Rhetorical Device

A Rhetorical Device is a language technique for linguistic discourse that enables speakers and writers to convey meaning, persuade audiences, and create literary effects beyond the literal interpretation of words.

• AKA: Literary Device, Persuasive Technique.
• Context:
  • It can typically enhance Persuasive Communication with rhetorical patterns that strengthen argument structures.
  • It can typically evoke Emotional Response through rhetorical appeals targeting audience sentiments.
  • It can typically establish Speaker Credibility with rhetorical ethos demonstrating expertise or moral character.
  • It can typically organize Complex Information through rhetorical structures creating cognitive frameworks.
  • It can typically highlight Key Concept through rhetorical emphasis directing audience attention.
  • ...
  • It can often create Memorable Expression through rhetorical rhythm and linguistic patterns.
  • It can often challenge Conventional Thinking via rhetorical subversion of expected meaning.
  • It can often bridge Conceptual Distance with rhetorical association between disparate ideas.
  • It can often establish Group Identity through rhetorical boundary between in-group and out-group.
  • It can often disguise Logical Fallacy behind rhetorical misdirection obscuring reasoning flaws.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Simple Linguistic Structure to being a Complex Argumentative Framework, depending on its structural complexity.
  • It can range from being a Subtle Textual Element to being a Dominant Discourse Pattern, depending on its prominence level.
  • It can range from being a Culturally Specific Expression to being a Universal Persuasive Tool, depending on its cultural boundedness.
  • It can range from being a Purely Ornamental Feature to being a Central Meaning Mechanism, depending on its functional significance.
  • ...
  • It can operate through Pattern Recognition for rhetorical effectiveness via cognitive processing.
  • It can facilitate Information Retention through rhetorical memorability enhancing audience recall.
  • It can enable Conceptual Framing via rhetorical perspective influencing audience perception.
  • It can perform Emotional Manipulation through rhetorical pathos targeting audience vulnerability.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Rhetorical Device Categories, such as:
    • Rhetorical Appeals, such as:
      • Ethos for credibility establishment.
      • Pathos for emotional engagement.
      • Logos for logical persuasion.
    • Rhetorical Figures, such as:
      • Metaphor for conceptual comparison.
      • Simile for explicit comparison.
      • Personification for human attribute attribution.
      • Hyperbole for deliberate exaggeration.
    • Syntactic Rhetorical Devices, such as:
      • Parallelism for structural repetition.
      • Chiasmus for inverted parallelism.
      • Anaphora for beginning word repetition.
      • Epistrophe for ending word repetition.
    • Semantic Rhetorical Devices, such as:
      • Irony for meaning inversion.
      • Paradox for contradictory statement.
      • Oxymoron for contradictory combination.
  • Rhetorical Strategy Categories, such as:
    • Audience Engagement Techniques, such as:
      • Rhetorical Question for audience reflection stimulation.
      • Direct Address for audience connection establishment.
    • Argumentative Structures, such as:
      • Problem-Solution Pattern for issue resolution framing.
      • Cause-Effect Structure for causal relationship establishment.
    • Persuasive Frameworks, such as:
      • Monroe's Motivated Sequence for action motivation.
      • Rogerian Argument for common ground establishment.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Literal Statement, which communicates direct meaning without figurative layers or persuasive intent.
  • Technical Description, which prioritizes factual accuracy over rhetorical effect.
  • Logical Syllogism, which relies on formal structure rather than persuasive technique.
  • Procedural Instruction, which focuses on clear direction rather than audience persuasion.
  • Raw Data Presentation, which offers unprocessed information without rhetorical framing.
• See: Figure of Speech, Communication Technique, Persuasive Method, Literary Element, Linguistic Structure, Discourse Strategy, Argument Pattern, Emotion, Rhetoric, Meaning (Linguistics), Persuasion, Sarcasm, Irony.

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References

2015

• (Wikipedia, 2015) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rhetorical_device Retrieved:2015-5-17.
  • In rhetoric, a rhetorical device or resource of language is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective, using sentences designed to encourage or provoke a rational argument from an emotional display of a given perspective or action. Note that although rhetorical devices may be used to evoke an emotional response in the audience, this is not their primary purpose.

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