed' allows you to talk about things that might be painful without being too direct. People will know what you mean, but you won't have to risk hurting anyone by being too direct and final with your language.

You’ve no doubt run into epilogues before, because they’re a common and particularly useful rhetorical device! Epilogues are a conclusion to a story or work that reveals what happens to the characters in the story. This is different from an afterword, which is more likely to describe the process of a book’s creation than to continue and provide closure to a story.

Many books use epilogues to wrap up loose ends, usually taking place in the future to show how characters have changed as a result of their adventures. Both Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series use their epilogues to show the characters as adults and provide some closure to their stories—in Harry Potter , the main characters have gotten married and had children, and are now sending those children to the school where they all met. This tells the reader that the story of the characters we know is over—they’re adults and are settled into their lives—but also demonstrates that the world goes on existing, though it’s been changed forever by the actions of the familiar characters.

Eutrepismus

Eutrepismus is another rhetorical device you’ve probably used before without realizing it. This device separates speech into numbered parts, giving your reader or listener a clear line of thinking to follow.

Eutrepismus is a great rhetorical device—let me tell you why. First, it’s efficient and clear. Second, it gives your writing a great sense of rhythm. Third, it’s easy to follow and each section can be expanded throughout your work.

See how simple it is? You got all my points in an easy, digestible format. Eutrepismus helps you structure your arguments and make them more effective, just as any good rhetorical device should do.

You’ve probably used hypophora before without ever thinking about it. Hypophora refers to a writer or speaker proposing a question and following it up with a clear answer. This is different from a rhetorical question—another rhetorical device—because there is an expected answer, one that the writer or speaker will immediately give to you.

Hypophora serves to ask a question the audience may have (even if they’re not entirely aware of it yet) and provide them with an answer. This answer can be obvious, but it can also be a means of leading the audience toward a particular point.

Take this sample from John F. Kennedy’s speech on going to the moon:

But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

In this speech, Kennedy outright states that he’s asking questions others have asked, and then goes on to answer them. This is Kennedy’s speech, so naturally it’s going to reflect his point of view, but he’s answering the questions and concerns others might have about going to the moon. In doing so, he’s reclaiming an ongoing conversation to make his own point. This is how hypophora can be incredibly effective: you control the answer, leaving less room for argument!

Litotes is a deliberate understatement, often using double negatives, that serves to actually draw attention to the thing being remarked upon. For example, saying something like, “It’s not pretty,” is a less harsh way to say “It’s ugly,” or “It’s bad,” that nonetheless draws attention to it being ugly or bad.

In Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave , he writes:

“Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for the superior goodness of his own over that of the others.”

Notice the use of “not uncommon.” Douglass, by using a double negative to make readers pay closer attention, points out that some slaves still sought superiority over others by speaking out in favor of their owners.

Litotes draws attention to something by understating it. It’s sort of like telling somebody not to think about elephants—soon, elephants becomes all they can think about. The double negative draws our attention and makes us focus on the topic because it’s an unusual method of phrasing.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to a sound represented within text as a mimicry of what that sound actually sounds like. Think “bang” or “whizz” or “oomph,” all of which can mean that something made that kind of a sound—”the door banged shut”—but also mimic the sound itself—”the door went bang .”

This rhetorical device can add emphasis or a little bit of spice to your writing. Compare, “The gunshot made a loud sound,” to “The gun went bang .” Which is more evocative?

Parallelism

Parallelism is the practice of using similar grammar structure, sounds, meter, and so on to emphasize a point and add rhythm or balance to a sentence or paragraph.

One of the most famous examples of parallelism in literature is the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities :

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

In the beginning, every phrase begins with “It was,” which is itself a parallelism. But there are also pairs of parallelism within the sentence, too; “It was the ___ of times, it was the ___ of times,” and “it was the age of ___, it was the age of ___.”

Parallelism draws your reader deeper into what you’re saying and provides a nice sense of flow, even if you’re talking about complicated ideas. The ‘epoch of incredulity’ is a pretty meaty phrase, but Dickens’ parallelism sets up a series of dichotomies for us; even if we don’t know quite what it means, we can figure it out by comparing it to ‘belief.’

Personification

Personification is a rhetorical device you probably run into a lot without realizing it. It’s a form of metaphor, which means two things are being compared without the words like or as—in this case, a thing that is not human is given human characteristics.

Personification is common in poetry and literature, as it’s a great way to generate fresh and exciting language, even when talking about familiar subjects. Take this passage from Romeo and Juliet , for example:

“When well-appareled April on the heel Of limping winter treads.”

April can’t wear clothes or step on winter, and winter can’t limp. However, the language Shakespeare uses here is quite evocative. He’s able to quickly state that April is beautiful (“well-appareled”) and that winter is coming to an end (“limping winter”). Through personification, we get a strong image for things that could otherwise be extremely boring, such as if Shakespeare had written, “When beautiful April comes right after winter.”

Procatalepsis

Procatalepsis is a rhetorical device that anticipates and notes a potential objection, heading it off with a follow-up argument to strengthen the point. I know what you’re thinking—that sounds really complicated! But bear with me, because it’s actually quite simple.

See how that works? I imagined that a reader might be confused by the terminology in the first sentence, so I noted that potential confusion, anticipating their argument. Then, I addressed that argument to strengthen my point—procatalepsis is easy, which you can see because I just demonstrated it!

Anticipating a rebuttal is a great way to strengthen your own argument. Not only does it show that you’ve really put thought into what you’re saying, but it also leaves less room for disagreement!

Synecdoche is a rhetorical device that uses a part of something to stand in for the whole. That can mean that we use a small piece of something to represent a whole thing (saying ‘let’s grab a slice’ when we in fact mean getting a whole pizza), or using something large to refer to something small. We often do this with sports teams–for example, saying that New England won the Super Bowl when we in fact mean the New England Patriots, not the entirety of New England.

This style of rhetorical device adds an additional dimension to your language, making it more memorable to your reader. Which sounds more interesting? “Let’s get pizza,” or “let’s grab a slice?”

Likewise, consider this quote from Percy Bysshe Shelly’s “Ozymandias”:

“Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them.”

Here, Shelly uses ‘the hand’ to refer to the sculptor. The hand did not sculpt the lifeless things on its own; it was a tool of the sculptor. But by using just the hand, Shelly avoids repeating ‘the sculptor,’ preserves the poem’s rhythm, and narrows our focus. If he had referred to the sculptor again, he’d still be a big important figure; by narrowing to the hand, Shelly is diminishing the idea of the creator, mirroring the poem’s assertion that the creation will outlast it.

Tautology refers to using words or similar phrases to effectively repeat the same idea with different wording. It’s a form of repetition that can make a point stronger, but it can also be the basis of a flawed argument—be careful that your uses of tautology is the former, not the latter!

For example, take this section of “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe:

“Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme… From the bells, bells, bells, bells.”

Poe’s poetry has a great deal of rhythm already, but the use of ‘time, time, time’ sets us up for the way that ‘bells, bells, bells, bells’ also holds that same rhythm. Keeping time refers to maintaining rhythm, and this poem emphasizes that with repetition, much like the repetitive sound of ringing bells.

An example of an unsuccessful tautology would be something like, “Either we should buy a house, or we shouldn’t.” It’s not a successful argument because it doesn’t say anything at all—there’s no attempt to suggest anything, just an acknowledgment that two things, which cannot both happen, could happen.

If you want to use tautology in your writing, be sure that it’s strengthening your point. Why are you using it? What purpose does it serve? Don’t let a desire for rhythm end up robbing you of your point!

That thing your English teachers are always telling you to have in your essays is an important literary device. A thesis, from the Greek word for ‘a proposition,’ is a clear statement of the theory or argument you’re making in an essay. All your evidence should feed back into your thesis; think of your thesis as a signpost for your reader. With that signpost, they can’t miss your point!

Especially in longer academic writing, there can be so many pieces to an argument that it can be hard for readers to keep track of your overarching point. A thesis hammers the point home so that no matter how long or complicated your argument is, the reader will always know what you’re saying.

Tmesis is a rhetorical device that breaks up a word, phrase, or sentence with a second word, usually for emphasis and rhythm . We often do this with expletives, but tmesis doesn’t have to be vulgar to be effective!

Take this example from Romeo and Juliet :

“This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.”

The normal way we’d hear this phrase is “This is not Romeo, he’s somewhere else.” But by inserting the word ‘other’ between ‘some’ and ‘where,’ it not only forces us to pay attention, but also changes the sentence’s rhythm. It gets the meaning across perfectly, and does so in a way that’s far more memorable than if Shakespeare had just said that Romeo was somewhere else.

For a more common usage, we can turn to George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion , which often has Eliza Doolittle using phrases like “fan-bloody-tastic” and “abso-blooming-lutely.” The expletives—though mild by modern standards—emphasize Eliza’s social standing and make each word stand out more than if she had simply said them normally.

What’s Next?

Rhetorical devices and literary devices can both be used to enhance your writing and communication. Check out this list of literary devices to learn more !

Ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are all modes of persuasion—types of rhetorical devices— that can help you be a more convincing writer !

No matter what type of writing you're doing, rhetorical devices can enhance it! To learn more about different writing styles, check out this list !

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Using Rhetorical Strategies for Persuasion

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

There are three types of rhetorical appeals, or persuasive strategies, used in arguments to support claims and respond to opposing arguments. A good argument will generally use a combination of all three appeals to make its case.

Logos or the appeal to reason relies on logic or reason. Logos often depends on the use of inductive or deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning takes a specific representative case or facts and then draws generalizations or conclusions from them. Inductive reasoning must be based on a sufficient amount of reliable evidence. In other words, the facts you draw on must fairly represent the larger situation or population. Example:

In this example the specific case of fair trade agreements with coffee producers is being used as the starting point for the claim. Because these agreements have worked the author concludes that it could work for other farmers as well.

Deductive reasoning begins with a generalization and then applies it to a specific case. The generalization you start with must have been based on a sufficient amount of reliable evidence.Example:

In this example the author starts with a large claim, that genetically modified seeds have been problematic everywhere, and from this draws the more localized or specific conclusion that Mexico will be affected in the same way.

Avoid Logical Fallacies

These are some common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Also, watch out for these slips in other people's arguments.

Slippery slope: This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur A must not be allowed to occur either. Example:

In this example the author is equating banning Hummers with banning all cars, which is not the same thing.

Hasty Generalization: This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts. Example:

In this example the author is basing their evaluation of the entire course on only one class, and on the first day which is notoriously boring and full of housekeeping tasks for most courses. To make a fair and reasonable evaluation the author must attend several classes, and possibly even examine the textbook, talk to the professor, or talk to others who have previously finished the course in order to have sufficient evidence to base a conclusion on.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc: This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.' Example:

In this example the author assumes that if one event chronologically follows another the first event must have caused the second. But the illness could have been caused by the burrito the night before, a flu bug that had been working on the body for days, or a chemical spill across campus. There is no reason, without more evidence, to assume the water caused the person to be sick.

Genetic Fallacy: A conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth. Example:

In this example the author is equating the character of a car with the character of the people who built the car.

Begging the Claim: The conclusion that the writer should prove is validated within the claim. Example:

Arguing that coal pollutes the earth and thus should be banned would be logical. But the very conclusion that should be proved, that coal causes enough pollution to warrant banning its use, is already assumed in the claim by referring to it as "filthy and polluting."

Circular Argument: This restates the argument rather than actually proving it. Example:

In this example the conclusion that Bush is a "good communicator" and the evidence used to prove it "he speaks effectively" are basically the same idea. Specific evidence such as using everyday language, breaking down complex problems, or illustrating his points with humorous stories would be needed to prove either half of the sentence.

Either/or: This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices. Example:

In this example where two choices are presented as the only options, yet the author ignores a range of choices in between such as developing cleaner technology, car sharing systems for necessities and emergencies, or better community planning to discourage daily driving.

Ad hominem: This is an attack on the character of a person rather than their opinions or arguments. Example:

In this example the author doesn't even name particular strategies Green Peace has suggested, much less evaluate those strategies on their merits. Instead, the author attacks the characters of the individuals in the group.

Ad populum: This is an emotional appeal that speaks to positive (such as patriotism, religion, democracy) or negative (such as terrorism or fascism) concepts rather than the real issue at hand. Example:

In this example the author equates being a "true American," a concept that people want to be associated with, particularly in a time of war, with allowing people to buy any vehicle they want even though there is no inherent connection between the two.

Red Herring: This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them. Example:

In this example the author switches the discussion away from the safety of the food and talks instead about an economic issue, the livelihood of those catching fish. While one issue may affect the other, it does not mean we should ignore possible safety issues because of possible economic consequences to a few individuals.

Ethos or the ethical appeal is based on the character, credibility, or reliability of the writer. There are many ways to establish good character and credibility as an author:

• Use only credible, reliable sources to build your argument and cite those sources properly.
• Respect the reader by stating the opposing position accurately.
• Establish common ground with your audience. Most of the time, this can be done by acknowledging values and beliefs shared by those on both sides of the argument.
• If appropriate for the assignment, disclose why you are interested in this topic or what personal experiences you have had with the topic.
• Organize your argument in a logical, easy to follow manner. You can use the Toulmin method of logic or a simple pattern such as chronological order, most general to most detailed example, earliest to most recent example, etc.
• Proofread the argument. Too many careless grammar mistakes cast doubt on your character as a writer.

Pathos , or emotional appeal, appeals to an audience's needs, values, and emotional sensibilities.  Pathos can also be understood as an appeal to audience's disposition to a topic, evidence, or argument (especially appropriate to academic discourse). 

Argument emphasizes reason, but used properly there is often a place for emotion as well. Emotional appeals can use sources such as interviews and individual stories to paint a more legitimate and moving picture of reality or illuminate the truth. For example, telling the story of a single child who has been abused may make for a more persuasive argument than simply the number of children abused each year because it would give a human face to the numbers.  Academic arguments in particular ​benefit from understanding pathos as appealing to an audience's academic disposition.

Only use an emotional appeal if it truly supports the claim you are making, not as a way to distract from the real issues of debate. An argument should never use emotion to misrepresent the topic or frighten people.

• Affiliate Program

• UNITED STATES
• 台灣 (TAIWAN)
• TÜRKIYE (TURKEY)
• Academic Editing Services
• - Research Paper
• - Journal Manuscript
• - Dissertation
• - College & University Assignments
• Admissions Editing Services
• - Application Essay
• - Personal Statement
• - Recommendation Letter
• - Cover Letter
• - CV/Resume
• Business Editing Services
• - Business Documents
• - Report & Brochure
• - Website & Blog
• Writer Editing Services
• - Script & Screenplay
• Our Editors
• Client Reviews
• Editing & Proofreading Prices
• Wordvice Points
• Partner Discount
• Plagiarism Checker
• APA Citation Generator
• MLA Citation Generator
• Chicago Citation Generator
• Vancouver Citation Generator
• - APA Style
• - MLA Style
• - Chicago Style
• - Vancouver Style
• Writing & Editing Guide
• Academic Resources
• Admissions Resources

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay–Examples & Template

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

A rhetorical analysis essay is, as the name suggests, an analysis of someone else’s writing (or speech, or advert, or even cartoon) and how they use not only words but also rhetorical techniques to influence their audience in a certain way. A rhetorical analysis is less interested in what the author is saying and more in how they present it, what effect this has on their readers, whether they achieve their goals, and what approach they use to get there. 

Its structure is similar to that of most essays: An Introduction presents your thesis, a Body analyzes the text you have chosen, breaks it down into sections and explains how arguments have been constructed and how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section sums up your evaluation. 

Note that your personal opinion on the matter is not relevant for your analysis and that you don’t state anywhere in your essay whether you agree or disagree with the stance the author takes.

In the following, we will define the key rhetorical concepts you need to write a good rhetorical analysis and give you some practical tips on where to start.

Key Rhetorical Concepts

Your goal when writing a rhetorical analysis is to think about and then carefully describe how the author has designed their text so that it has the intended effect on their audience. To do that, you need to consider a number of key rhetorical strategies: Rhetorical appeals (“Ethos”, “Logos”, and “Pathos”), context, as well as claims, supports, and warrants.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were introduced by Aristotle, way back in the 4th century BC, as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience. They still represent the basis of any rhetorical analysis and are often referred to as the “rhetorical triangle”. 

These and other rhetorical techniques can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify the concepts they are based on.

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical appeal #1: ethos.

Ethos refers to the reputation or authority of the writer regarding the topic of their essay or speech and to how they use this to appeal to their audience. Just like we are more likely to buy a product from a brand or vendor we have confidence in than one we don’t know or have reason to distrust, Ethos-driven texts or speeches rely on the reputation of the author to persuade the reader or listener. When you analyze an essay, you should therefore look at how the writer establishes Ethos through rhetorical devices.

Does the author present themselves as an authority on their subject? If so, how? 

Do they highlight how impeccable their own behavior is to make a moral argument? 

Do they present themselves as an expert by listing their qualifications or experience to convince the reader of their opinion on something?

Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos

The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a “good cause”. To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories, and employ vivid imagery so that the reader can imagine themselves in a certain situation and feel empathy with or anger towards others.

Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos

Logos, the “logical” appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic texts, as should anyone’s reputation, beliefs, or personal opinions. 

Text and Context

To analyze a piece of writing, a speech, an advertisement, or even a satirical drawing, you need to look beyond the piece of communication and take the context in which it was created and/or published into account. 

Who is the person who wrote the text/drew the cartoon/designed the ad..? What audience are they trying to reach? Where was the piece published and what was happening there around that time? 

A political speech, for example, can be powerful even when read decades later, but the historical context surrounding it is an important aspect of the effect it was intended to have. 

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

To make any kind of argument, a writer needs to put forward specific claims, support them with data or evidence or even a moral or emotional appeal, and connect the dots logically so that the reader can follow along and agree with the points made.

The connections between statements, so-called “warrants”, follow logical reasoning but are not always clearly stated—the author simply assumes the reader understands the underlying logic, whether they present it “explicitly” or “implicitly”. Implicit warrants are commonly used in advertisements where seemingly happy people use certain products, wear certain clothes, accessories, or perfumes, or live certain lifestyles – with the connotation that, first, the product/perfume/lifestyle is what makes that person happy and, second, the reader wants to be as happy as the person in the ad. Some warrants are never clearly stated, and your job when writing a rhetorical analysis essay is therefore to identify them and bring them to light, to evaluate their validity, their effect on the reader, and the use of such means by the writer/creator. 

What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?

A “rhetorical situation” refers to the circumstance behind a text or other piece of communication that arises from a given context. It explains why a rhetorical piece was created, what its purpose is, and how it was constructed to achieve its aims.

Rhetorical situations can be classified into the following five categories:

Asking such questions when you analyze a text will help you identify all the aspects that play a role in the effect it has on its audience, and will allow you to evaluate whether it achieved its aims or where it may have failed to do so.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Analyzing someone else’s work can seem like a big task, but as with every assignment or writing endeavor, you can break it down into smaller, well-defined steps that give you a practical structure to follow. 

To give you an example of how the different parts of your text may look when it’s finished, we will provide you with some excerpts from this rhetorical analysis essay example (which even includes helpful comments) published on the Online Writing Lab website of Excelsior University in Albany, NY. The text that this essay analyzes is this article on why one should or shouldn’t buy an Ipad. If you want more examples so that you can build your own rhetorical analysis template, have a look at this essay on Nabokov’s Lolita and the one provided here about the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s writing instruction book “Bird by Bird”.

Analyzing the Text

When writing a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose the concepts or key points you think are relevant or want to address. Rather, you carefully read the text several times asking yourself questions like those listed in the last section on rhetorical situations to identify how the text “works” and how it was written to achieve that effect.

Start with focusing on the author : What do you think was their purpose for writing the text? Do they make one principal claim and then elaborate on that? Or do they discuss different topics? 

Then look at what audience they are talking to: Do they want to make a group of people take some action? Vote for someone? Donate money to a good cause? Who are these people? Is the text reaching this specific audience? Why or why not?

What tone is the author using to address their audience? Are they trying to evoke sympathy? Stir up anger? Are they writing from a personal perspective? Are they painting themselves as an authority on the topic? Are they using academic or informal language?

How does the author support their claims ? What kind of evidence are they presenting? Are they providing explicit or implicit warrants? Are these warrants valid or problematic? Is the provided evidence convincing?  

Asking yourself such questions will help you identify what rhetorical devices a text uses and how well they are put together to achieve a certain aim. Remember, your own opinion and whether you agree with the author are not the point of a rhetorical analysis essay – your task is simply to take the text apart and evaluate it.

If you are still confused about how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, just follow the steps outlined below to write the different parts of your rhetorical analysis: As every other essay, it consists of an Introduction , a Body (the actual analysis), and a Conclusion .

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The Introduction section briefly presents the topic of the essay you are analyzing, the author, their main claims, a short summary of the work by you, and your thesis statement . 

Tell the reader what the text you are going to analyze represents (e.g., historically) or why it is relevant (e.g., because it has become some kind of reference for how something is done). Describe what the author claims, asserts, or implies and what techniques they use to make their argument and persuade their audience. Finish off with your thesis statement that prepares the reader for what you are going to present in the next section – do you think that the author’s assumptions/claims/arguments were presented in a logical/appealing/powerful way and reached their audience as intended?

Have a look at an excerpt from the sample essay linked above to see what a rhetorical analysis introduction can look like. See how it introduces the author and article , the context in which it originally appeared , the main claims the author makes , and how this first paragraph ends in a clear thesis statement that the essay will then elaborate on in the following Body section:

Cory Doctorow ’s article on BoingBoing is an older review of the iPad , one of Apple’s most famous products. At the time of this article, however, the iPad was simply the latest Apple product to hit the market and was not yet so popular. Doctorow’s entire career has been entrenched in and around technology. He got his start as a CD-ROM programmer and is now a successful blogger and author. He is currently the co-editor of the BoingBoing blog on which this article was posted. One of his main points in this article comes from Doctorow’s passionate advocacy of free digital media sharing. He argues that the iPad is just another way for established technology companies to control our technological freedom and creativity . In “ Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (and Think You Shouldn’t, Either) ” published on Boing Boing in April of 2010, Cory Doctorow successfully uses his experience with technology, facts about the company Apple, and appeals to consumer needs to convince potential iPad buyers that Apple and its products, specifically the iPad, limit the digital rights of those who use them by controlling and mainstreaming the content that can be used and created on the device . 

Doing the Rhetorical Analysis

The main part of your analysis is the Body , where you dissect the text in detail. Explain what methods the author uses to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience. Use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the other key concepts we introduced above. Use quotations from the essay to demonstrate what you mean. Work out why the writer used a certain approach and evaluate (and again, demonstrate using the text itself) how successful they were. Evaluate the effect of each rhetorical technique you identify on the audience and judge whether the effect is in line with the author’s intentions.

To make it easy for the reader to follow your thought process, divide this part of your essay into paragraphs that each focus on one strategy or one concept , and make sure they are all necessary and contribute to the development of your argument(s).

One paragraph of this section of your essay could, for example, look like this:

One example of Doctorow’s position is his comparison of Apple’s iStore to Wal-Mart. This is an appeal to the consumer’s logic—or an appeal to logos. Doctorow wants the reader to take his comparison and consider how an all-powerful corporation like the iStore will affect them. An iPad will only allow for apps and programs purchased through the iStore to be run on it; therefore, a customer must not only purchase an iPad but also any programs he or she wishes to use. Customers cannot create their own programs or modify the hardware in any way. 

As you can see, the author of this sample essay identifies and then explains to the reader how Doctorow uses the concept of Logos to appeal to his readers – not just by pointing out that he does it but by dissecting how it is done.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

The conclusion section of your analysis should restate your main arguments and emphasize once more whether you think the author achieved their goal. Note that this is not the place to introduce new information—only rely on the points you have discussed in the body of your essay. End with a statement that sums up the impact the text has on its audience and maybe society as a whole:

Overall, Doctorow makes a good argument about why there are potentially many better things to drop a great deal of money on instead of the iPad. He gives some valuable information and facts that consumers should take into consideration before going out to purchase the new device. He clearly uses rhetorical tools to help make his case, and, overall, he is effective as a writer, even if, ultimately, he was ineffective in convincing the world not to buy an iPad . 

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetorical Analysis Essays 

What is a rhetorical analysis essay.

A rhetorical analysis dissects a text or another piece of communication to work out and explain how it impacts its audience, how successfully it achieves its aims, and what rhetorical devices it uses to do that. 

While argumentative essays usually take a stance on a certain topic and argue for it, a rhetorical analysis identifies how someone else constructs their arguments and supports their claims.

What is the correct rhetorical analysis essay format?

Like most other essays, a rhetorical analysis contains an Introduction that presents the thesis statement, a Body that analyzes the piece of communication, explains how arguments have been constructed, and illustrates how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section that summarizes the results of the analysis. 

What is the “rhetorical triangle”?

The rhetorical triangle was introduced by Aristotle as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience: Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, Ethos to the writer’s status or authority, and Pathos to the reader’s emotions. Logos, Ethos, and Pathos can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify what specific concepts each is based on.

Let Wordvice help you write a flawless rhetorical analysis essay! 

Whether you have to write a rhetorical analysis essay as an assignment or whether it is part of an application, our professional proofreading services feature professional editors are trained subject experts that make sure your text is in line with the required format, as well as help you improve the flow and expression of your writing. Let them be your second pair of eyes so that after receiving paper editing services or essay editing services from Wordvice, you can submit your manuscript or apply to the school of your dreams with confidence.

And check out our editing services for writers (including blog editing , script editing , and book editing ) to correct your important personal or business-related work.

• Writing Center
• Current Students
• Online Only Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Parents & Family
• Alumni & Friends
• Community & Business
• Student Life
• Video Introduction
• Become a Writing Assistant
• All Writers
• Graduate Students
• ELL Students
• Campus and Community
• Testimonials
• Encouraging Writing Center Use
• Incentives and Requirements
• Open Educational Resources
• How We Help
• Get to Know Us
• Conversation Partners Program
• Workshop Series
• Professors Talk Writing
• Computer Lab
• Starting a Writing Center
• A Note to Instructors
• Annotated Bibliography
• Literature Review
• Research Proposal
• Argument Essay

Rhetorical Analysis

Almost every text makes an argument. Rhetorical analysis is the process of evaluating elements of a text and determining how those elements impact the success or failure of that argument. Often rhetorical analyses address written arguments, but visual, oral, or other kinds of “texts” can also be analyzed. 

Rhetorical Features—What to Analyze

Asking the right questions about how a text is constructed will help you determine the focus of your rhetorical analysis. A good rhetorical analysis does not try to address every element of a text; discuss just those aspects with the greatest [positive or negative] impact on the text’s effectiveness. 

The Rhetorical Situation

Remember that no text exists in a vacuum. The rhetorical situation of a text refers to the context in which it is written and read, the audience to whom it is directed, and the purpose of the writer. 

The Rhetorical Appeals

A writer makes many strategic decisions when attempting to persuade an audience. Considering the following rhetorical appeals will help you understand some of these strategies and their effect on an argument. Generally, writers should incorporate a variety of different rhetorical appeals rather than relying on only one kind. 

Ethos (appeal to the writer’s credibility)

• What is the writer’s purpose (to argue, explain, teach, defend, call to action, etc.)?
• Do you trust the writer? Why?
• Is the writer an authority on the subject? What credentials does the writer have?
• Does the writer address other viewpoints?
• How does the writer’s word choice or tone affect how you view the writer?

Pathos (appeal to emotion or to an audience’s values or beliefs)

• Who is the target audience for the argument?
• How is the writer trying to make the audience feel (i.e., sad, happy, angry, guilty)?
• Is the writer making any assumptions about the background, knowledge, values, etc. of the audience?

Logos (appeal to logic)

• Is the writer’s evidence relevant to the purpose of the argument? Is the evidence current (if applicable)? Does the writer use a variety of sources to support the argument?
• What kind of evidence is used (i.e., expert testimony, statistics, proven facts)?
• Do the writer’s points build logically upon each other?
• Where in the text is the main argument stated? How does that placement affect the success of the argument?
• Does the writer’s thesis make that purpose clear?

Kairos (appeal to timeliness)

• When was the argument originally presented?
• Where was the argument originally presented?
• What circumstances may have motivated the argument?
• Does the particular time or situation in which this text is written make it more compelling or persuasive?
• What would an audience at this particular time understand about this argument?

Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

No matter the kind of text you are analyzing, remember that the text’s subject matter is never the focus of a rhetorical analysis. The most common error writers make when writing rhetorical analyses is to address the topic or opinion expressed by an author instead of focusing on how that author constructs an argument.

You must read and study a text critically in order to distinguish its rhetorical elements and strategies from its content or message. By identifying and understanding how audiences are persuaded, you become more proficient at constructing your own arguments and in resisting faulty arguments made by others.

A thesis for a rhetorical analysis does not address the content of the writer’s argument. Instead, the thesis should be a statement about specific rhetorical strategies the writer uses and whether or not they make a convincing argument.

Incorrect: Smith’s editorial promotes the establishment of more green space in the Atlanta area through the planting of more trees along major roads.

This statement is summarizing the meaning and purpose of Smith’s writing rather than making an argument about how – and how effectively – Smith presents and defends his position.

Correct: Through the use of vivid description and testimony from affected citizens, Smith makes a powerful argument for establishing more green space in the Atlanta area.

Correct: Although Smith’s editorial includes vivid descriptions of the destruction of green space in the Atlanta area, his argument will not convince his readers because his claim is not backed up with factual evidence.

These statements are both focused on how Smith argues, and both make a claim about the effectiveness of his argument that can be defended throughout the paper with examples from Smith’s text.

Introduction

The introduction should name the author and the title of the work you are analyzing. Providing any relevant background information about the text and state your thesis (see above). Resist the urge to delve into the topic of the text and stay focused on the rhetorical strategies being used.

Summary of argument

Include a short summary of the argument you are analyzing so readers not familiar with the text can understand your claims and have context for the examples you provide.

The body of your essay discusses and evaluates the rhetorical strategies (elements of the rhetorical situation and rhetorical appeals – see above) that make the argument effective or not. Be certain to provide specific examples from the text for each strategy you discuss and focus on those strategies that are most important to the text you are analyzing. Your essay should follow a logical organization plan that your reader can easily follow.

Go beyond restating your thesis; comment on the effect or significance of the entire essay. Make a statement about how important rhetorical strategies are in determining the effectiveness of an argument or text.

Analyzing Visual Arguments

The same rhetorical elements and appeals used to analyze written texts also apply to visual arguments. Additionally, analyzing a visual text requires an understanding of how design elements work together to create certain persuasive effects (or not). Consider how elements such as image selection, color, use of space, graphics, layout, or typeface influence an audience’s reaction to the argument that the visual was designed to convey.

This material was developed by the KSU Writing Center and is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . All materials created by the KSU Writing Center are free to use and can be adopted, remixed, and shared at will as long as the materials are attributed. Please keep this information on materials you adapt or adopt for attribution purposes. 

Contact Info

Kennesaw Campus 1000 Chastain Road Kennesaw, GA 30144

Marietta Campus 1100 South Marietta Pkwy Marietta, GA 30060

Campus Maps

Phone 470-KSU-INFO (470-578-4636)

kennesaw.edu/info

Media Resources

Resources For

Related Links

• Financial Aid
• Degrees, Majors & Programs
• Job Opportunities
• Campus Security
• Global Education
• Sustainability
• Accessibility

470-KSU-INFO (470-578-4636)

© 2024 Kennesaw State University. All Rights Reserved.

• Privacy Statement
• Accreditation
• Emergency Information
• Report a Concern
• Open Records
• Human Trafficking Notice

• Literary Terms
• Rhetorical Device
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write a Rhetorical Device

I. What is a Rhetorical Device?

A rhetorical device is any language that helps an author or speaker achieve a particular purpose (usually  persuasion , since rhetoric is typically defined as the art of persuasion). But “rhetorical device” is an extremely broad term, and can include techniques for generating emotion, beauty, and spiritual significance as well as persuasion.

II. Examples of Rhetorical Devices

Hyperbole is a word- or sentence-level rhetorical device in which the author exaggerates a particular point for dramatic effect. For example:

Berlin was flattened during the bombing.

Because the city was not literally left flat, this is an exaggeration, and therefore hyperbole. But it still helps express the author’s main point, which is that the city of Berlin was very severely damaged.

Analogy is an important device in which the explains one thing by comparing it to another. At the sentence level, this might be as simple as saying “my cat’s fur is as white as a cloud .” But analogies can also function at much higher levels, including paragraphs and whole essays . For example, you might argue against war by drawing an extended analogy between the war on terrorism and World War 2. The success of the whole argument would depend entirely on how well you could persuade readers to accept the analogy!

The counterargument is the most important rhetorical device for college-level essays. A counterargument is a response to your own view – for example, if you’re arguing in favor of an idea, the counterargument is one that goes against that idea. In order to make your own argument perspective, you have to acknowledge, analyze, and answer these counterarguments.

III. Types of Rhetorical Devices

Because the term is so broad, there are countless ways to categorize rhetorical devices. For example, we might group them by function: e.g. persuasive devices, aesthetic devices (for creating beauty), or emotional devices. We could also group them according to the types of writing they belong to: e.g. poetry vs. essays.

The clearest way to categorize, though, is probably by scale: that is, what level of the writing does each device affect?

A. Word Level

Before we even get to full sentences, there are many rhetorical devices that operate at the level of individual words or groups of words. For example, the “metonym” is a rhetorical device in which a part stands in for the whole. For example, you might say that a ship is staffed with “twenty hands,” where each hand stands in for a full human being.

B. Sentence Level

Most rhetorical devices operate at the sentence level. They affect the meaning of a sentence, or a chunk of a sentence. For example, parallelism is an important rhetorical device in which different parts of a sentence have the same grammatical structure: “I am disgusted by your methods , but impressed with your results .” Notice how each underlined portion has the same pattern of adjective, preposition, pronoun, and plural noun.

C. Paragraph Level

Paragraph-level rhetorical techniques are especially important in essays, where they help to signal the structure of the argument. One example would be the topic sentence. Topic sentences open the paragraph and introduce its main idea, which is then supported and explained in the body of the paragraph. This is one of the most important techniques for structuring paragraphs effectively.

D. Structural Level

Some rhetorical devices cover the whole structure of a piece of writing. For example, the 5-paragraph essay is a rhetorical device that many people learn in high school for structuring their essays. The five paragraphs involve an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This structure is rejected by many college-level writing instructors (and thus may be thought of as a bad rhetorical device), but it’s a rhetorical device nonetheless.

IV. The Importance of Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices are just like artistic techniques – they become popular because they work. For as long as human beings have been using language, we’ve been trying to persuade one another and evoke emotions. Over time, we’ve developed a huge variety of different techniques for achieving these effects, and the sum total of all such techniques is encapsulated in our modern lists of rhetorical techniques. Each rhetorical device has a different purpose, a different history, and a different effect!

V. Examples of Rhetorical Devices in Literature

“If we shadows have offended , think but this and all is mended : that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear .” (Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream )

This famous quote, like many of Shakespeare’s lines, employs rhyme and meter, the two most basic rhetorical devices in verse. Although not all poetry has rhyme or meter, most classical poems do, and these rhetorical devices were probably important in helping poets memorize their works and sing them in front of audiences.

The dialogue form is an important structural device used in philosophy and religious scriptures for thousands of years. By putting different arguments in the mouths of different characters , philosophers can present their readers with a broader range of possible views, thus bringing more nuance into the conversation. This device also allows philosophers to make their own arguments more persuasive by responding to the various counterarguments presented by characters in the dialogue.

VI. Examples of Rhetorical Devices in Popular Culture

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Ah, yes – Zorro! And where is he now, padre? Your masked friend? He hasn’t shown himself in 20 years!” (Don Rafael, The Mask of Zorro )

A rhetorical question is a question that the audience is not supposed to answer – either because the answer is obvious, or because the speaker is about to answer it for them. It’s one of the most common techniques in oratory (speeches) and essays. In this case, Don Rafael is using a rhetorical question to undermine the crowd’s confidence in Zorro, their legendary defender.

“The microphone explodes, || shattering the mold.” (Rage Against the Machine, Bulls on Parade )

The two vertical lines (||) represent a caesura , or pause. This is a common rhetorical device in poetry, but is also found in music. In the recording of the song, there’s a beat’s pause in between “explodes” and “shattering.”

VII. Related Terms

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion, either through speaking or writing. In ancient Greece, the concept of rhetoric was given huge cultural importance, and philosophers like Aristotle wrote whole books on rhetoric and the techniques of convincing others.

Today, people sometimes view rhetoric in a negative light (as when someone says of a politician’s speech that it was “all rhetoric and no substance”). But this is a shame, since we are very much in need of leaders who have mastered the art of persuasive reasoning and respectful argumentation. Rhetoric has fallen from its former place of honor, and perhaps this explains the lack of productive dialogue in our political arena, driven as it is by sound bites and personal attacks.

Figure of Speech

When a rhetorical device departs from literal truth, this is called a “figure of speech.” The most common figure of speech is a metaphor, in which one thing stands for another (e.g. “he unleashed a hurricane of criticism”). However, many rhetorical devices employ literal truth and therefore should not be thought of as figures of speech.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Reading Skills

Analyzing rhetorical devices.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: December 22, 2023

What We Review

Introduction

Welcome to an exciting exploration of rhetoric and its powerful tools, known as rhetorical devices. Rhetoric is the art of using language effectively to persuade and communicate. Rhetorical devices are like special tricks that speakers and writers use to make their messages more convincing and impactful. These techniques are crucial because they shape the way we understand what people say or write, whether it’s in old speeches and books or in things we see and hear today.

Understanding rhetorical devices is crucial for anyone looking to enhance their analytical skills, as it allows for a deeper understanding of how arguments are constructed and what makes them effective. This knowledge is not just academic; it’s a practical tool that can improve your critical thinking, reading, and writing abilities.

In this guide, we will delve into the most common rhetorical devices, break down why they’re used, and show you how to spot them in different texts. We’ll also explore the principles of ethos, pathos, and logos, which are the foundation of persuasive communication. To make these ideas come to life, we’ll analyze Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” a text that’s filled with rhetorical strategies.

Get ready to embark on a journey that will deepen your understanding of language and its incredible power to persuade, inform, and move people. Let’s begin by unlocking the secrets of rhetorical devices and their role in shaping compelling communication.

Why Is Rhetoric Important?

Rhetoric is a very old skill that goes back to ancient Greece, where thinkers like Aristotle first talked about it. It’s all about using language in a smart way to achieve different goals, like convincing, informing, entertaining, or motivating people. What makes it important is that you can use it in many different situations, whether you want to shape what people think about something or just talk to someone.

In today’s world, where we have a lot of information, knowing about rhetoric is super useful. It helps us make messages that are interesting and strong, and it also helps us look carefully at what others are saying and decide if it makes sense. Understanding rhetoric isn’t just about talking well; it’s also about listening carefully and being part of good conversations. It’s a basic skill for talking effectively, thinking carefully, and being an active member of society.

When we study rhetoric, we learn not only how to say things in a way that convinces others but also how to figure out when others are trying to convince us. This double skill is really important in today’s world, where there’s a lot of talking and sharing ideas. It helps us understand and take part in important discussions.

What are Rhetorical Devices?

Rhetorical devices are tools and techniques that writers, speakers, and everyday people use to make their messages more effective. These tools are important because they help us build strong arguments, stir up emotions, and make complex ideas easier to understand. They’re not just fancy tricks; they’re essential for good communication.

Rhetorical Devices Examples

Rhetorical devices are the tools used to enhance persuasion and understanding in communication. They can add clarity, depth, and emotional impact to your message. Here’s a look at some widely recognized and powerful rhetorical devices, each with its unique influence on the audience.

Ethos is all about making the person who’s talking or writing seem believable and trustworthy. It’s like showing that they know what they’re talking about and that they’re honest. When people do this, it helps convince others that they can be trusted. For instance, when a doctor talks about health, they might mention their medical degree to show that they really know what they’re talking about, and that way, people will trust what they say.

Pathos is when you try to make the people you’re talking to feel something. It’s about making a connection by sharing emotions, wants, or fears. When you make people feel something, it can really change how they think and what they do. For instance, think about a commercial for a sports brand. It might tell a story about an athlete who faced tough challenges and came out on top. This story can make you feel inspired and determined. When you feel that way, you start to like the brand because it gave you those good feelings. That’s how pathos works.

Logos is all about using logic and good reasoning. It means showing information like data, facts, or numbers to make a strong and clear argument. For example, imagine a climate activist who wants to convince people that we need to take care of the environment. They might use facts and statistics about how global temperatures are going up to logically explain why we should take action. This way, they’re using logos to make their point.

Metaphors and Similes

These devices compare one thing to another, often in a way that helps clarify complex ideas or make a message more memorable. A writer might say, “Injustice is a poison that corrupts society,” using a metaphor to liken injustice to poison to emphasize its harmful effects.

This involves deliberate exaggeration to emphasize a point or evoke strong feelings. For instance, a person might say, “I’ve told you a million times.” This hyperbole highlights their frustration or repeated efforts.

Repeating words, phrases, or ideas can reinforce a message and make it more memorable. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech is an excellent example of repetition. The phrase “I have a dream” is reiterated multiple times throughout the speech, powerfully underscoring his vision for equality and justice. Each repetition of this phrase reinforces his hopeful message and leaves a lasting impact on the audience

Identifying Rhetorical Devices in a Text

Recognizing rhetorical devices in text is an essential reading skill that deepens your understanding of how authors convey meaning and persuade their audience. Here’s how you can sharpen your ability to identify these devices as you read:

1. Familiarize Yourself with Common Devices

Start by building a strong foundation. Understand the definitions, purposes, and effects of common rhetorical devices like ethos, pathos, logos, metaphors, hyperbole, and repetition. Knowing what each device looks like and how it typically operates in text will prepare you to spot them more easily.

• Practice Tip: Create a reference chart of devices with definitions and examples. Refer to this chart as you read, and try to match passages with the relevant device. You can also refer to this handy list for a great starting point!

2. Read Actively and Critically

Engage with the text on a deeper level. As you read, be mindful of the author’s word choice, sentence structure, and the overall tone. Ask yourself why the author might have chosen a particular word or phrase and what effect it creates.

• Practice Tip: Highlight or note down sentences or passages where you suspect a rhetorical device is at play. Then, analyze why you think a device is used and what it’s achieving.

3. Look for Patterns and Anomalies

Rhetorical devices often manifest as patterns in the text. Repetition of words, phrases, or ideas; patterns in imagery or metaphors; or even a sudden change in tone or style can all be clues. Conversely, anomalies or deviations from the norm can also signal rhetorical emphasis.

• Practice Tip : As you read, mark recurring themes or language patterns. Consider how these repetitions or anomalies contribute to the text’s persuasive or emotional impact.

4. Consider the Context

Every text exists within a specific context that influences its content and style. Understand the historical, cultural, and personal background of the text. Consider the intended audience and the author’s purpose. This context can provide valuable clues about why certain rhetorical devices are used.

• Practice Tip: Before diving into a text, do a quick research on its background. As you read, keep the context in mind and think about how it might shape the choice of rhetorical devices.

5. Analyze the Structure

The organization of a text can reveal a lot about its rhetorical strategies. Look at the structure of arguments, the progression of ideas, and the placement of particularly persuasive or emotional sections.

• Practice Tip: Create an outline of the text’s structure as you read. Note where key devices appear and how they contribute to the overall argument or message.

By focusing on these specific reading strategies, you’ll become more adept at noticing and understanding the subtle ways authors use rhetorical devices to enhance their messages. Remember, like any skill, identifying rhetorical devices improves with regular practice and thoughtful engagement with a wide range of texts.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Rhetorical Devices

After you’ve identified rhetorical devices in a text, the next step is to analyze their effectiveness. This involves understanding not just how these devices are used, but why they’re used, and what impact they have on the audience. Here’s how you can approach this analysis:

1. Assess the Context

 Understanding when and where a piece of writing was created is key to knowing why the author used certain words or phrases. Think about the time period and the place it comes from. Also, consider who the author was speaking to and what was going on at that time. These details can help you understand why the writer chose to use certain language and how well it worked.

2. Evaluate the Purpose

Next, ask yourself what the writer wanted to achieve. Did they want to convince the readers, give them information, entertain them, or inspire them? Writers use different ways of speaking to reach their goals. By figuring out the writer’s main goal, you can better judge if they used the right approach and how effective it was.

3. Consider the Audience’s Reaction

4. check how the rhetorical devices fit in.

See how well the rhetorical devices fit into the writing. Do they blend in smoothly, or do they stick out awkwardly? When used well, these tools should make the writing better and clearer. If they don’t fit well, they might make the writing hard to understand or take away from the main point.

5. Think About Right and Wrong

Think about whether the language tools are used in a good and honest way. Are they used to share the truth and respect the readers, or are they used to trick or mislead them? Using these tools in the right way can make the writer seem more believable and trustworthy. But using them in the wrong way can make people doubt what the writer is saying.

6. Compare Other Texts

To put your analysis into perspective, compare the use of rhetorical devices in the text with their use in other well-known works. How are the strategies different? What makes some more effective than others? This comparative approach can deepen your understanding of rhetorical effectiveness.

7. Reflect on Personal Impact

Finally, think about your own reaction to the text. Were you persuaded, moved, or inspired? Your personal response can be a powerful indicator of the rhetorical devices’ effectiveness

By closely looking at these parts, you’ll learn more about how language tools work and what makes them good or not so good. This skill is useful for school and helps you think more about the different ways people talk and write in everyday life.

Analyzing Rhetorical Devices in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail ” by Martin Luther King, Jr

Analyzing rhetorical devices isn’t just an academic exercise; it’s a way to deepen your understanding of influential texts and the strategies that make them powerful. A prime example for this kind of analysis is Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an important text in the Civil Rights movement. Here’s how you can use this letter to practice your reading skills through rhetorical analysis:

Before you read “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” know the background. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote it in 1963 while he was in jail in Birmingham, Alabama. He was there because he was protesting for equal rights. He wrote the letter to respond to some church leaders who didn’t agree with his protests. Understanding this time and why King was in jail helps you see why he wrote what he did.

King wrote the letter to explain why he believed protesting against unfair laws was right and needed. He wanted to convince his critics and others that not fighting against racism was wrong. Knowing what King wanted to achieve with his letter helps you understand why he chose certain words and ways of explaining his thoughts.

Think about how the people King was writing to, the eight church leaders, and others might have felt when they read his letter. King used religious references and talked about moral issues because he thought these points would really hit home for them. Also, think about how others who were for or against equal rights at the time might have reacted to his words

4. Check How the Rhetorical Devices Fit It

Look at how King uses rhetorical devices in his letter.

Ethos (Credibility/Trustworthiness):

• King’s Role and Experience: King tells readers he’s the leader of an important group that works all over the south. He says, “I am the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.” This makes people see him as a leader with a lot of experience.
• Moral Standing: King talks about his strong beliefs and compares himself to people from the Bible to show he’s doing the right thing. He mentions famous religious figures, making people see him as someone with good values. He mentions, “Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their ‘thus saith the Lord’ far beyond the boundaries of their home towns…” highlighting the comparison between him and other religious figures the clergy would have respected.

Pathos (Emotional Appeal)

• The Pain and Struggle: King vividly describes the experiences of African Americans, evoking emotions to make the readers feel the urgency and pain of the racial situation.He talks about families being hurt and people living in fear.
• Hope and Despair: He contrasts the hope of the civil rights movement with the despair caused by racism, creating an emotional rollercoaster that compels the audience to empathize and act. He expresses, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

Logos (Logical Appeal)

• Reasons for Protests: King explains clearly why they need to protest. He says they’re protesting because promises are broken and people are treated unfairly. He makes it clear that they have to stand up for what’s right.
• Counterarguments: He thinks about what his critics say and answers them. For example, when people call him an “outsider,” he responds by saying, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This phrase emphasizes his right to be involved in these matters because injustice is a universal issue that needs to be addressed.
• Phrasal Repetition: King repeats certain phrases to make his message stronger. For instance, he starts many sentences with “When you” to show how often immoral actions happen to the African American community. This helps make his point clearer and stick in the reader’s mind.
• Anaphora (Repeating the start of sentences): He often starts sentences with the same words, like “I am here because,” to stress his reasons for being in Birmingham. This makes his reasons stand out and easier to remember.

Reflect on how King uses his words in a fair and honest way. He makes strong points about what’s morally right and wrong but does it respectfully. He’s not trying to trick anyone; he’s trying to show them the truth and get them to think differently about the situation.

6. Compare with Other Texts

Look at King’s letter and compare it with other important writings or speeches from the same time or even other works by King himself. Notice how they are similar or different in the way they try to convince and inspire people. This can help you understand more about how words can be used to make a big impact.

Lastly, think about how the letter makes you feel. Are there certain parts that stand out to you or make you feel strongly? Thinking about your own reactions can help you see just how powerful King’s words are and why they are still remembered and talked about today.

By looking closely at “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” you not only improve your ability to notice and analyze the rhetorical devices King uses but also grow to appreciate this powerful and important letter in a new way. This study will help you become a better reader who understands and thinks more about what you read, seeing beyond just the words on the page.

Practice Makes Perfect

Like any skill, proficiency in identifying and analyzing rhetorical devices comes with practice. It’s one thing to understand these strategies in theory, but it’s another to apply this knowledge actively and see it in action. That’s why we encourage you to take what you’ve learned here and put it into practice.

Albert provides many opportunities for you to practice these rhetorical analysis skills. Whether you want to improve before the AP® Language and Composition Exam or gain a deeper understanding of how authors used rhetoric in essential historic texts , Albert has you covered! Every question includes a detailed explanation of the correct answer and the distractors so you can learn as you go.

Remember, the more you practice, the more intuitive and insightful your rhetorical analysis will become. Rhetorical devices are not just academic concepts; they are practical tools that can enhance your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. So, take advantage of Albert’s resources, and start practicing today. With dedication and practice, you’ll soon find yourself mastering the art of persuasion and the nuances of effective communication.

Interested in a school license?​

Popular posts.

AP® Score Calculators

Simulate how different MCQ and FRQ scores translate into AP® scores

AP® Review Guides

The ultimate review guides for AP® subjects to help you plan and structure your prep.

Core Subject Review Guides

Review the most important topics in Physics and Algebra 1 .

SAT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall SAT® score

ACT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall ACT® score

Grammar Review Hub

Comprehensive review of grammar skills

AP® Posters

Download updated posters summarizing the main topics and structure for each AP® exam.

Rhetorical devices are techniques in writing and speech that try to persuade the audience. A rhetorical device uses language to shape ideas into arguments, convincing the reader through a plethora of literary strategies.

Why study rhetorical devices? Understanding how writers wield words to persuade you will help you read critically and carefully. And, if you’re a writer, a poet, a future lawyer, or even someone who writes a lot of emails, learning how to employ common rhetorical devices will help sharpen your writing style and skills. Familiarizing yourself with this article will help you learn how to identify rhetorical devices in literature.

But first, what are rhetorical devices? This article dives deep into the topic, with a full rhetorical devices list and ample examples from poetry, literature, and speech. This article is filled with inspiration, ideas, and strategies to fine tune your writing, so let’s dive in. What are rhetorical devices?

Common Rhetorical Devices List Contents:

• What are Rhetorical Devices?

Types of Rhetorical Devices

9 syntactic rhetorical devices list, 10 argumentative rhetorical devices list, 10 emphatic rhetorical devices list, 7 stylistic rhetorical devices list, what are rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical devices are literary strategies for persuading the audience. Through techniques involving syntax, style, emphasis, word choice , and appeals to the audience itself, the authors that employ rhetorical devices hope to convince you of a certain idea or argument.

What are rhetorical devices? They are literary strategies for persuading the audience.

It’s important to note that “rhetorical devices” is an open-ended term, because writers are always trying to convince you of something. The devices in this article pertain to strategies in the style and syntax of language itself. But, other literary devices , such as metaphors and onomatopoeias , can also be considered rhetorical, if employed rhetorically—that is, if they try to change your way of thinking. Even the elements of fiction , like setting and plot , want to persuade you to think in a certain way.

Nonetheless, this article focuses on common rhetorical devices employed in the art of argument. Before we look at these literary strategies, let’s examine the different types of rhetorical devices.

There aren’t any clear taxonomies for rhetorical devices, in part because the term itself is so open-ended. Rhetorical scholars certainly don’t try to taxonomize these devices, as language itself is so open-ended and can be employed in infinite ways. Nonetheless, to keep these devices organized, we use the following labels to categorize the different types of rhetorical devices:

• Rhetorical appeals —Devices that appeal directly to the reader’s feelings, thoughts, morals, and sense of time. You may have already heard of them: ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos.
• Syntactical devices —Devices that use sentence structures to communicate or simplify complex ideas.
• Argumentative rhetorical devices —Devices whose structures are conducive to the advancement of a certain argument.
• Emphatic rhetorical devices —Devices that underscore or emphasize certain ideas.
• Stylistic rhetorical devices —Devices that use word play and diction to advance an argument.

Let’s examine these 5 categories now, with a look at rhetorical devices examples in literature, poetry, and speech.

Rhetorical Appeals: Kairos, Ethos, Logos, Pathos Rhetorical Devices

The following common rhetorical devices appeal directly to the reader’s sensibilities. Do note: an appeal to ethos, for example, can also be an appeal to pathos. Many master rhetoricians will advance arguments that appeal to multiple sensibilities at the same time.

1. Kairos—Appeal to Time

Now is the time to use kairos!—a device that appeals directly to the audience’s sense of time.

Specifically, kairos is an appeal to immediacy, to a sense of “in this moment.” When employed ethically, kairos convinces the audience that we must act immediately for the better good. For example, Martin Luther King once said:

King’s call for radical optimism in the face of racism and oppression was a call to action: now is the time that we change our situation of segregation.

Of course, kairos can also be used unethically, in that it can encourage the audience to think about something uncritically. If I implored an audience that “now is the time to chop all the trees down,” and some audience members didn’t think about the effects of this statement, they might actually start deforesting the land around them.

Kairos creates a sense of urgency. Now is the time to act, to think, to hope, etc. The kairos rhetorical device also helps the speaker explain why they are speaking to the audience: Because it is the time for action , I am speaking to you now.

2. Ethos—Appeal to Ethics and Credibility

Ethos is a device which appeals to two different senses:

• The credibility of the speaker. Why should I trust this person’s arguments?
• The ethics of the argument. How can I trust the ethical good in this argument?

To see the ethos rhetorical device in action, let’s look at an excerpt of the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell , a novel filled with rhetorical devices examples. For reference, this novel is an allegorical representation of the rise of the U.S.S.R., and the below excerpt implores the animals on the farm to overthrow the farmers and establish an equitable, self-governing system. Appeals to ethos are bolded.

“Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. But I will come to the dream later. I have something else to say first. I do not think, comrades, that I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I die, I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have acquired. I have had a long life, I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living . It is about this that I wish to speak to you.

“Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.

“But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate is good, it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it. This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep—and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.”

The first paragraph demonstrates an appeal to character. The speaker, Old Major, tells the audience he is trustworthy because he has lived a long life, and he wishes to pass on his wisdom. (There is also an appeal to kairos here, because Old Major tells the animals he has not long to live, and needs to tell them this information now .)

The second and third paragraphs appeal to the ethics of the audience. Paragraph two demonstrates the awful conditions of the farm. The animals are, quite literally, worked to death, and they receive no share in the profits of the farm. But the animals do not deserve this: they can imagine a farm that supports a large population, each animal living “in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining.” Why not strive for this level of prosperity?

Words like “comfort” and “dignity” reinforce the ethics of Old Major’s argument. These ideas are benchmarks for the pig’s ideas, since the audience will now be considering how to construct a world that preserves each individual’s comfort and dignity. It also lends credibility to Old Major himself, who seeks, above all, to better the lives of the animals long after he has died himself.

3. Logos—Appeal to Logic

Logos employs reason or logic to convince the audience of a certain argument. Logos will often be the backbone of an argument, particularly among rhetoricians who have actually thought through the logic of the ideas they’re advancing. (If an argument relies too heavily on pathos or kairos, that argument will often be poorly thought through, or else be trying to achieve nefarious ends.)

There are two primary forms of logos: inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning.

• Inductive Reasoning: Drawing predictions from specific claims. For example, a specific claim might be “I have to wear a scarf every winter.” To make this a predictions, you might say “This winter, I will also wear a scarf.”
• Deductive Reasoning: Drawing specific conclusions from general claims. For example, a general claim might be “All birds have feathers.” To take this to a specific conclusion, you might note that “an emu has feathers. Therefore, an emu is a bird.” (This is also an example of syllogism, which we define later in the article.)

Another way to think about this: inductive reasoning makes predictions based on existing data, whereas deductive reasoning makes conclusions based on existing data. Both forms of argument are valid in different ways, and both are equally prone to being false or manipulated.

The use of facts and figures is also the use of logos, although logos itself is logical argument. In other words, simply writing “studies show” is not an appeal to logos, as the writer must explain how their argument is supported by the data.

Here’s an example of the logos rhetorical device, from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee . For reference, Atticus is a lawyer trying to prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of assaulting Mayella Ewell.

[Atticus] You’re a strong girl, what were you doing all the time, just standing there?”

[Mayella] “I told’ja I hollered’n‘kicked’n’fought—”

Atticus reached up and took off his glasses, turned his good right eye to the witness, and rained questions on her. Judge Taylor said, “One question at a time, Atticus. Give the witness a chance to answer.”

“All right, why didn’t you run?”

“Tried to? What kept you from it?”

“I—he slung me down. That’s what he did, he slung me down’n got on top of me.”

“You were screaming all this time?”

“I certainly was.”

“Then why didn’t the other children hear you? Where were they? At the dump? Where were they?”

“Why didn’t your screams make them come running? The dump’s closer than the woods, isn’t it?”

“Or didn’t you scream until you saw your father in the window? You didn’t think to scream until then, did you?”

“Did you scream first at your father instead of at Tom Robinson? Was that it?”

“Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?”

“What did your father see in the window, the crime of rape or the best defense to it? Why don’t you tell the truth, child, didn’t Bob Ewell beat you up?”

Atticus uses deductive reasoning here to demonstrate that Mayella’s bruises came from her father, not from Tom Robinson. Logically speaking, if Tom was the one assaulting her, she would have screamed, and wouldn’t someone have heard? Tried to get Tom off of her?

By canceling out all other possible scenarios, Atticus deduces that, because no one came to Mayella’s rescue, her story about being assaulted by Tom is fake, because the source of her bruises is actually her father.

Note: When appeals to logic are false or poorly argued, they are often logical fallacies .

4. Pathos—Appeal to Feeling

Pathos is an appeal to the feelings of the audience. The author employs pathos when the writing tries to evoke a particular emotion, especially for the purposes of advancing an argument.

Pathos is a common facet of all literature, since literature tries to connect the reader to our greater shared humanity. This can only happen on the levels of the symbolic : images, feelings, and the like.

In argument, politics, and the court of law, the pathos rhetorical device certainly helps win the audience over to a certain idea or position. That said, pathos is a very easy device to abuse. When the writing focuses on evoking strong emotions from the reader, particularly without the backing of research and credibility, then the author likely wants to persuade you without evidence. Pathos-heavy writing is the stuff of conspiracy theories, extremism, and propaganda. (See also: logical fallacies.)

We won’t dive into all nuances of pathos—that’s a different article for a different day. But let’s see pathos in action through the poem “It’s What Happens, Sometimes, in October” by Angel Gonzalez :

When nothing occurs, and summer is gone, and leaves start to fall off the trees, and the cold rusts the edges of rivers, and slows down the flow of waters;

when the sky seems a violent sea, and birds swap landscapes, and words sound more and more distant, like whispers strewn by the wind;

then, as you know, it’s what happens:

those leaves, birds, clouds, strewn words and rivers, fill us with sudden restlessness and despair.

Don’t seek the cause in your hearts. It is merely what I said: what happens.

Through both natural imagery and appeals to the reader’s emotions, this poem evokes the sense of “restlessness and despair” that one sometimes feels in the peak of autumn. Of course, don’t just let the poem tell you how to feel: immerse yourself in its images, its windswept chill and “strewn words and rivers.” This poem doesn’t ask us to feel any particular way about autumn, only to observe the feelings that arise in us, which are simply “what happens” in October.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to draw attention to a certain idea by playing with sentence structure. The English language can be toyed with in many different ways, and master rhetoricians know how to use syntax to their advantage through the following devices.

5. Anacoluthon—Interruptions in Grammatical Flow

An anacoluthon occurs when the writer employs different grammatical structures in the same sentence. This device is a grammatical discontinuity —the syntax of the sentence changes, often alongside an abrupt change in topic.

Both poets and rhetoricians use this device to highlight important ideas. Poets, and prose poets in particular, will use the device to replicate the disjointed nature of thoughts, as our brains naturally think and feel incoherently.

Here’s an example of anacoluthon, from our accomplished instructor Barbara Henning ( Retrieved from Posit ):

When I woke up, I was in the wrong place, holding a blooming dandelion in my hand.

I knew there was something wrong when I completely forgot the script so clearly encoded under my forehead.

The rush of spirit retreated through a pinhole and dropped me back in this square room with thunder and the sound of heavy metal.

On the other side of the window the microwave beeped. A door slammed. The tv was on automatic shut off.

The computer, some kind of advance on cuneiform writing was flashing the figure of a fish.

A drawing by Dr. Freud in 1878 of the neurons in a spinal ganglion. Through the pinhole of that glassy eye—

Dr. Agassiz made his student learn the truth about fish— and I put my ear to a conch shell.

The sound of a distant oceanic voice— “What is there is there. And that is that.”

Some poignant anacolutha occur at the ends of the final two stanzas. These interruptions in thought bring the reader to what is most important in the poem. Barbara’s poetry frequently finds insight through careful attention to the natural and the now; by bringing the reader back to the present through the image of the conch shell, the poem tries to remind us of the nature of things, of the complicated simplicity of the present.

6. Antithesis—Parallel Juxtaposition of Opposite Ideas

Antithesis refers to the placement of differing ideas side by side using parallel structure, with the intent of comparing and contrasting those ideas. It relies on two key concepts in writing: parallelism and juxtaposition .

A lot of common phrases in the English language rely on antithesis. You may have recently heard one of the following phrases:

• Go big or go home
• Get busy living or get busy dying
• No pain, no gain
• No guts, no glory
• If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail
• Out of sight, out of mind
• Hope for the best; prepare for the worst
• Easy come, easy go

Well written antitheses lodge themselves in the brain, laying out complex ideas in simple sentences. A lot of idioms and proverbs rely on this device. So do rhetoricians: see the below excerpt from Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” :

This excerpt shows a clean cause and effect, utilizing the power of antithesis to honor the Union soldiers that died for the nation’s survival.

7. Asyndeton—Absence of Conjunctions

A writer employs asyndeton when they don’t use conjunctions to separate clauses. This has the effect of making the sentence move quicker, while also making the sentence feel sharp and directed.

For example:

With conjunctions (polysyndeton): Swift and concise and pointed, the sentence makes you think and moves your heart and compels you to action.

Without conjunctions (asyndeton): Swift, concise, pointed, the sentence makes you think, moves your heart, compels you to action.

Notice how the flow and feel of the sentence changes with the inclusion of “and” in place of commas? The example of polysyndeton actually feels a little overwhelming. Later in this article, we’ll look at proper uses of polysyndeton.

Here’s an example of asyndeton from Othello (I.i) by William Shakespeare:

Asyndeton can also refer to a lack of conjunctions between sentences, as in the above excerpt.

8. Hypallage—Syntactic and Semantic Split in a Modifier

Hypallage occurs when the author uses a modifier (usually a single adjective) to describe something semantically, rather than syntactically.

Okay, that’s a tough sentence to parse. Let me give you an example right away, from “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen :

So, the word “clumsy” is modifying the word “helmets.” This is occurring on a syntactic level. However, “clumsy” isn’t describing the helmets, it’s actually describing the boys fumbling to put them on during World War I.

In other words, there’s a split between the modifier’s syntactic and semantic meanings. (You can also argue that “helmets” is being used as a synecdoche to describe the boys themselves.)

Some phrases in the English lexicon naturally use hypallage. If you have a “restless night,” it’s not the night that was restless, it was you restless during the night.

Hypallage helps make an idea more concise, and it also builds an interesting visual link between two ideas. What does a clumsy helmet look like? We can almost see the boys struggling to put their helmets on, without the author having to say “the boys donned their helmets clumsily.”

9. Hyperbaton—Inverted Word Order

One of the common rhetorical devices, hyperbaton is!

A hyperbaton occurs when the writer writes a sentence in an unusual order, in order to emphasize the most salient aspect of the sentence. It is also called anastrophe. Rhetoricians may use this device for emphasis, and poets will certainly use it to preserve the rhythm and flow of a poem’s line. In formal poetry , such as the works of Shakespeare, hyperbaton makes it easier for the poem to retain its meter, like iambic pentameter.

Here are a few rhetorical devices examples using hyperbaton:

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe :

Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare :

“anyone lived in a pretty how town” by E. E. Cummings :

anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

Women and men(both little and small) cared for anyone not at all they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew autumn winter spring summer) that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf she laughed his joy she cried his grief bird by snow and stir by still anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones laughed their cryings and did their dance (sleep wake hope and then)they said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon (and only the snow can begin to explain how children are apt to forget to remember with up so floating many bells down )

one day anyone died i guess (and noone stooped to kiss his face) busy folk buried them side by side little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep and more by more they dream their sleep noone and anyone earth by april wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding) summer autumn winter spring reaped their sowing and went their came sun moon stars rain

For this last example, pay attention to how hyperbaton preserves the flow of the poem, and how it creates a sense of mystery. Cummings was a master of using language not to impart direct communication, but to create senses, mysteries, and feelings in the text.

10. Hypotaxis—Hierarchical Sentence Structure

Before we explain hypotaxis, a brief grammar refresher might prove helpful.

The components of a sentence are clauses and phrases. A clause is a part of a sentence that has a noun and a verb; sometimes, a clause is a complete sentence. A phrase is a group of words without a complete noun-verb pairing, such as the verb phrase “will be writing.” (There’s no noun.)

A subordinate clause is a clause that has a noun and a verb, but cannot stand on its own as a sentence. This is because the clause is modifying another part of the sentence. The bolded portion of the following sentence is subordinate: “I cannot use rhetorical devices, although I try very hard to. ”

Now, to hypotaxis. A hypotactic sentence is one that has dependent, or subordinate, clauses. This creates a hierarchical relationship in the sentence: the most important part of the sentence is the clause that can exist independently, while the subordinate clauses, which are less important, still modify and sharpen the message of the sentence.

Here’s an example—from Simone Weil’s Waiting for God . The sentences containing hypotaxis are bolded.

In the bolded sentences, take note of which is the main clause, and which clauses are subordinate. Notice how this makes the main clause the most important aspect of the sentence, creating a hierarchy of information, and a sense of relationships between different interconnected ideas.

Notice, also, how this passage has a mix of complex and simple sentences. Too much hypotaxis will prove much harder to read and comprehend.

The opposite of hypotaxis is parataxis.

11. Parataxis—Equally Weighted Sentence Components

In opposition to hypotaxis, parataxis is the use of equally weighted sentences or clauses in succession to one another. Parataxis requires short, simple sentences and clauses. You can identify this device by an absence of subordinating conjunctions—words that make a clause subordinate, like “although” or “because” or “if.”

Parataxis plays an important role in the following excerpt from Sula , by Toni Morrison:

The sequence of nouns (written using asyndeton) all blur together in one long list of things that don’t belong to Shadrack (the subject of this excerpt). Parataxis makes this sentence quick and even overwhelming, as the reader is immersed in Shadrack’s poverty upon leaving the military hospital he was confined to for so long.

Parataxis plays an equally interesting role in the below prose poem by Barbara Henning. Prose poets often employ parataxis as it resembles the disjointed nature of thought.

With a Bang

Many of the items in this prose poem are equally weighted, allowing the poem to represent the honest, fast-moving nature of human thought and experience. It is up to the reader to understand and interpret the many different items and ideas juxtaposed in this piece.

12. Polysyndeton—Succession of Coordinating Conjunctions

Polysyndeton is the opposite of asyndeton. A sentence with polysyndeton uses coordinating conjunctions (usually “and,” sometimes “or” or “nor”) to join a series of clauses, which serves to quicken the pace of the sentence itself.

Polysyndeton is prominent in these first two stanzas from the poem “It’s What Happens, Sometimes, in October” by Angel Gonzalez:

The repeating “ands” quicken the pace of the poem, reflecting the way the seasons change swiftly in October. They also help create rhythm and tension in the language of the poem itself.

13. Synesis—“Sense” Over Syntax

A synesis occurs when a sentence lacks grammatical agreement, for the purpose of highlighting an agreement in “sense.”

This is easier demonstrated than defined. See the below excerpt from Shakespeare’s King Lear :

“Revenges,” here, is grammatically incorrect. The word should be singular, because it should agree, grammatically and syntactically, with “I.” One does not typically carry out “revenges,” and it’s actually rare to see that word in the plural.

But, in this instance, it is correct logically. Lear is promising revenge on two people, and he might even be promising a different kind of revenge on each person. So, while the sentence is wrong in grammar, it is correct in sense. 

This break in grammar also highlights the word breaking grammatical rules. Our attention is drawn to “revenges”, and so, the idea of revenge is highlighted and heightened in the text.

Synesis is considered a form of anacoluthon. Like anacoluthon, synesis reflects the ways that we naturally communicate to one another. King Lear’s syneses and anacolutha sound true to his character, as these devices feel disjointed, much like a man blind with anger might speak.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to convince the audience of something. Some of these devices are earnest, sincere, and logical; others are more manipulative.

14. Accismus—Feigned Indifference

What? No! I don’t want that thing (which I actually secretly really desperately want).

Accismus is a form of irony in which the speaker pretends not to desire something that they actually desire. They might do this so as not to scare off the person offering it, or to conceal that their entire motivation rests on this one thing.

For example, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (I.ii), Caesar pretends not to want the crown of Rome:

Caesar at first refuses the crown before accepting, so that the people of Rome don’t catch on to the fact that this crown is the only thing he wants . Were they to know this, the people might realize that Caesar is power hungry and tyrannical.

15. Anecdote—Story-Based Evidence

An anecdote is a short, pithy story, utilized to demonstrate a key point in an argument. Anecdotes are often funny, but can be serious, too.

The teller of the anecdote must not get too lost in the story that they lose track of their own argument; but they must also demonstrate their point clearly and emphatically.

We use anecdotes all the time, making this one of the more common rhetorical devices in this list. Here’s an example, from Timothy Donnelly’s poem “All Through the War” ( in New England Review ):

I said to my daughter on the phone: Be an honest person,

just be an honest person. Be honest, be honest, be honest. Some days I can’t believe what it means to be alive some days. Some days I think about tearing myself apart but not exactly

with pleasure. Some days I know the strongest feeling is grief but I believe it must be love: it has to be, has to be, has to. Some days I feel each cell in my body has its fingers crossed.

The first two lines in this excerpt are an example of the anecdote rhetorical device, with the following lines furthering the argument of the poem. The speaker demonstrates exactly what he means by being honest, sharing thoughts that are both radically intimate and deeply heartfelt.

When an anecdote is moral in nature, it is sometimes referred to as an “exemplum.”

16. Antanagoge—Deflection by Counter Allegation

An antanagoge refers to a deflection in which, instead of answering a question or defending a point, the speaker makes a counter allegation.

For example, if I charged you with “eating all the Oreos,” you might reply that I “ate all the pecan pie last week.” (It’s true; I did.)

Antanagoge can also be employed syntactically. If you raise a claim and then answer that claim with an opposing sentiment, you have used antanagoge. For example, the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The first clause is negative, the responding clause is positive.

17. Aporia—Feigned Uncertainty

An aporia occurs when the writer expresses uncertainty or doubt, with the intention of raising a certain argument and exploring it. This uncertainty is usually feigned, as the writer pretends to be uncertain so that they can enumerate their argument and ideas.

A famous example of this is Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech:

By frequently calling into question her own womanhood, Sojourner Truth highlights the blinding effects of racism—how Black women don’t get to have the same rights, privileges, and freedoms of white women, perhaps because no one even views them as women. This speech was quite provocative, and quite effective, for its time—delivered at the 1851 Woman’s Convention in Akron, Ohio, in the midst of rising racial tension and conversations about abolishing slavery.

Aporia is also a concept in philosophy, referring to irresolvable knots or logical impasses in a text.

18. Bdelygmia—Litany of Insults

Despite its weird and satisfying spelling, bdelygmia describes something neither weird nor satisfying: insults.

Specifically, bdelygmia is a litany of insults directed towards an opponent or someone with opposing ideas. It is sometimes called abominatio, is always a form of ad hominem , and it uses strong language to appeal to pathos.

At its cutest, bdelygmia is levied against the perceived antagonist of a story, such as this excerpt from How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss:

The list of insults (using asyndeton, no less!) compels the reader to believe that the Grinch, for lack of a better word, sucks. This has a strong influence on the reader, as it tinges the way they view the Grinch’s place in the story, and it also moves the reader when the Grinch comes around to Christmas.

At its ugliest, bdelygmia is the stuff of internet discourse and political rhetoric. If someone is casting a litany of insults towards their opposition, recognize that this is an abuse of rhetoric, and that no substantial argument is being levied. Bdelygmia is what incites hate groups, political polarization, cyberbullying, and all sorts of intentionally hurtful discourse. Don’t fall for it!

19. Enthymeme—Deductive Reasoning With an Unstated Premise

In our section on the Logos rhetorical device, we explain that deductive reasoning follows a series of premises to reach a conclusion. For example:

• Rhetorical devices use language to persuade the audience.
• Amplification is a rhetorical device.
• Amplification uses language to persuade the audience.

In other words, A = B, and B = C, so A must equal C. (This is a syllogism, which we define later in this article.)

An enthymeme uses deductive reasoning without stating one of the premises. This is because the unstated premise is obvious to the reader. If we remove that first premise, then we get:

You don’t need to be told that rhetorical devices use language to persuade the audience; so, this enthymeme implies that premise. The reader trusts that you already know this basic concept. Using enthymeme conveys trust in the audience, which can help build ethos. It also lets the writer build more concise arguments.

20. Hypophora—Raising and Answering a Question

What can learning about common rhetorical devices do for your writing? Everything.

Also known as antipophora or anthypophora, hypophora is when the writer asks a question and immediately answers it. This rhetorical strategy allows the writer to raise a new topic, and it also invites the audience to participate in the work, since asking questions (even rhetorical questions) makes the audience feel engaged.

A hypophora occurs at the end of the poem “When she told me” by Jean Valentine:

When she told me over the phone you died I lay down and cried, “Don’t you stop loving me.”

In the West Side Market, I heard your voice from the ceiling say out loud to me, I love you.

In the park, to a chestnut tree, to the light through hundreds of leaves, I said, I love you.

It was you. And it was my life, run, to what,

—you closer than touch. 

21. Procatalepsis—Raising and Responding to Rebuttal

I know what you’re going to say. Rhetorical devices? Who needs those?

Procatalepsis is the act of raising a possible rebuttal to your argument, in order to address it right away. It strengthens the argument by addressing criticism and predicting what the opponent might say. As long as that rebuttal is properly addressed, this device can greatly enhance the ethos of an argument. Like hypophora, procatalepsis can also create surprising transitions in literary texts.

Frederick Douglass used procatalepsis in his 1846 “Appeal to the British People.” See below:

Douglass raises and rebuts the argument that he should confine his efforts to the United States. By connecting his plight to humanity’s plight, Douglass not only crafts an effective argument, but also boosts his appeal to ethos and pathos.

22. Reductio ad Absurdum—Taking an Argument to its Absurd Extreme

Reductio ad absurdum is a Latin phrase meaning “Reducing to the point of absurdity.” It is a means of arguing that a certain position is actually absurd. This is one of the operating mechanisms of satire, because it takes an argument to its logical extreme, demonstrating the futility and absurdity of that argument.

At its simplest, reductio ad absurdum simply explains why an argument is incorrect. For example:

The sun cannot orbit the Earth. Otherwise, the Earth would be 1,000,000 times the size of the sun!

At its more complex, reductio ad absurdum pokes fun at the absurdity of the ways we think and act. Satirist Jonathan Swift makes fun of the ways women prepare themselves in his poem “The Ladies’ Dressing Room”:

Five hours, (and who can do it less in?) By haughty Celia spent in dressing; The goddess from her chamber issues, Arrayed in lace, brocades and tissues…

Her ointments, daubs, and paints and creams, Her washes, slops, and every clout Such order from confusion sprung, Such gaudy tulips raised from dung.

The details and imagery here, as well as the mention that Celia spends five hours getting ready, makes Celia’s actions seem simply absurd.

Reductio ad absurdum can become a logical fallacy if it misinterprets the premise of an argument, or else doesn’t show a clear cause and effect between a premise and its logical extreme. Use this device wisely, logically, and convincingly.

23. Syllogism—If A=B, and B=C, Then A=C

If rhetorical devices help strengthen your writing, and syllogism is one of the common rhetorical devices, then a syllogism must strengthen your writing!

A syllogism is the base structure of deductive reasoning—the means by which specific claims are drawn from general knowledge. It follows the template “If A equals B, and B equals C, then A must equal C.”

Shakespeare, of course, master poet and rhetorician that he was, used syllogism in The Life of Timon of Athens .

FLAVIUS. “Have you forgot me, sir?”

TIMON. “Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men; Then, if thou grant’st thou’rt a man, I have forgot thee.”

Of course, employing a syllogism does not mean that the argument holds true. One of the claims A or B could prove incorrect, or else not encompass the full truth. This results in a faulty syllogism, or the syllogism fallacy. For example:

• All cats have four legs.
• A zebra has four legs.
• Therefore, a zebra is a cat.

While both claims A and B are generally true, they don’t encompass the full truth, because cats are not the only category of animals with four legs.

When a syllogism is employed with one claim instead of two (A = B, therefore A = C), that’s known as enthymeme, which is defined elsewhere in this article.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to emphasize a certain idea. Many of these devices take ideas to their logical extreme, or else use repetition to make an argument stick.

24. Adynaton—Extreme Hyperbole

A hyperbole is an exaggeration. Adynaton is an extreme exaggeration—a hyperbole so out there that it’s beyond impossible. An adynaton might be employed for comic effect, or it might be evidence of the speaker’s extreme feelings.

Here’s an example: the poem “The Cow Speaks to the Child” by Evan Gill Smith :

There’s no me without you, says the cow in the sunlight being looked at, being drawn by the child with crayons.

Is the hill an almond? the child wants to know. Is life irrefutable?

The start of ‘me’ is the start of the ending of ‘you.’ See that hole in your sock where the cold can get through?

The child’s toe sticks through the hole now.

Some philosophers grow ulcers from eating loneliness. There’s not much we know.

The cow’s tongue smacks its lips.

The child fills in its spots with blue crayon and silence. A dragonfly or not.

The line “some philosophers grow ulcers from eating loneliness” can be considered adynaton, as philosophers cannot actually eat loneliness. The idea of growing ulcers from eating loneliness is certainly out there . Of course, this line is metaphorical, and it’s doing excellent work by making the abstract physical. But it’s also a great example of how to use adynaton, because the line is so surprising to the reader, and stands out so clearly from the rest of the piece, that it sticks with the reader long after they’ve finished the poem.

25. Amplification—Drawing Attention to Ideas

The amplification rhetorical device uses superfluous words, embellishments, and unnecessary additions to draw attention towards a particular idea which might otherwise escape the reader’s attention. (That sentence is one example!)

Sometimes, a concise, abruptly worded sentence might not convey what it intends to. The language itself is functional, but the sentence is so short, or so dense, that the reader won’t get it. Amplification ensures that the reader grasps the entirety of what the author believes to be a highly important idea.

Here’s an example, from The Twits by Roald Dahl . The amplifications have been bolded, so you can see how they’re highlighting the core idea.

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

Notice how the bolded additions aren’t adding anything “new” to the original ideas, but they help demonstrate, through imagery and example, a necessary concept for the reader to understand.

Be careful with this device. Err on the side of concision , unless you’re certain that the reader must slow down and sit with the idea(s) in the writing.

26. Antiphrasis—Using Words Opposite of Their Meanings

Antiphrasis is the use of words to mean the opposite of their dictionary definitions. For example, if you fell down on the asphalt, and I said “Nice going, ballerina!”, that would be antiphrasis—I do not think that was “nice going,” and I certainly don’t think you’re a ballerina.

Antiphrasis is the operating mechanism for things like irony, sarcasm, satire , and sometimes even euphemism and litotes. (We define euphemism in our article on dialogue ; litotes appears elsewhere in this article.)

Among rhetorical devices, antiphrasis helps writers emphasize what they mean by making the reader think. When the reader realizes that the words being used are opposite to what the writer means, the time spent thinking about those words makes them stick in the reader’s head.

Of course, antiphrasis can also be used as a weapon. It’s not a very kind device to use, so use it wisely and sparingly.

27. Asterismos—Calling Attention With Introductory Words

Behold , rhetorical devices! Asterismos is when you call attention to an idea with an introductory word or phrase. Behold! Alas! Hark! Listen. Hey…. Notice, I say to you!

We use asterismos all the time in daily conversation, and you might notice it used when writers try to capture colloquial speech in their work. Here’s one example, from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :

Asterismos won’t do much for the arguments in your writing. But, this device helps keep the audience’s attention, and it can clue them into something important that’s about to occur in the text.

28. Litotes—The Rhetorical Double Negative

These common rhetorical devices are not bad !

A litotes is a double negative for rhetorical emphasis. It is a form of pleonasm (defined elsewhere in this article) because it requires the addition of extra words to convey a certain point. By expressing something positive using a double negative, the writer makes the audience think a little harder, adding weight behind the feeling that the double negative expresses.

Here are some common expressions in the English vernacular that use Litotes:

• I don’t hate it.
• I can’t disagree.
• Not uncommon.
• Hardly difficult.
• It has not gone unnoticed.
• It’s not the worst!

And, here are a couple rhetorical devices in poetry involving litotes:

He hath not fail’d to pester us with message Importing the surrender of those lands Lost by his father, with all bands of law, To our most valiant brother. So much for him.— Hamlet (I.ii) by William Shakespeare

“To not harm each other is not enough. I want you

so much that you have no before .” —Our instructor Caitlin Scarano , out of their collection The Necessity of Wildfire .

Litotes is considered a form of meiosis, defined below.

29. Meiosis—Witty Understatement

A meiosis gives the impression that something is less important than it actually is. This understatement creates dramatic effect, because the reader knows that the thing described actually has profound importance. Understatement is considered a form of hyperbole.

In Romeo and Juliet , Mercutio offers several examples of meiosis during his death scene:

(after being stabbed) MERCUTIO. Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough. Where is my page? Go villain, fetch a surgeon.

ROMEO. Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

MERCUTIO. No, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o’ both your houses. Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death. A braggart, a rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic!—Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.

As with other rhetorical devices where what’s said differs from what’s meant, meiosis makes the reader slow down and think about what’s being spoken. The ironic dissonance between what’s said and what’s meant emphasizes the true meanings of the words themselves.

30. Metanoia—Immediate Self-Correction

Rhetorical devices are great—no, amazing!

When a writer backtracks or modifies something they just wrote, they use the device metanoia. This is not erasing and rewriting something—it is acknowledging the thing just written, and correcting it with a new, more accurate meaning. This immediate self-correction emphasizes the correction itself, making it stick in the reader’s brain.

Additionally, metanoia mimics the way that we talk in real life. Employing rhetorical devices like this tactically can help build trust and ethos with the audience.

Metanoia can be used to strengthen an argument, soften it, or make it more precise.

Here’s an example of the device, from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitgerald:

The narrator’s self-correction indicates that he knows things now that he did not know before. Thus, this metanoia is also an example of foreshadowing , because it suggests we are about to learn much more about the owner of this mansion.

31. Paralipsis—Performative Refusal to Speak on a Topic

I will not bring up the importance of rhetorical devices in literature, so don’t ask me to talk about it!

Paralipsis is a form of raising a topic by pretending not to want to speak on that topic. In everyday speech, you might say something like “I can’t stand my mother-in-law’s perfume. Not to mention her drinking problem…”

That “not to mention” reveals the thing that you actually want to mention the most. Paralipsis is a form of irony and antiphrasis, because it’s emphasizing the thing that the writer pretends not to want emphasized.

This example comes from “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift:

Swift’s satirical essay argues that the Irish should start eating their 1 year old children to stave off famine and boost their economy. It is, of course, not a serious argument, because Swift is actually mocking the inability of the British to care for the Irishman’s plight. The above quote adds to the satire, because Swift is pretending like the other solutions aren’t worth anyone’s time, when in fact they are the solutions for helping Ireland.

32. Overstatement—Intentional Exaggeration

Rhetorical devices are the only way to make your writing sharp.

Not really. While rhetorical devices are powerful strategies for your writing, they’re not the only way to sharpen it. That was an overstatement—a device in which the writer intentionally exaggerates something to illustrate a point. While overstatements often add a sense of humor to the writing, poets in particular might use this device for strong, evocative emotions and imagery.

Here’s an example, from the poem “100 Bells” by Tarfia Faizullah (which also has great examples of parataxis):

This is, of course, a metaphor. The speaker probably doesn’t believe they actually have horns nestled beneath their hair. But, this visceral overstatement still rings true to the reader—it feels painful, intimate, real, true.

An overstatement is often another literary device, too, such as a metaphor or simile or hyperbole.

33. Tmesis—A Word or Phrase Embedded in Another Word or Phrase

Will rhetorical devices revolutionize your writing? Abso- freaking -lutely!

A tmesis (yes, spelled that way) is a word or phrase embedded in another word or phrase, usually for emphatic effect. It typically reflects the ways we speak to one another.

Some examples of tmesis in everyday speech include:

• That’s a whole nother story
• Leave it any old where you like.
• This is fan- bloody -tastic. (Typical of British English.)
• Ned Flanders in The Simpsons : “Well- diddly -elcome!”
• Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother : “Legen- wait for it -dary”

And, in literature:

While tmesis seems easiest to construct in languages like English, you can find examples of this device in both contemporary and classic literature. In Latin, Ovid’s Metamorphoses utilizes the device. Contemporarily, many stream of conscious poets and modernists have used tmesis to reflect the fractured nature of language in the brain.

The following common rhetorical devices are employed to make the writing memorable. Stylistic writing can prove both persuasive and compelling, sticking in the audience’s mind long after the final sentence.

34. Adnomination—Words with Repeating Roots

A single root word can produce many words in the contemporary English lexicon. For example, the latin “facere,” which means “to make” or “to bring forth,” has spawned a bunch of English words. Some examples:

Adnomination is the use of two or more words that share similar roots in a sentence. By doing this, the writer makes something about the sentence memorable. This is a rhetorical device useful for both rhetoricians and for marketers.

Here’s an example from the poem “The Choice” by Franz Wright (which repeats the prefix “some”):

35. Aposiopesis—The Unfinished Sentence

An aposiopesis occurs when the speaker leaves their sentence unfinished. Doing so forces the audience to use their imaginations and “fill in the blank,” which makes the speaker’s message more impactful—provided it’s clear what the speaker implies.

Use aposiopesis clearly, or else—!

Shakespeare employed this device often in his plays. One example comes from King Lear (I.iv):

Two examples of this rhetorical device appear in the bolded line. They both communicate something similar: the “such revenges” that King Lear will take on his daughters. What those revenges are, the reader doesn’t know—and that not knowing actually makes these words scarier, as the reader is left to fill in the blanks with their own imagination, and why wouldn’t we imagine the worst “terrors of the earth?”

36. Circumlocution—Unnecessary Wordiness

Circumlocution (also known as periphrasis) is the use of extraneous words to describe something that could be described concisely. That sentence is one example!

At its most useful, a circumlocution helps define words, so you’ll see this device employed in dictionary entries. It’s also common for language learners to use circumlocution when they don’t have a strong vocabulary—for example, saying “my mother’s sister” if you don’t know the word “aunt.”

Circumlocution is also the operating mechanism for euphemisms. Instead of saying a person is “dumb,” you might say they “didn’t have the best schooling growing up.” In literature, this is the operating mechanism for calling Voldemort “He-who-must-not-be-named.”

Among rhetorical devices, circumlocution is commonly used when politicians try to talk in circles, or else express empty ideas using bloated language. This use of circumlocution is also known as “equivocation.”

For example, if you ask a politician why they decided to close an important public school, they might say they’re trying to “allocate resources in the interest of all students” or “optimize the city’s learning experience through tailored resource allocation.” Well, those ideas sound fine and dandy, but they’re not actually answering the question, they’re just appealing to the audience by being ambiguous and seemingly-moral.

37. Dysphemism—Language That’s Derogatory Instead of Neutral

A dysphemism is the opposite of a euphemism. When you use words derogatorily, particularly when a neutral word or phrase already exists, you are employing dysphemism—a device sometimes used alongside bdelygmia.

• Euphemism: It’s time for Number Two.
• Neutral term: I need to use the restroom.
• Dysphemism: I’ve gotta shit.

So, most insults, swear words, and vulgarities are dysphemisms.

There is something to be said about connotation, context, and the audience: in some instances, a dysphemism could be a euphemism, and vice versa. If someone died, for example, and the nurse said that he “kicked the bucket,” this would normally be a euphemism. But, if the family prefers direct communication, or if the nurse laughed while she said it, then the nurse might have used a dysphemism instead.

38. Ellipsis—Omission of Words

Ellipsis is the omission of words from a sentence, encouraging the reader to “fill in the blank.” Aposiopesis is a form of ellipsis, but an ellipsis can happen anywhere in the text, and is much more open in terms of subject matter.

Take a look at the following example sentences. The words in brackets can be removed without changing the meanings of the sentences. If those bracketed words were removed, these sentences would then contain ellipses:

• I rode the train, and he [rode] the bus.
• I rode the train, [but I did] not [ride] the bus.
• Who rode the train to school today? I did [ride the train, myself.]
• I’ll ride the train, and you will [ride the train] too.

Ellipsis is a useful tool in the art of concise writing. It can also add ambiguity, particularly in literary works, if the writer wants to imply but not outright state something occurring in the story. Here’s a famous example from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which suggests sexual relations between Mr. McKee and Nick Carraway:

Then Mr. McKee turned and continued on out the door. Taking my hat from the chandelier, I followed.

“Come to lunch some day,” he suggested, as we groaned down in the elevator.“Where?”

“Anywhere.”

“Keep your hands off the lever,” snapped the elevator boy.

“I beg your pardon,” said Mr. McKee with dignity, “I didn’t know I was touching it.”

“All right,” I agreed, “I’ll be glad to.”

… I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.

“Beauty and the Beast… Loneliness… Old Grocery Horse… Brook’n Bridge…”

Then I was lying half asleep in the cold lower level of the Pennsylvania Station, staring at the morning Tribune, and waiting for the four o’clock train.

The ellipses are marked by the three dots (…). It’s the ellipses after the main bit of dialogue that suggests the two men had some sort of relations: we know time has passed, but not what precisely occurred so that Nick was beside the bed and McKee was in his underwear.

39. Isocolon—Parallelism With an Equal Number of Words or Syllables

A writer uses isocolon when they write a parallel sentence in which each element has the same number of words or syllables. This device is naturally built into certain other rhetorical devices, such as antithesis (“go big or go home!”), and it’s also built into poetry forms like iambic pentameter.

Here are two rhetorical devices examples that use isocolon:

Same number of words: 

Same number of syllables:

Notice how each item replicates the same grammatical and syntactical structures. Isocolon presents ideas in a balanced manner, maintaining rhythm and flow in the sentence while advancing equally weighted ideas.

Isocolon can be further defined as bicolon (two parallel items), tricolon (three parallel items), tetracolon (four parallel items), and so on.

40. Pleonasm—Intentional Redundancy

If you use rhetorical devices, you are a smart, intelligent person!

A pleonasm is an intentional redundancy. It is typically used to emphasize a certain idea or draw attention to it, though it can also add a sense of urgency and intensity to language, so long as it’s employed properly.

Pleonasm is very similar to tautology, which is when you use different words that have the same meanings side by side. The only difference is that a pleonasm is any sort of rhetorical magniloquence.

Some phrases in the English language are inherently pleonastic/tautological. You might have said or heard recently:

• I saw it with my own two eyes. (You can just say “my.” The “two” is redundant, too.)
• Can I have a chai tea ? (“Chai” literally means “tea.”)
• I’ll have the tuna fish for supper. (Just “tuna” communicates the same idea.)
• It may be possible.
• I got a free gift !
• Under false pretenses.
• PIN Number (PIN stands for Personal Identification Number.)
• ATM Machine (ATM stands for Automatic Teller Machine.)

Pleonasm is also a prominent feature in Mary Oliver’s poem “Every Dog’s Story”:

I have a bed, my very own . It’s just my size. And sometimes I like to sleep alone with dreams inside my eyes .

But sometimes dreams are dark and wild and creepy and I wake and am afraid , though I don’t know why. But I’m no longer sleepy and too slowly the hours go by.

So I climb on the bed where the light of the moon is shining on your face and I know it will be morning soon.

Everybody needs a safe place.

Pleonasm, here, emphasizes the dog’s intense emotions, and also somehow emulates the way a dog might think. The writing here certainly feels feasible for a dog’s own thoughts, if a dog thought in the English language.

The key here is whether or not the writer is abusing their poetic license: some pleonasm may be useful, though of course it’s best to err on the side of concision.

Master These Common Rhetorical Devices in Literature at Writers.com

Poets, rhetoricians, storytellers, lawyers, politicians, journalists, and translators all use these common rhetorical devices in their work. These devices can be leveraged for style, for argument, or for effective, evocative writing.

Whatever your screed, master these common rhetorical devices at Writers.com. Take a look at our upcoming classes , where you’ll receive expert feedback on every piece of writing you submit.

Sean Glatch

Useful article. The implications or the complications of using certain words or phrases are well explained.

The implications or the complications of using certain words or phrases are well explained. This helps to improve my writing skills.

This has built me. Making me to increase my standard in styles and other things in literary work.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples

• An Introduction to Punctuation

• B.A., English, Rutgers University

A rhetorical device is a linguistic tool that employs a particular type of sentence structure, sound, or pattern of meaning in order to evoke a particular reaction from an audience. Each rhetorical device is a distinct tool that can be used to construct an argument or make an existing argument more compelling.  

Any time you try to inform, persuade , or argue with someone, you’re engaging in rhetoric. If you’ve ever had an emotional reaction to a speech or changed your mind about an issue after hearing a skilled debater's rebuttal, you've experienced the power of rhetoric. By developing a basic knowledge of rhetorical devices, you can improve your ability to process and convey information while also strengthening your persuasive skills. 

Types of Rhetorical Devices

There are four types of rhetorical devices:

• Logos. Devices in this category seek to convince and persuade via logic and reason. They will usually make use of statistics, cited facts, and statements by authorities to make their point and persuade the listener.
• Pathos. These rhetorical devices base their appeal in emotion. This could mean invoking sympathy or pity in the listener, or making the audience angry in the service of inspiring action or changing their mind about something.
• Ethos. Ethical appeals try to convince the audience that the speaker is a credible source, that their words have weight and must be taken seriously because they are serious and have the experience and judgment necessary to decide what’s right.
• Kairos. This is one of the most difficult concepts in rhetoric; devices in this category are dependent on the idea that the time has come for a particular idea or action. The very timeliness of the idea is part of the argument.

Strongest Rhetorical Devices

Since rhetoric dates back to ancient times, much of the terminology used to discuss it comes from the original Greek. Despite its ancient origins, however, rhetoric is as vital as ever. The following list contains some of the most important rhetorical devices to understand:

• Alliteration , a sonic device, is the repetition of the initial sound of each word (e.g. Alan the antelope ate asparagus).
• Cacophony , a sonic device, is the combination of consonant sounds to create a displeasing effect. 
• Onomatopoeia , a sonic device, refers to a word that emulates the real-life sound it signifies (e.g. using the word "bang" to signify an explosion).
• Humor  creates connection and identification with audience members, thus increasing the likelihood that they will agree with the speaker. Humor can also be used to deflate counter-arguments and make opposing points of view appear ridiculous.
• Anaphora  is the repetition of certain words or phrases at the beginning of sentences to increase the power of a sentiment. Perhaps the best-known example of anaphora is Martin Luther King Jr.'s repetition of the phrase "I have a dream."
• Meiosis is a type of euphemism that intentionally understates the size or importance of its subject. It can be used to dismiss or diminish a debate opponent's argument. 
• Hyperbole  is an exaggerated statement that conveys emotion and raises the bar for other speakers. Once you make a hyperbolic statement like “My idea is going to change the world," other speakers will have to respond in kind or their more measured words may seem dull and uninspiring in comparison.
• Apophasis  is the verbal strategy of bringing up a subject by denying that that very subject should be brought up at all.
• Anacoluthon  is a sudden swerve into a seemingly unrelated idea in the middle of a sentence. It can seem like a grammatical mistake if handled poorly, but it can also put powerful stress onto the idea being expressed.
• Chiasmus  is a technique wherein the speaker inverts the order of a phrase in order to create a pretty and powerful sentence. The best example comes from President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country ."
• Anadiplosis  is the use of the same word at the end of one sentence and at the beginning of the subsequent sentence, forming a chain of thought that carries your audience to the point you’ve chosen.
• Dialogismus  refers to moments when the speaker imagines what someone else is thinking, or speaks in the voice of someone else, in order to explain and then subvert or undermine counterpoints to the original argument.
• Eutrepismus , one of the most common rhetorical devices, is simply the act of stating points in the form of a numbered list. Why is it useful? First off, this devices makes information seem official and authoritative. Second, it gives speech a sense of order and clarity. And third, it helps the listener keep track of the speaker's points.
• Hypophora   is the trick of posing a question and then immediately supplying the answer. Do you know why hypophora is useful? It's useful because it stimulates listener interest and creates a clear transition point in the speech.
• Expeditio  is the trick of listing a series of possibilities and then explaining why all but one of those possibilities are non-starters. This device makes it seem as though all choices have been considered, when in fact you've been steering your audience towards the one choice you desired all along.
• Antiphrasis  is another word for irony. Antiphrasis refers to a statement whose actual meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words within it.
• Asterismos . Look, this is the technique of inserting a useless but attention-grabbing word in front of your sentence in order to grab the audience’s attention. It's useful if you think your listeners are getting a bit bored and restless.

Examples of Rhetorical Devices

How do you identify a rhetorical device? In fact, you hear them in daily life. Rhetoric isn’t just for debates and arguments; these devices are used in everyday speech, fiction and screenwriting, legal arguments, and more. Consider these famous examples and their impact on their audience.

• “ Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back . Rhetorical Device : Anadiplosis . The pairs of words at the beginning and ending of each sentence give the impression that the logic invoked is unassailable and perfectly assembled.
• “ Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” —President John F. Kennedy. Rhetorical Device : Chiasmus . The inversion of the phrase can do and the word country creates a sense of balance in the sentence that reinforces the sense of correctness.
• "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience." –President Ronald Reagan Rhetorical Device : Apophasis . In this quip from a presidential debate, Reagan expresses mock reluctance to comment on his opponent's age, which ultimately does the job of raising the point of his opponent's age.  
• “ But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.” —Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address . Rhetorical Device : Anaphora . Lincoln’s use of repetition gives his words a sense of rhythm that emphasizes his message. This is also an example of kairos : Lincoln senses that the public has a need to justify the slaughter of the Civil War, and thus decides to make this statement appealing to the higher purpose of abolishing slavery. 
• “ Ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and I can say without hyperbole that this is a million times worse than all of them put together.” – The Simpsons . Rhetorical Device : Hyperbole . Here, hyperbole is used to humorous effect in order to undermine the superficial point of the sentence.
• Rhetoric. The discipline of discourse and persuasion via verbal argument.
• Rhetorical Device. A tool used in the course of rhetoric, employing specific sentence structure, sounds, and imagery to attain a desired response.
• Logos. The category of rhetorical devices that appeal to logic and reason. 
• Pathos. The category of rhetorical devices that appeal to emotions.
• Ethos.  The category of rhetorical devices that appeal to a sense of credibility. 
• Kairos.  The concept of “right place, right time” in rhetoric, wherein a specific rhetorical device becomes effective because of circumstances surrounding its use.
• “16 Rhetorical Devices That Will Improve Your Public Speaking.” Duarte , 19 Mar. 2018, www.duarte.com/presentation-skills-resources/rhetoric-isnt-a-bad-thing-16-rhetorical-devices-regularly-used-by-steve-jobs/.
• Home - Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, the Modes of Persuasion ‒ Explanation and Examples , pathosethoslogos.com/ .
• McKean, Erin. “Rhetorical Devices.” Boston.com , The Boston Globe, 23 Jan. 2011, archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/01/23/rhetorical_devices/ .
• The Top 20 Figures of Speech
• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• What Is Composition? Definition, Types, and Examples
• How to Find the Main Idea
• Complete List of Transition Words
• Isocolon: A Rhetorical Balancing Act
• Definition and Examples of Symploce in Rhetoric
• What is a Rhetorical Situation?
• Dubitatio as a Rhetorical Strategy
• Coherence in Composition
• Antimetabole: Figure of Speech
• What Is Epiphora?
• Exemplum in Rhetoric
• What is Judicial Rhetoric?
• Definition and Examples of Procatalepsis in Rhetoric
• AP English Exam: 101 Key Terms

Chapter 6: Thinking and Analyzing Rhetorically

6.4 Rhetorical Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos Defined

Melanie Gagich & Emilie Zickel

Rhetoric, as the previous chapters have discussed, is the way that authors use and manipulate language in order to persuade an audience. Once we understand the rhetorical situation out of which a text is created (why it was written, for whom it was written, by whom it was written, how the medium in which it was written creates certain constraints, or perhaps freedoms of expression), we can look at how all of those contextual elements shape the author’s creation of the text.

We can look first at the classical rhetorical appeals, which are the three ways to classify authors’ intellectual, moral, and emotional approaches to getting the audience to have the reaction that the author hopes for.

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical appeals refer to ethos, pathos, and logos. These are classical Greek terms, dating back to Aristotle, who is traditionally seen as the father of rhetoric. To be rhetorically effective (and thus persuasive), an author must engage the audience in a variety of compelling ways, which involves carefully choosing how to craft his or her argument so that the outcome, audience agreement with the argument or point, is achieved. Aristotle defined these modes of engagement and gave them the terms that we still use today: logos, pathos, and ethos.

Logos: Appeal to Logic

Logic. Reason. Rationality. Logos is brainy and intellectual, cool, calm, collected, objective.

When an author relies on logos, it means that he or she is using logic, careful structure, and objective evidence to appeal to the audience. An author can appeal to an audience’s intellect by using information that can be fact checked (using multiple sources) and thorough explanations to support key points. Additionally, providing a solid and non-biased explanation of one’s argument is a great way for an author to invoke logos.

For example, if I were trying to convince my students to complete their homework, I might explain that I understand everyone is busy and they have other classes (non-biased), but the homework will help them get a better grade on their test (explanation). I could add to this explanation by providing statistics showing the number of students who failed and didn’t complete their homework versus the number of students who passed and did complete their homework (factual evidence).

Logical appeals rest on rational modes of thinking , such as

• Comparison –  a comparison between one thing (with regard to your topic) and another, similar thing to help support your claim. It is important that the comparison is fair and valid – the things being compared must share significant traits of similarity.
• Cause/effect thinking –  you argue that X has caused Y, or that X is likely to cause Y to help support your claim. Be careful with the latter – it can be difficult to predict that something “will” happen in the future.
• Deductive reasoning –  starting with a broad, general claim/example and using it to support a more specific point or claim
• Inductive reasoning –  using several specific examples or cases to make a broad generalization
• Exemplification –  use of many examples or a variety of evidence to support a single point
• Elaboration – moving beyond just including a fact, but explaining the significance or relevance of that fact
• Coherent thought – maintaining a well organized line of reasoning; not repeating ideas or jumping around

Pathos: Appeal to Emotions

When an author relies on pathos, it means that he or she is trying to tap into the audience’s emotions to get them to agree with the author’s claim. An author using pathetic appeals wants the audience to feel something: anger, pride, joy, rage, or happiness.  For example, many of us have seen the ASPCA commercials that use photographs of injured puppies, or sad-looking kittens, and slow, depressing music to emotionally persuade their audience to donate money.

Pathos-based rhetorical strategies are any strategies that get the audience to “open up” to the topic, the argument, or to the author. Emotions can make us vulnerable, and an author can use this vulnerability to get the audience to believe that his or her argument is a compelling one.

Pathetic appeals might include

• Expressive descriptions of people, places, or events that help the reader to feel or experience those events
• Vivid imagery  of people, places or events that help the reader to feel like he or she is seeing  those events
• Sharing  personal stories that make the reader feel a connection to, or empathy for, the person being described
• Using emotion-laden   vocabulary  as a way to put the reader into that specific emotional mindset (what is the author trying to make the audience feel? and how is he or she doing that?)
• Using any information that will evoke an emotional response from the audience . This could involve making the audience feel empathy or disgust for the person/group/event being discussed, or perhaps connection to or rejection of the person/group/event being discussed.

When reading a text, try to locate when the author is trying to convince the reader using emotions because, if used to excess, pathetic appeals can indicate a lack of substance or emotional manipulation of the audience. See the links below about fallacious pathos for more information.

Ethos: Appeal to Values/Trust

Ethical appeals have two facets: audience values and authorial credibility/character.

On the one hand, when an author makes an ethical appeal, he or she is attempting to  tap into the  values or ideologies that the audience holds , for example, patriotism, tradition, justice, equality, dignity for all humankind, self preservation, or other specific social, religious or philosophical values (Christian values, socialism, capitalism, feminism, etc.). These values can sometimes feel very close to emotions, but they are felt on a social level rather than only on a personal level. When an author evokes the values that the audience cares about as a way to justify or support his or her argument, we classify that as ethos. The audience will feel that the author is making an argument that is “right” (in the sense of moral “right”-ness, i.e., “My argument rests upon that values that matter to you. Therefore, you should accept my argument”). This first part of the definition of ethos, then, is focused on the audience’s values.

On the other hand, this sense of referencing what is “right” in an ethical appeal connects to the other sense of ethos: the  author. Ethos that is centered on the author revolves around two concepts: the credibility of the author and his or her character.

Credibility of the speaker/author is determined by his or her knowledge and expertise in the subject at hand. For example, if you are learning about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, would you rather learn from a professor of physics or a cousin who took two science classes in high school thirty years ago? It is fair to say that, in general, the professor of physics would have more credibility to discuss the topic of physics. To establish his or her credibility, a n author may draw attention to who he or she is or what kinds of experience he or she has with the topic being discussed as an ethical appeal (i.e., “Because I have experience with this topic –  and I know my stuff! – you should trust what I am saying about this topic”). Some authors do not have to establish their credibility because the audience already knows who they are and that they are credible.

Character  is another aspect of ethos, and it   is different from credibility because it involves personal history and even personality traits. A person can be credible but lack character or vice versa. For example, in politics, sometimes the most experienced candidates – those who might be the most credible candidates – fail to win elections because voters do not accept their character. Politicians take pains to shape their character as leaders who have the interests of the voters at heart. The candidate who successfully proves to the voters (the audience) that he or she has the type of character that they can trust is more likely to win.

Thus, ethos comes down to trust. How can the author get the audience to trust him or her so that they will accept his or her argument? How can the the author make him or herself appear as a credible speaker who embodies the character traits that the audience values?

In building ethical appeals, we see authors

• Referring either directly or indirectly to the values that matter to the intended audience (so that the audience will trust the speaker)
• Using language, phrasing, imagery, or other writing styles common to people who hold those values, thereby “talking the talk” of people with those values (again, so that the audience is inclined to trust the speaker)
• Referring to their experience and/or authority with the topic (and therefore demonstrating their credibility)
• Referring to their own character, or making an effort to build their character in the text

When reading, you should always think about the author’s credibility regarding the subject as well as his or her character. Here is an example of a rhetorical move that connects with ethos: when reading an article about abortion, the author mentions that she has had an abortion. That is an example of an ethical move because the author is creating credibility via anecdotal evidence and first person narrative. In a rhetorical analysis project, it would be up to you, the analyzer, to point out this move and associate it with a rhetorical strategy.

 When writers misuse Logos, Pathos, or Ethos, arguments can be weakened

Above, we defined and described what logos, pathos, and ethos are and why authors may use those strategies. Sometimes, using a combination of logical, pathetic, and ethical appeals leads to a sound, balanced, and persuasive argument. It is important to understand, though, that using rhetorical appeals does not always lead to a sound, balanced argument.

In fact, any of the appeals could be misused or overused. When that happens, arguments can be weakened.

To see what a misuse of logical appeals might consist of, see the next chapter,   Logical Fallacies.

To see how authors can overuse emotional appeals and turn-off their target audience, visit the following link from WritingCommons.org :   Fallacious Pathos . 

To see how ethos can be misused or used in a manner that may be misleading, visit the following link to WritingCommons.org :  Fallacious Ethos

A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing by Melanie Gagich & Emilie Zickel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Feedback/Errata

Comments are closed.

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis: Full Guide

Have you ever been completely fascinated by a speech or ad, wondering how it managed to convince you so effectively? From powerful political speeches to catchy commercials, persuasion is all around us, shaping our thoughts and choices every day.

In this guide, we'll explain all about a rhetorical analysis essay. We'll break down the clever tricks writers and speakers use to win over their audience, like how they choose their words carefully and play with our emotions. This article will give you the tools you need to understand and analyze texts more deeply. So, let’s jump right in and start by understanding the nature of this assignment first.

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of essay where you examine how authors or speakers use words, phrases, and other techniques to influence or persuade their audience. This type of essay focuses on analyzing the strategies used by the writer or speaker to achieve their purpose, whether it's to inform, persuade, entertain, or provoke.

You'll dissect the text or speech into its components, looking at how each part contributes to the overall message. This might involve examining the introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, evidence, and conclusion.

Once you've identified the strategies used, you'll assess their effectiveness in achieving the author's or speaker's purpose. This involves considering the intended audience, context, and the impact of the communication.

As per our essay writing service , some common topics for rhetorical analysis include analyzing speeches by influential leaders, dissecting political advertisements, or examining the rhetoric used in literary works.

Do You Want to Ease Your Academic Burden?

Order a rhetorical analysis essay from our expert writers today and experience the power of top-notch academic writing.

Rhetorical Analysis Topic Ideas

Now that we've grasped the essence of a rhetorical analysis essay let's explore some potential topics you might consider for your own analysis. Here are 15 specific ideas to get you started:

• The Use of Metaphors in Barack Obama's 'Yes We Can' Speech
• Visual Rhetoric in Dove's 'Real Beauty' Advertising Campaign
• The Role of Irony in Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'
• The Manipulation of Emotions in Coca-Cola's 'Share a Coke' Campaign
• The Repetition Technique in Winston Churchill's 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' Speech
• The Argument Structure in Michelle Obama's Speech on Education
• The Use of Imagery in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'
• Gender Stereotypes in Old Spice's 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' Ad
• Satirical Elements in George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'
• The Influence of Tone in Greta Thunberg's Climate Change Speeches
• Political Symbolism in Banksy's Street Art
• Humor as Persuasion in Ellen DeGeneres' Stand-Up Comedy
• The Power of Silence in Emma Watson's UN Speech on Gender Equality
• Ethical Appeals in ASPCA's Animal Rights Advertisements
• The Cultural References in Super Bowl Commercials: A Case Study

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Understanding how to start a rhetorical analysis essay involves dissecting a piece of communication to learn how it works and what effect it aims to achieve. This analytical process typically includes five paragraphs and three main parts: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Below, our analytical essay writing service will explain each in more detail

Major Rhetorical Elements

Before heading towards the analysis process, it's essential to grasp some key rhetorical concepts that will help guide your examination of the text or speech. These concepts provide a framework for understanding how authors and speakers use language to persuade and influence their audience.

Ethos, pathos logos in rhetorical analysis form the foundation of persuasive communication and are often intertwined in rhetorical strategies. Ethos refers to the credibility or authority of the speaker or author. Pathos involves appealing to the audience's emotions, while logos appeals to reason and logic.

There are also other rhetorical devices that are specific techniques or patterns of language used to convey meaning or evoke particular responses. Examples include metaphor, simile, imagery, irony, repetition, and hyperbole. Recognizing and analyzing these devices can provide insight into the author's intended message and its impact on the audience.

Tone and mood also play crucial roles in shaping the audience's perception and response to the communication. Tone refers to the author's attitude toward the subject matter, while mood describes the emotional atmosphere created by the text.

Whether you ask us - write my essay , or tackle the task yourself, familiarizing yourself with these concepts will help you analyze the text and persuade the audience more effectively.

Understanding Rhetorical Appeals

First off, what is ethos in rhetorical analysis? Well, it revolves around establishing the credibility and authority of the speaker or author. This appeal seeks to convince the audience that the communicator is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and reliable. Ethos in rhetorical analysis can be built through various means, including:

• Professional Credentials : Demonstrating expertise in the subject matter through relevant qualifications or experience.
• Personal Character : Highlighting traits such as honesty, integrity, and sincerity to engender trust and respect.
• Association : Aligning oneself with respected individuals, institutions, or causes to enhance credibility by association.

For instance, in a health-related speech, a doctor might leverage their medical expertise and professional experience (credentials) to establish ethos. Similarly, a celebrity endorsing a product is using their fame and reputation (association) to persuade consumers.

Now, let's understand what is pathos in rhetorical analysis. Pathos involves appealing to the audience's emotions, aiming to evoke feelings such as empathy, sympathy, joy, anger, or fear. This emotional connection can be a powerful tool for persuasion, as it resonates with the audience on a personal level. Strategies for employing pathos in rhetorical analysis include:

• Vivid Imagery : Painting a vivid picture or narrative that elicits strong emotional responses from the audience.
• Anecdotes : Sharing personal stories or anecdotes that evoke empathy or sympathy and make the message more relatable.
• Language Choice : Using emotive language, sensory details, and rhetorical devices to evoke specific emotional reactions.

For example, in a charity advertisement for children in need, images of impoverished and suffering children coupled with heart-wrenching stories (anecdotes) are used to evoke feelings of compassion and a desire to help.

Lastly, what is logos in rhetorical analysis, you may ask. It appeals to reason and logic, aiming to persuade the audience through rational argumentation and evidence. This appeal relies on facts, statistics, logical reasoning, and sound arguments to convince the audience of the validity of the message. Strategies for employing logos in rhetorical analysis include:

• Factual Evidence : Providing empirical data, research findings, or expert opinions to support the argument.
• Logical Reasoning : Presenting a well-structured argument with clear premises and conclusions that logically follow one another.
• Counterarguments : Addressing potential counterarguments and refuting them with logical reasoning and evidence.

For instance, in a persuasive essay advocating for environmental conservation, the author might present scientific data on climate change (factual evidence) and use logical reasoning to explain the consequences of inaction.

Text and Context

Text analysis involves closely examining the language, structure, and rhetorical devices employed within the communication. This includes identifying key themes, rhetorical appeals, persuasive strategies, and stylistic elements used by the author or speaker to convey their message.

For example, in a political speech advocating for healthcare reform, text analysis might involve identifying the use of rhetorical appeals such as ethos (e.g., highlighting the speaker's experience in healthcare policy), pathos (e.g., sharing anecdotes of individuals struggling with medical costs), and logos (e.g., presenting statistics on healthcare affordability).

Contextual analysis involves considering the broader social, cultural, and historical factors that shape communication and influence its reception. This includes examining the audience demographics, the political and cultural climate, the historical events surrounding the communication, and any relevant societal norms or values.

For instance, when analyzing a historical speech advocating for civil rights, contextual research paper writers might involve considering the social and political context of the time, including prevailing attitudes towards race, ongoing civil rights movements, and recent legislative developments.

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

A claim is a statement or assertion that the author or speaker is advocating for or seeking to prove. Claims can take various forms, including factual claims (assertions of fact), value claims (judgments about what is good or bad), and policy claims (proposals for action). For example, in an argumentative essay about the importance of exercise, the claim might be that regular physical activity is essential for maintaining good health.

Supports are the evidence, reasoning, or examples provided to substantiate and strengthen the claims being made. Supports can take many forms, including empirical data, expert testimony, personal anecdotes, logical reasoning, and analogies. The quality and relevance of the supports provided play a critical role in the persuasiveness of the argument.

Continuing with the example of the argumentative essay about exercise, supports might include scientific studies demonstrating the health benefits of physical activity, testimonials from fitness experts, and personal stories of individuals who have experienced positive changes from incorporating exercise into their routine.

Warrants are the underlying assumptions or principles that connect the supports to the claims. They provide the reasoning or justification for why the supports are relevant and valid evidence for supporting the claims. Warrants are often implicit rather than explicit and require careful analysis to uncover. In the context of the essay on exercise, the warrant connecting the supports to the claim might be the assumption that actions that promote good health are inherently valuable and worthy of pursuit.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Whether you opt for the option to buy essay or start writing it yourself, it's important to use a clear plan to organize your thoughts well. This plan usually includes four main steps, each looking at different parts of your analysis.

Analyzing the Text

Before writing a rhetorical analysis, take the time to thoroughly analyze the text you'll be examining. This means more than just skimming through it; it requires a thorough understanding of its subtleties and complexities. Here are some questions to guide your analysis:

• How does the text try to sway its audience? What methods does it use to convince or influence them?
• Which rhetorical appeals—ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), logos (logic)—does the author use, and how do they contribute to the overall argument?
• What specific rhetorical devices and strategies does the author employ to effectively convey their message? Are there any patterns or recurring motifs?
• How does the structure of the text contribute to its persuasive power or overall impact?
• Are there any cultural, historical, or contextual factors that influence how the text is perceived or understood?

By scrutinizing the text in this manner, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how it functions and the techniques employed by the author to achieve their desired effect.

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for your analysis by providing essential context and framing the discussion. Start by introducing the text you're analyzing, including the author's name and the title of the work. Provide some background information to give context to your analysis. For example, if you're analyzing a speech, mention the occasion or event where it was delivered.

Next, summarize the main arguments or claims made by the author. Highlight the rhetorical techniques they use to persuade their audience. Are they appealing to logic, emotion, credibility, or a combination of these? Use specific examples from the text to illustrate these techniques discussed by our dissertation service .

For instance, if you're analyzing a speech on climate change, mention the speaker's expertise in environmental science to establish credibility. Summarize the key points they make about the consequences of inaction and the urgent need for change.

Finally, conclude your introduction with a clear thesis statement. This statement should encapsulate the main argument or purpose of your analysis.

Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraph

The body paragraphs form the crux of your analysis, where you delve into the details of the text and dissect its rhetorical strategies. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the text, such as the use of ethos, pathos, logos, or specific rhetorical devices.

Utilize Aristotle's rhetorical triangle and other key concepts introduced earlier to guide your analysis. Provide quotations or examples from the text to illustrate your points and explain why the author chose certain approaches. Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in achieving the author's goals and persuading the audience.

For instance, if you're discussing the use of pathos in a marketing campaign, analyze the emotional appeal of the imagery or language used and consider how it resonates with the target audience.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

In the conclusion, it's crucial to reinforce your main arguments and evaluate the author's effectiveness in achieving their goals, whether you're writing an MLA or APA essay format . Reflect on the overall impact of the text on both its immediate audience and society at large, underscoring the importance of your analysis.

Resist the temptation to introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Instead, draw upon the points you've already explored in the body of your essay to strengthen your analysis. Conclude with a poignant statement that resonates with your readers, encapsulating the essence of your interpretation and leaving a lasting impression. This final remark should tie together the threads of your analysis, leaving the reader with a deeper understanding of the text's rhetorical strategies and significance.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

In this section, you'll discover two essay samples that skillfully demonstrate the application of rhetorical analysis. These examples offer insightful insights into the effective use of rhetorical techniques in writing.

5 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Tips

Here are five focused tips that will help you lay a solid foundation for your examination.

• Dissect Rhetorical Strategies : Break down the text to identify specific rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, or parallelism.
• Evaluate Tone and Diction : Pay attention to the author's tone and word choice. Analyze how these elements contribute to the overall mood of the text.
• Probe Ethos, Pathos, Logos : Explore how the author establishes credibility (ethos), evokes emotions (pathos), and employs logic (logos) to sway the audience.
• Contextualize Historical Significance : Consider the historical, cultural, and social backdrop against which the text was written.
• Craft a Structured Analysis : Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific rhetorical elements, and a conclusion that synthesizes your findings.

Final Words

As we near the end, it's important to analyze carefully whether you're examining a speech, an advertisement, or a story. Pay attention to the smart tactics that influence our thinking. It's all about revealing how we communicate and relate to one another. Ultimately, understanding rhetoric offers a fresh perspective on the world beyond just academic success.

Looking to Take Your Academic Performance to the Next Level?

Say goodbye to stress, endless research, and sleepless nights - and hello to a brighter academic future.

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

How to structure a rhetorical analysis essay, how to write a rhetorical analysis essay.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

• Rhetorical Modes

We’ve been focusing on broad categories of reading materials so far: literature, journalism, textbooks, and academic writing. Since most of the reading (and writing!) you’ll do throughout your college career falls into the “academic writing” category, this is a good point to slow down and examine the building blocks of academic writing more closely.

Rhetoric is the study of writing, and the basic types of academic writing are referred to as rhetorical modes .

As you can see in the chart above, different styles of non-fiction writing serve different purposes. It’s quite possible that a single text—or even a single paragraph—will contain multiple rhetorical modes, each used to serve a distinct purpose in support of the article’s thesis.

Consider nine of the most common types of rhetorical modes. What might lead an author to select one type of writing over another? How might each be used differently to serve the purpose of a text?

1. Narration

The purpose of narration is to tell a story or relate an event. Narration is an especially useful tool for sequencing or putting details and information into some kind of logical order, usually chronological.

Literature uses narration heavily, but it also can be useful in non-fiction, academic writing for strong impact.

2. Description

The purpose of description is to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event, or action so that the reader can picture that which is being described. It is heavily based on sensory details : what we experience through our five senses.

It’s common to see examples used in all kinds of situations—an idea can be considered too general or abstract until we see it in action. An exemplification essay extends this idea even further: it carries one or more examples into great detail, in order to show the details of a complex problem in a way that’s easy for readers to understand.

4. Definition

In the vocabulary section we talked about word definitions in depth. A definition essay takes the concept of “definition” more broadly, moving beyond a dictionary definition to deeply examine a word or concept as we actually use and understand it.

5. Process Analysis

Analyzing a process can also be thought of as “how-to” instruction. Technical writing includes a lot of process analysis, for instance. Academic writing can incorporate process analysis to show how an existing problem came to be, or how it might be solved, by following a clear series of steps.

6. Division/Classification

Classification  takes one large concept, and divides it into individual pieces. A nice result from this type of writing is that it helps the reader to understand a complex topic by focusing on its smaller parts. This is particularly useful when an author has a unique way of dividing up the concepts, to provide new insight into the ways it might be viewed.

7. Comparison/Contrast

Comparison focuses on similarities between things, and contrast focuses on their differences . We innately make comparisons all the time, and they appear in many kinds of writings. The goal of comparison and contrast in academic essays is generally to show that one item is superior to another, based on a set of evaluations included as part of the writing.

8. Cause/Effect

If narration offers a sequence of events, cause/effect essays offer an explanation about why that sequence matters. Cause/effect writing is particularly powerful when the author can provide a cause/effect relationship that the reader wasn’t expecting, and as a result see the situation in a new light.

9. Problem/Solution

This type of academic writing has two equally important tasks: clearly identifying a problem, and then providing a logical, practical solution for that problem. Establishing that a particular situation IS a problem can sometimes be a challenge–many readers might assume that a given situation is “just the way it is,” for instance.

• Text: Rhetorical Modes. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of Choosing Paragraph Patterns. Authored by : GrinnPidgeon. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/a9oiLS . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Table of Contents

Instructor Resources (available upon sign-in)

• Overview of Instructor Resources
• Quiz Survey

Reading: Types of Reading Material

• Introduction to Reading
• Outcome: Types of Reading Material
• Characteristics of Texts, Part 1
• Characteristics of Texts, Part 2
• Characteristics of Texts, Part 3
• Characteristics of Texts, Conclusion
• Self Check: Types of Writing

Reading: Reading Strategies

• Outcome: Reading Strategies
• The Rhetorical Situation
• Academic Reading Strategies
• Self Check: Reading Strategies

Reading: Specialized Reading Strategies

• Outcome: Specialized Reading Strategies
• Online Reading Comprehension
• How to Read Effectively in Math
• How to Read Effectively in the Social Sciences
• How to Read Effectively in the Sciences
• 5 Step Approach for Reading Charts and Graphs
• Self Check: Specialized Reading Strategies

Reading: Vocabulary

• Outcome: Vocabulary
• Strategies to Improve Your Vocabulary
• Using Context Clues
• The Relationship Between Reading and Vocabulary
• Self Check: Vocabulary

Reading: Thesis

• Outcome: Thesis
• Locating and Evaluating Thesis Statements
• The Organizational Statement
• Self Check: Thesis

Reading: Supporting Claims

• Outcome: Supporting Claims
• Types of Support
• Supporting Claims
• Self Check: Supporting Claims

Reading: Logic and Structure

• Outcome: Logic and Structure
• Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
• Diagramming and Evaluating Arguments
• Logical Fallacies
• Evaluating Appeals to Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
• Self Check: Logic and Structure

Reading: Summary Skills

• Outcome: Summary Skills
• How to Annotate
• Paraphrasing
• Quote Bombs
• Summary Writing
• Self Check: Summary Skills
• Conclusion to Reading

Writing Process: Topic Selection

• Introduction to Writing Process
• Outcome: Topic Selection
• Starting a Paper
• Choosing and Developing Topics
• Back to the Future of Topics
• Developing Your Topic
• Self Check: Topic Selection

Writing Process: Prewriting

• Outcome: Prewriting
• Prewriting Strategies for Diverse Learners
• Rhetorical Context
• Working Thesis Statements
• Self Check: Prewriting

Writing Process: Finding Evidence

• Outcome: Finding Evidence
• Using Personal Examples
• Performing Background Research
• Listening to Sources, Talking to Sources
• Self Check: Finding Evidence

Writing Process: Organizing

• Outcome: Organizing
• Moving Beyond the Five-Paragraph Theme
• Introduction to Argument
• The Three-Story Thesis
• Organically Structured Arguments
• Logic and Structure
• The Perfect Paragraph
• Introductions and Conclusions
• Self Check: Organizing

Writing Process: Drafting

• Outcome: Drafting
• From Outlining to Drafting
• Flash Drafts
• Self Check: Drafting

Writing Process: Revising

• Outcome: Revising
• Seeking Input from Others
• Responding to Input from Others
• The Art of Re-Seeing
• Higher Order Concerns
• Self Check: Revising

Writing Process: Proofreading

• Outcome: Proofreading
• Lower Order Concerns
• Proofreading Advice
• "Correctness" in Writing
• The Importance of Spelling
• Punctuation Concerns
• Self Check: Proofreading
• Conclusion to Writing Process

Research Process: Finding Sources

• Introduction to Research Process
• Outcome: Finding Sources
• The Research Process
• Finding Sources
• What are Scholarly Articles?
• Finding Scholarly Articles and Using Databases
• Database Searching
• Advanced Search Strategies
• Preliminary Research Strategies
• Reading and Using Scholarly Sources
• Self Check: Finding Sources

Research Process: Source Analysis

• Outcome: Source Analysis
• Evaluating Sources
• CRAAP Analysis
• Evaluating Websites
• Synthesizing Sources
• Self Check: Source Analysis

Research Process: Writing Ethically

• Outcome: Writing Ethically
• Academic Integrity
• Defining Plagiarism
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Using Sources in Your Writing
• Self Check: Writing Ethically

Research Process: MLA Documentation

• Introduction to MLA Documentation
• Outcome: MLA Documentation
• MLA Document Formatting
• MLA Works Cited
• Creating MLA Citations
• MLA In-Text Citations
• Self Check: MLA Documentation
• Conclusion to Research Process

Grammar: Nouns and Pronouns

• Introduction to Grammar
• Outcome: Nouns and Pronouns
• Pronoun Cases and Types
• Pronoun Antecedents
• Try It: Nouns and Pronouns
• Self Check: Nouns and Pronouns

Grammar: Verbs

• Outcome: Verbs
• Verb Tenses and Agreement
• Non-Finite Verbs
• Complex Verb Tenses
• Try It: Verbs
• Self Check: Verbs

Grammar: Other Parts of Speech

• Outcome: Other Parts of Speech
• Comparing Adjectives and Adverbs
• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Conjunctions
• Prepositions
• Try It: Other Parts of Speech
• Self Check: Other Parts of Speech

Grammar: Punctuation

• Outcome: Punctuation
• End Punctuation
• Hyphens and Dashes
• Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
• Brackets, Parentheses, and Ellipses
• Semicolons and Colons
• Try It: Punctuation
• Self Check: Punctuation

Grammar: Sentence Structure

• Outcome: Sentence Structure
• Parts of a Sentence
• Common Sentence Structures
• Run-on Sentences
• Sentence Fragments
• Parallel Structure
• Try It: Sentence Structure
• Self Check: Sentence Structure

Grammar: Voice

• Outcome: Voice
• Active and Passive Voice
• Using the Passive Voice
• Conclusion to Grammar
• Try It: Voice
• Self Check: Voice

Success Skills

• Introduction to Success Skills
• Habits for Success
• Critical Thinking
• Time Management
• Writing in College
• Computer-Based Writing
• Conclusion to Success Skills

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

What is a rhetorical device and why are they used.

As with all fields of serious and complicated human endeavor (that can be considered variously as an art, a science, a profession, or a hobby), there is a technical vocabulary associated with writing. Rhetoric is the name for the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion, and though a writer doesn’t need to know the specific labels for certain writing techniques in order to use them effectively, it is sometimes helpful to have a handy taxonomy for the ways in which words and ideas are arranged. This can help to discuss and isolate ideas that might otherwise become abstract and confusing. As with the word rhetoric itself, many of these rhetorical devices come from Greek.

Ready, set, rhetoric.

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables

wild and woolly, threatening throngs

Syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence especially : a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another

you really should have—well, what do you expect?

Repetition of a prominent and usually the last word in one phrase or clause at the beginning of the next

rely on his honor—honor such as his?

A literary technique that involves interruption of the chronological sequence of events by interjection of events or scenes of earlier occurrence : flashback

Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground

The repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different and sometimes contrary meaning from the first

we must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately

The usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings

this giant of 3 feet 4 inches

The use of a proper name to designate a member of a class (such as a Solomon for a wise ruler) OR the use of an epithet or title in place of a proper name (such as the Bard for Shakespeare)

The raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it

we won't discuss his past crimes

An expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty especially for rhetorical effect

to be, or not to be: that is the question

Harshness in the sound of words or phrases

An inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases

working hard, or hardly working?

A disjunctive conclusion inferred from a single premise

gravitation may act without contact; therefore, either some force may act without contact or gravitation is not a force

The substitution of a disagreeable, offensive, or disparaging expression for an agreeable or inoffensive one

greasy spoon is a dysphemism for the word diner

Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

of the people, by the people, for the people

Emphatic repetition [ this definition is taken from the 1934 edition of Webster's Unabridged dictionary ]

An interchange of two elements in a phrase or sentence from a more logical to a less logical relationship

you are lost to joy for joy is lost to you

A transposition or inversion of idiomatic word order

judge me by my size, do you?

Extravagant exaggeration

mile-high ice-cream cones

The putting or answering of an objection or argument against the speaker's contention [ this definition is taken from the 1934 edition of Webster's Unabridged dictionary ]

Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

not a bad singer

The presentation of a thing with underemphasis especially in order to achieve a greater effect : UNDERSTATEMENT

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them ( Metaphor vs. Simile )

drowning in money

A figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated

crown as used in lands belonging to the crown

The naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it

A combination of contradictory or incongruous words

cruel kindness

The use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense : REDUNDANCY

I saw it with my own eyes

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by "like" or "as"

cheeks like roses

The use of a word in the same grammatical relation to two adjacent words in the context with one literal and the other metaphorical in sense

she blew my nose and then she blew my mind

A figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships ), the whole for a part (such as society for high society ), the species for the genus (such as cutthroat for assassin ), the genus for the species (such as a creature for a man ), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as boards for stage )

The use of a word to modify or govern two or more words usually in such a manner that it applies to each in a different sense or makes sense with only one

opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy

MORE TO EXPLORE: Rhetorical Devices Used in Pop Songs

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Games & Quizzes

Usage Notes

Prepositions, ending a sentence with, 33 transition words and phrases, is 'irregardless' a real word, 8 more grammar terms you used to know: special verb edition, point of view: it's personal, grammar & usage, more words you always have to look up, the difference between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.', more commonly misspelled words, plural and possessive names: a guide, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, pilfer: how to play and win, 8 words with fascinating histories, great big list of beautiful and useless words, vol. 3, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, flower etymologies for your spring garden.

Ethos Definition

What is ethos? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Ethos , along with logos and pathos , is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Ethos is an argument that appeals to the audience by emphasizing the speaker's credibility and authority. If the speaker has a high-ranking position, is an expert in his or her field, or has had life experience relevant to a particular topic, anything the speaker says or does to ensure that the audience knows about and remembers these qualifications is an example of ethos .

Some additional key details about ethos:

• Ethos shares a root with the word "ethics ." This is helpful to remember because speakers often try to establish their own strong moral character by using ethos.
• The word "ethos" is also often used to refer to a community or organization's characteristic belief or spirit, as in the sentence, "We will not give you a larger bonus than your coworkers: that is against our company's ethos of fairness." However, this guide focuses specifically on the rhetorical technique of ethos used in literature and public speaking.
• The three "modes of persuasion"— pathos , logos , and ethos —were originally defined by Aristotle.
• While ethos appeals to an audience's instinctive respect for authority, logos appeals to the audience's sense of reason, and pathos appeals to the audience's emotions.
• Ethos is used in advertising just as often as it is used in public speaking and literature. Any commercial in which a celebrity endorses a product, for example, hopes to persuade its target audience by cultivating an aura of authority or expertise through its association with the celebrity—and is therefore an example of ethos.

How to Pronounce Ethos

Here's how to pronounce ethos: ee -thos

Ethos Explained

Aristotle (the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist) first defined e thos , along with logos and pathos , in his treatise on rhetoric, Ars Rhetorica. Together, he referred to e thos , logos , and pathos as the three modes of persuasion, or sometimes simply as "the appeals." Aristotle believed that in order to have ethos a good speaker must demonstrate three things:

• Phronesis : Sound reasoning, and relevant experience or expertise.
• Arete : Moral character.
• Eunoia : Good intentions towards the audience.

Aristotle argued that a speaker in possession of these three attributes will naturally impress the audience with his or her ethos , and as a result will be better able to influence that audience. Over time, however, the definition of ethos has broadened, and the significance of the three qualities Aristotle named is now lost on anyone who hasn't studied classical Greek. So it may give more insight into the meaning of ethos to translate Aristotle's three categories into a new set of categories that make more sense in the modern era. A speaker or writer's credibility can be said to rely on each of the following:

• Within literature, it's interesting to notice when characters attempt to invoke their own authority and enhance their ethos by reminding other characters of the titles they possess. Often, this can be an indication that the character citing his or her own credentials actually feels his or her authority being threatened or challenged.
• In literature, this form of ethos is particularly relevant with respect to narrators. Authors often have their narrators profess impartiality or objectivity at the outset of a book in order to earn the reader's trust in the narrator's reliability regarding the story he or she is about to tell.
• This type of ethos translates into literature quite easily, in the sense that characters' opinions are often evaluated within the framework of their professions.
• Literary characters often use ethos to communicate similarity or likemindedness to other characters, and you can detect this by certain changes in their speech. In these situations, characters (as well as real-life speakers) often use a shibboleth— a specialized term or word used by a specific group of people—to show that they belong. For example, if you knew the name of a special chemical used to make jello, and you wanted to impress the head of a jello company, the name of that chemical would count as a shibboleth and saying it would help you show the jello executive that you're "in the know."

The Stagecraft of Ethos

In order to impress their positive personal qualities upon audiences, public speakers can use certain techniques that aren't available to writers. These include:

• Speaking in a certain manner or even with a certain accent.
• Demonstrating confident stage presence.
• Having reputable people to introduce the speaker in a positive light.
• Listing their credentials and achievements.

Put another way, the ethos of a speech can be heavily impacted by the speaker's confidence and manner of presenting him or herself.

Ethos and Ad Hominem

An ad hominem argument is a specific type of argument which involves attacking someone else's character or ethos, rather than attacking that person's position or point of view on the subject being discussed. Ad hominem attacks usually have the goal of swaying an audience away from an opponent's views and towards one's own by degrading the audience's perception of the opponent's character. For instance, if one politician attacks another as being "elite," the attacker may be seeking to make voters question whether the other politician is trustworthy or actually has the public's interest at heart. But the first politician is not in any way attacking their opponent's positions on matters of policy.

An ad hominem argument is not necessarily "wrong" or even a bad strategy, but it's generally seen as more dignified (another component of ethos ) for speakers to focus on strengthening their own ethos, and to debate their opponents based on the substance of the opposition's counterarguments. When a literary character uses an ad hominem argument, this can sometimes indicate that he or she is insecure about his or her own position regarding a certain issue.

Ethos Examples

Examples of ethos in literature.

Characters in novels often use ethos , as well as logos and pathos , to convince one another of certain arguments in the same way that a speaker in reality might use these techniques. In addition, authors often use a subtler form of ethos when establishing a narrator's reliability at the outset of a novel.

Ethos in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

In Atlas Shrugged, a group of pioneering American industrialists, financiers, and artists go on strike against a corrupt government. As the strike nears its end, its leader—John Galt—delivers a speech to the nation about his ideals. He promises that the strike will end only if Americans allow him to remake the country according to his moral code, which he explains in the following lines:

Just as I support my life, neither by robbery nor alms, but by my own effort, so I do not seek to derive my happiness from the injury or the favor of others, but earn it by my own achievement. Just as I do not consider the pleasure of others as the goal of my life, so I do not consider my pleasure as the goal of the lives of others. Just as there are no contradictions in my values and no conflicts among my desires—so there are no victims and no conflicts of interest among rational men, men who do not desire the unearned and do not view one another with a cannibal's lust, men who neither make sacrifices nor accept them.

Galt not only creates an impression of moral rectitude, but also emphasizes his own self-sufficiency. He assures his audience that he expects nothing in return from them for sharing his personal views. In this way, his ability to cultivate an aura of impartiality and objectivity enhances his ethos.

Ethos in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter opens with a chapter called "The Custom-House," in which the unnamed narrator—who has a similar biography to Hawthorne—describes his job in a Custom House, a place where taxes were paid on imports in 18th century Massachusetts. The narrator's stories about his job have no relation to the actual narrative of The Scarlet Letter, except that he finds the scarlet letter of the title in the Custom House attic. This discovery inspired him to research the life of the woman who wore the embroidered letter, and to tell her story. By presenting himself as someone who merely discovered, researched, and "edited" the story the reader is about to begin, the narrator effectively creates the impression that his is a reliable historical account, thereby strengthening his ethos.

It will be seen, likewise, that this Custom-House sketch has a certain propriety, of a kind always recognised in literature, as explaining how a large portion of the following pages came into my possession, and as offering proofs of the authenticity of a narrative therein contained. This, in fact—a desire to put myself in my true position as editor, or very little more, of the most prolix among the tales that make up my volume—this, and no other, is my true reason for assuming a personal relation with the public.

Ethos in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

In the opening lines of The Great Gatsby , the narrator, Nick Carraway, claims that he has followed one piece of his father's advice throughout his life:

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. 'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'... In consequence I'm inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. The abnormal mind is quick to detect and attach itself to this quality when it appears in a normal person, and so it came about that in college I was unjustly accused of being a politician, because I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men...

Nick's tendency to reserve judgement makes him an ideal, objective narrator, while his awareness of his own economic and social advantages makes him a perfect guide to the privileged world of The Great Gatsby. Though he describes his non-judgmental, "neutral" affect with self-deprecating humor, it's a subtle way of strengthening his ethos as a narrator, and of causing the reader to eagerly anticipate hearing the stories that "wild, unknown men" have shared with him.

Examples of Ethos in Political Speeches

Every politician recognizes that a speaker must earn an audience's respect and trust if he or she expects to be listened to. As a result, it's difficult to find a political speech that doesn't contain an example of ethos. It's particularly easy to spot ethos in action when listening to speeches by candidates for office.

Ethos in Mitt Romney's Acceptance Speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention

When he accepted the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, Romney pointed to his business success as relevant experience that would serve him well if he were to take office:

I learned the real lessons about how America works from experience. When I was 37, I helped start a small company. My partners and I had been working for a company that was in the business of helping other businesses. So some of us had this idea that if we really believed our advice was helping companies, we should invest in companies. We should bet on ourselves and on our advice. So we started a new business called Bain Capital...That business we started with 10 people has now grown into a great American success story. Some of the companies we helped start are names you know. An office supply company called Staples – where I'm pleased to see the Obama campaign has been shopping; The Sports Authority, which became a favorite of my sons. We started an early childhood learning center called Bright Horizons that First Lady Michelle Obama rightly praised.

In addition to strengthening his ethos by pointing to his past achievements, Romney also hopes to portray himself as principled, rational, and daring when he explains how his company decided to "bet on ourselves and on our advice."

Ethos in John Kasich's 2016 Ohio Primary Victory Speech

After winning his first campaign victory, 2016 presidential candidate John Kasich told his supporters about his disadvantaged yet hardworking relatives to contextualize his own rise to success:

And you know, ladies and gentlemen, my whole life has been about trying to create a climate of opportunity for people. You know, as my father carried that mail on his back and his father was a coal miner, and you know, I was just told by my cousin—I didn't realize this—that my mother, one of four [children]‚ was the only one to graduate from high school. The other three barely made it out of the eighth grade because they were poor... And you know, as I've traveled the country and I look into your eyes... You want to believe that your children are going to have ultimately a better America than what we got from our mothers and fathers. That's the great American legacy: that our kids will be better than we are.

By saying that he comes from a modest background, Kasich hopes to convey that he is "just a regular American" and that he will advocate for other hard working Americans.

Ethos in Winston Churchill's 1941 Address to Joint Session of the US Congress

In this speech to the US Congress during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill enhances the ethos of his speech by emphasizing both the qualities he shares in common with the American people and the American Democratic values instilled in him by his parents:

I am a child of the House of Commons. I was brought up in my father's house to believe in democracy. "Trust the people." That was his message. I used to see him cheered at meetings and in the streets by crowds of workingmen way back in those aristocratic Victorian days when as Disraeli said "the world was for the few, and for the very few." Therefore I have been in full harmony all my life with the tides which have flowed on both sides of the Atlantic against privilege and monopoly and I have steered confidently towards the Gettysburg ideal of government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Examples of Ethos in Advertisements

Advertisers often attempt to use ethos to influence people to buy their product. Dressing up an actor as a doctor who then extols the benefits a medication is a way that advertisers used to try to gin up a little ethos , but such obvious practices of what might be called "fake ethos" are now regularly mocked. However, any celebrity endorsement or testimonial from an expert are also attempts to build up ethos around a product's endorsement. For instance, here's a Prudential Financial commercial that ups its ethos with an appearance by Harvard social psychologist Dan Gilbert.

Why Do Writers Use Ethos?

Politicians, activists, and advertisers use ethos because they recognize that it is impossible to convince an audience of anything if its members do not believe in the speaker's credibility, morality, or authority.

The use of e thos in fiction is often different from real-world examples. Authors are not usually trying to directly influence their audience in the way politicians or advertisers are. Rather, authors often show one of their characters making use of ethos . In doing so, the author gives insight into characters' perceptions of one another, their values, and their motives.

In addition, e thos is an especially useful tool for authors looking to establish a narrator's credibility. Having a credible narrator is hugely important to the success of a literary work. Books with narrators that never establish a reasonable claim to an objective viewpoint are nearly impossible to read because everything they say is cast in doubt, so that readers come to feel like they're being lied to or "jerked around," which is fatiguing. Although often enough readers simply assume that a narrator has credibility , if you've ever read a book where you felt you simply didn't like the narrator very much—or watched a television show where you felt that none of the characters were likable or believable—that might be another sign that the writer has failed to establish a character's ethos . There are circumstances in which a writer creates an unreliable narrator —a narrator who is either purposefully or subconsciously offering a slanted narrative—but ethos is just as crucial in creating such a narrator: the author must first establish the narrator's ethos and then slowly undermine it over the course of the book.

Other Helpful Ethos Resources

• The Wikipedia Page on Ethos: An in-depth explanation of ethos , and how the concept has changed over time.
• The Dictionary Definition of Ethos: A definition and etymology of the term, which comes from the Greek ethos meaning "character, custom, or habit."
• Ethos on Youtube: An excellent video from TED-Ed about the three modes of persuasion.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
• Downloads of 1971 LitCharts Lit Guides
• Teacher Editions for every Lit Guide
• Explanations and citation info for 41,568 quotes across 1971 books
• Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play
• Climax (Plot)
• Common Meter
• Dramatic Irony
• Verbal Irony
• Rhyme Scheme
• Characterization
• Protagonist
• Parallelism
• Personification
• Flat Character