rhetorical devices

Repetition of initial consonant sounds, e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, e.g., "I have a dream."

Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases, e.g., "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Addressing an absent or imaginary person or object, e.g., "O, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

Repetition of vowel sounds within words, e.g., "Hear the mellow wedding bells."

Omission of conjunctions in a series of words or phrases, e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Reversal of grammatical structures in successive clauses, e.g., "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Arrangement of words or phrases in order of increasing importance, e.g., "She earned respect, admiration, and finally, love."

Repetition of consonant sounds within words, e.g., "Pitter

Substitution of a mild or less direct word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one, e.g., "passed away" instead of "died."

Exaggeration for emphasis or effect, e.g., "I've told you a million times."

Use of vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses, e.g., "The warm, golden sun kissed the horizon."

Reversal of the normal word order in a sentence, e.g., "Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset."

A contrast between expectation and reality, often used humorously, e.g., "The fire station burned down."

Deliberate understatement for emphasis, e.g., "Not a bad idea."

A direct comparison between two unlike things, e.g., "Time is a thief."

Substitution of a related term to stand in for the actual thing, e.g., "The White House issued a statement."

Use of words that imitate the sound they describe, e.g., "Buzz," "Moo."

A combination of contradictory or opposing words, e.g., "bittersweet," "deafening silence."

A statement that appears contradictory but may contain truth, e.g., "Less is more."

Use of similar grammatical structures in a series of words or phrases, e.g., "She likes cooking, jogging, and reading."

A play on words, often for humorous effect, e.g., "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."

Giving human qualities to non

The use of excessive conjunctions in a sentence, e.g., "They ate and talked and laughed and played."

Repeating a word or phrase for emphasis, e.g., "Never, never, never give up."

A question posed for effect rather than to elicit an answer, e.g., "Who do you think you are?"

A comparison using "like" or "as," e.g., "Brave as a lion."

A logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion, e.g., "All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal."

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or vice versa, e.g., "All hands on deck."

Downplaying the significance of something, e.g., "It's just a flesh wound."

The use of a word to modify or govern two or more words, typically with different meanings, e.g., "He stole my heart and my wallet."