rhetorical device?

Question

what is a rhetorical device and what all does it encompass?

Answer 1

A rhetorical device is a tool an author uses to persuade his reader to think or act in a certain manner.  We persuade people through the uses of ethos (ethical appeal), logos (logical appeal) and pathos (emotional appeal). Within this framework, rhetorical devices are used to convey and or all of the appeals.  For example, Dr.King's use of repetition is purposeful in his "Dream" speech. He creates a rhythm and pattern that is not only easy to listen to but easy to remember.  His speech opens with an analogy of how the promise for equality in the U.S. was like a bounced check.  This creates a image for the listener to "see" the injustice of the problem.

Answer 2

Okay, so I took AP Lit. last year too! A rhetorical device is and we actually had to write a paper on each Rhetorical Device. It includes alliteration, analogy, allusion, hyperbole, metonymy, metaphor, etc.  All it is, is something that you use in a paper or piece of work to enhance the work and help get your point of view across in a more artistic way. Such as Juxtaposition, it's when you take a view from two sides at the same, but they are still related with each other. It will also help you out if you include a rhetorical device in a paper.