A rhetorical device is a technique that has its origin in rhetoric, the classical art of discourse that was pioneered by the Ancient Greeks. Rhetoric is defined as the art of persuasive speaking or writing using figurative language and other innovative literary techniques. Thus, the principal purpose of such rhetorical devices is to employ diction and articulate effectively to convey the message and present a convincing argument to your audience. This element of persuasion is the essence of rhetoric, and rhetorical devices help one to enhance the cogency quotient of an argument.
2. What is a rhetorical device?
A rhetorical device is a technique that has its origin in rhetoric, the classical art
of discourse that was pioneered by the Ancient Greeks. Rhetoric is defined as
the art of persuasive speaking or writing using figurative language and other
innovative literary techniques. Thus, the principal purpose of such rhetorical
devices is to employ diction and articulate effectively to convey the message
and present a convincing argument to your audience. This element of
persuasion is the essence of rhetoric, and rhetorical devices help one to
enhance the cogency quotient of an argument.
3. Why should we use rhetorical devices and
why are they important?
Rhetorical devices are used to trigger emotional responses in an audience and
persuade the readers or the listeners. The scope of rhetorical devices is broad.
Even though the primary purpose is persuading your audience, these devices
are also used as aesthetic devices in writing. Rhetorical devices operate at
many levels, viz. words, paragraphs, sentences, etc. Each of these devices has
its own unique effect.
Thus, the very purpose of rhetorical devices is to facilitate effective
communication. Since time immemorial, human beings are trying to persuade
each other and make their point. So, we have been developing effective
communication skills for a long time. Rhetorical devices are the techniques that
help us formulate a compelling argument and influence the opinion of our
audience. In a complex socio-economic structure, good communication is key to
achieving better results in every sphere of our lives. Rhetorical devices enable
us to exchange information, argue, and convince each other constructively and
functionally.
4. Real-life uses of rhetorical devices
• Rhetorical devices have been used by people since the days of yore.
Rhetoric is especially useful in politics. Ministers avail of these innovative
devices to create an impression upon their audience and persuade them to
toe the line. These high and mighty speeches are intended to sway the
sentiments in their favor. Rhetoric is crucial in changing perceptions, winning
votes, and achieving political goals.
• “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask
what you can do for your country.”
• John F. Kennedy, in his iconic inauguration speech, used a rhetorical device
to inspire his countrymen and instill a sense of responsibility to take his
country forward. Chiasmus is a favorite rhetorical device of politicians. It
means the reversal of grammatical structures or the order of words in parallel
phrases or clauses. By using chiasmus, Kennedy created a contrast that
compelled his audience to deliberate on how they can independently
contribute to their country’s cause.
5. Rhetorical devices in plays
• When we talk of plays and rhetorical devices, the name of William
Shakespeare promptly comes to mind. The Bard’s plays are filled with
rhetorical and literary devices. Not only these techniques are flawlessly
used to convey the meaning, but the dramatic effect of them also enhances
the aesthetic quotient of the entire text.
• In Macbeth, when King Duncan shows his trust toward the Thane of
Cawdor, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to make it more interesting for
his readers. Dramatic irony happens when the audience is aware of what is
going on in a situation, but a character/characters are unaware of it. Duncan
trusts Macbeth, who would subsequently become the Thane of Cawdor. But
the King had no idea about the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will
eventually betray and kill him and take his throne. The audience, however,
is aware of the prophecy.
6. Rhetorical devices in songs
• Rhetorical devices elevate songs to another level. These devices help an audience
understand the mood of a song. The song could be funny, sad, happy, romantic,
sombre, and rhetorical devices work in tandem with the music to magnify the
emotional import of a song.
• “Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On a-Jupiter and Mars”
• Written by Bart Howard and made popular by Frank Sinatra, this romantic jazz
number uses rhetorical devices to intensify the narrator’s feelings. In the first two
lines, the writer uses hyperbole to exaggerate the warmth and passion as he wants to
fly to the moon and play among the stars.
• In the third and fourth lines, he uses another rhetorical device known as imagery.
Imagery appeals to your five senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound) and uses
descriptive language to create a visual representation of the world that the writer
wants to portray. It boosts your imagination that helps you to form images in your
mind. Thus in the last two lines of the abovementioned excerpt, imagery helps us to
imagine and feel how spring would like in Jupiter and Mars.
7. Rhetorical devices in TV shows
• Rhetorical devices are common in TV shows, especially in satires or
parodies like the longest-running American animated sitcom “The
Simpsons.” The show uses numerous rhetorical devices for comedic effect
or to enrich the satire. The principal character Homer Simpson is a skilled
rhetorician, and his famous catchphrase “D’oh!” has been added to the
Oxford English dictionary as well.
• “Oh Bart, don’t worry, people die all the time. In fact, you could wake up
dead tomorrow”.
• Here, Homer uses oxymoron to skilfully to explain a universal truth i.e. the
inevitability of death. He simultaneously pokes fun at his son to de-
emphasize the seriousness. The phrase “wake up dead” is an oxymoron as
the words and ideas contradict each other.
8. Rhetorical devices in movies
• Similarly, rhetorical devices are used in movies to augment its aesthetic
quality while keeping the dialogues economical at the same. Several films
have quirky or odd characters who employ such persuasive devices
regularly. Such devices, along with figures of speech, enhance the standard
of film screenplays and make the characters more interesting. The Star
Wars franchise has several remarkable characters who use rhetorical
devices in their dialogues. Yoda, the little, green humanoid alien, is noted
for his use of a particular rhetorical device called anastrophe.
• “The Chosen One, the boy may be”
• Anastrophe occurs when the normal order of words is changed for dramatic
or other effects. The changes in syntax result in an unusual grammatical
order where the subject, object, verb, etc. are not normally aligned. It
creates a strange effect and compels an audience to pay more heed to the
statements. The above statement from Yoda from the film “Star Wars: The
Phantom Menace (Episode I)” stands out for its unusual arrangement and
underlines the wisdom of Master Yoda.
9. Rhetorical devices in advertising
• Advertising is familiar territory for rhetorical devices. These are extremely
common and uses the three techniques of persuasion viz. ethos, pathos,
and logos to influence the audience. Ethos appeals to values or ethics,
pathos evokes emotions, and logos is concerned with facts and evidence.
Ethos generally entails advertisers using celebrities to endorse their
products, thus building credibility. Pathos sees advertisements convincing
the audience using concepts that are appealing to human emotions. E.g., a
romantic love story, a cute animal, etc. Logos employs stats and facts and
appeals to a person’s logic and power of reasoning.
• “Red Bull gives you wings.”
• The energy drink Red Bull uses the classic rhetorical device of metaphor to
elicit emotions in the audience. A metaphor uses figurative language to
describe something directly by alluding to another concept or thing. It is a
perfect device to grab someone’s attention and add colour to your speech
or write-up. Here, drinking Red Bull doesn’t literally give you wings, of
course. But it cleverly and very succinctly implies that it offers more energy
than any other drink or beverage like a cup of coffee. Red Bull’s slogan is
popular among the masses, and the marketing strategy of providing an
immense energy boost became a hit.
10. Rhetorical devices in poetry
• Rhetorical devices in poetry have been used to embellish the text and enhance
its aesthetic quality. These techniques enliven a poem, set its mood and
rhythm, and enraptures the reader. Poets regularly employ numerous rhetorical
devices in their pieces.
• “Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;”
• This excerpt from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous poem “Ozymandias” shows
the use of the rhetorical device of synecdoche. Shelley uses “the
hand” and “the heart” to refer to the sculptor. Synecdoche uses a part of
something to represent the whole of something or vice versa. By using “the
hand” and “the heart”, Shelley ensures that the word sculptor is not repeated in
the poem. Synecdoche helps Shelley to make her piece more interesting and
maintain the rhythm.
