Rhetorical devices Lesson 1
Expletive, Antithesis, Anaphora, Rhetorical questions, Hypophora
1.Expletive is a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal syntax, used to lend emphasis to the words immediately next to the expletive.
Some useful expletives include the following: in fact, of course, indeed, I think, without doubt, to be sure, naturally, it seems, after all, for all that, in brief, on the whole, in short, to tell the truth, in any event, clearly, I suppose, I hope, at least, assuredly, certainly,
remarkably, importantly, definitely. In formal writing, avoid these and similar expletives: you know, you see, huh, get this.
But the lake was not drained before April.
But the lake was not, in fact, drained before April. Expletives are most frequently placed near the
beginning of a sentence, where important material has been placed:
All truth is not, indeed, of equal importance; but if little violations are allowed, every violation will in time be thought little. --Samuel Johnson
But sometimes they are placed at the very beginning of a sentence, thereby serving as signals that the whole sentence is especially important. In such cases the sentence should be kept as short as possible:
In short, the cobbler had neglected his soul.
2.Antithesis
Antithesis literally means “opposite,” is a
rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect, often in parallel structure. Human beings are systematizers and categorizers, so the mind has a natural love for antithesis, which creates a definite and systematic relationship between ideas:
To err is human; to forgive, divine. --Pope
That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. --Neil Armstrong
Antithesis can convey some sense of complexity in a person or idea by admitting opposite or nearly opposite truths:
Though surprising, it is true; though frightening at first, it is really harmless.
If we try, we might succeed; if we do not try, we cannot succeed.
3.Anaphora
In writing or speech, the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is known as Anaphora.
Anaphora, possibly the oldest literary device, has its roots in Biblical Psalms used to emphasize certain words or phrases. Gradually, Elizabethan and
Romantic writers brought this device into practice. Examine the following psalm:
“O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?”
The repetition of the phrase “O Lord,” attempts to create a spiritual sentiment. This is anaphora.
Common Anaphora Examples
It is common for us to use anaphora in our everyday speech, to lay emphasis on the idea we want to convey, or for self affirmation. The following are anaphora
“Every day, every night, in every way, I am
getting better and better.”
“My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My
life is my inspiration.”
“Buying diapers for the baby, feeding the baby,
playing with the baby: This is what your life is when you have a baby.”
“I want my money right now, right here,
all right?”
“The wrong person was selected for the wrong
job, at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose.”
“Their property was sold, their homestead was
sold, and their everything was sold for want.”
“Who is to blame, who is to look to, who is
to turn to, in a tough situation like this.”
“In adversity, his close friends left him, his close
colleagues left him, and his best close relatives left him.”
“Everything looked dark and bleak, everything
looked gloomy, and everything was under a blanket of mist.”
“All the people were moving in the same
direction; all the people were thinking about the same thing; and all the people were discussing the same topic.”
“After a long term of studies, the
students wanted to go home, they wanted to play, and they wanted to meet their parents and
friends.”
“The players were much exited for the tour; the
players wished to do a lot of shopping; the players planned to go sightseeing.”
“The young writer was given the award for his
best seller. The young writer was exited to get the reward, and he decided to celebrate the
“Tell them to be good, tell them to follow their
elders, and tell them to mind their manners.”
“The young athlete was in a decent uniform, and
wanted to perform very well.”
“My mother liked the house very much, but she
couldn’t buy it.”
“An apple fell on the head of a peasant, but he
couldn’t grasp the laws of motion.”
“The search party barely got to the middle of the
desert, when a storm overtook it.”
“The film was based on a true story, but it failed to
get viewers’ attention.
One famous example of this is…….I have a dream
4. Rhetorical question (erotesis) is not answered by the writer, because its answer is obvious or
obviously desired, and usually just a yes or no. It is used for effect, emphasis, or provocation, or for drawing a conclusionary statement from the facts at hand.
Is this the end to which we are reduced? Is the disaster film the highest form of art we can expect from our era? Perhaps we should examine the
alternatives presented by independent film maker Joe Blow . . . .
I agree the funding and support are still minimal, but shouldn't worthy projects be tried, even
though they are not certain to succeed? So the plans in effect now should be expanded to include . . . .
When you are thinking about a rhetorical question, be careful to avoid sinking to absurdity. You would not want to ask, for example, "But is it right to burn down the campus and sack the bookstore?" The use of this device allows your reader to think, query, and conclude along with you; but if your questions become
ridiculous, your essay may become wastepaper.
5. Hypophora consists of raising one or more questions and then proceeding to answer them, usually at some length. A common usage is to ask the question at the beginning of a paragraph and then use that paragraph to answer it:
There is a striking and basic difference between a man's ability to imagine something and an animal's failure. . . . Where is it that the animal falls
short?. . .
What then shall we say that Abraham, our
forefather, discovered in this matter?. . . What does the Scripture say? "
reader obviously has on his mind and would like to see formulated and answered:
What behavior, then, is uniquely human? My theory is this . . . . --H. J. Campbell
Hypophora can also be used to raise questions or to introduce material of importance, but which the reader might not have the knowledge or thought to ask for himself:
How then, in the middle of the twentieth century, are we to define the obligation of the historian to his facts?... The duty of the historian to respect his facts is not exhausted by . . . . --Edward Hallett Carr
But it is certainly possible to ask, How hot is the oven at its hottest point, when the average
temperature is 425 degrees? We learned that the peak temperatures approached . . . .
And hypophora can be used as a transitional or guiding device to change directions or enter a new area of
discussion:
