We have been listening to most influential personalities, motivational speakers and leaders. When a motivational speaker tells you to do something, you find yourself in no position to reject, when an influential leader asks you something, you cannot deny, nor resist. What makes them so impactful and impressive? It is their speech that makes them effective. Good communication skills are essentially needed in conveying a message or idea effectively. Here in this article we will discuss different rhetorical strategies with examples.
Rhetorical strategies defined
Rhetorical strategies are commonly known as communication skills that are used to convey an idea effectively to persuade and provoke people into action. We are aware of their importance. Rhetoric is a skill of communication that we use in speeches, narrations, essays, persuasive writings and conversation.
If you don’t know what are Rhetorical strategies, do read: What are Rhetorical strategies?
There are numerous strategies or devices used for persuasion, some of them are given below.
List of 31 used rhetorical strategies with examples
- Anastrophe
- Alliteration
- Asyndeton
- Amplification
- Allusion
- Analogy
- Simile
- metaphor
- Anadiplosis
- Anaphora
- Antistrophe/ epistrophe
- Antithesis
- Apophasis
- Oxymoron
- Antanagoge
- Chiasmus
- Climax/ parallelism
- Diacope
- Euphemism
- Expletive
- Eponym
- Hyperbole
- Hypophora
- Litotes
- Meiosis
- Mesodiplosis
- Metabasis
- Metanoia
- Irony
- Tricolon
- Symploce
There are four Aristotelian rhetorical strategies also called modes of persuasion.
Anastrophe
Anastrophe is deviating from word order to add emphasis
With you, I want to fly in the sky, and beyond
For you I can bear the mountains of difficulties, and more
Alliteration
It repeats a letter or a sound in sequence
Veni, vidi, Vinci
She sells seashells on the seashore
I wish you lived a long life
Asyndeton
Climb every mountain; swim every ocean just to be with you
Empty dinner tables, empty rooms, empty homes, it was a time I never want back
Allusion
It uses reference of popular events or place
Unplugging her phone charger means starting world war 3
So thirsty that I supposedly am in Karbala
Amplification
It repeats a word or phrase to add emphasis
She always wanted a daughter, a daughter who fulfills her vacancy of a friend
Anadiplosis
Repeat the last word of first clause at the beginning of next
If you want to leave, leave with grace
If you want to start, start with full determination
Analogy
It is like an extended simile, adding detail
The sunrays were like stones falling on her head and passing through her body until toe when she found her husband was cheating on her.
Simile
Comparison of two things using words ‘like, as…’
Your love is like oxygen to me, I never get enough of it. The more I get, the more I want
Metaphor
Comparison without using comparative words
Wives are not punching bags for ill-raised sons to vent their aggression and anxiety out on.
Anaphora
Repeating word(s) at the start of phrases
I am not a feminist but I do have problem with eve teasing and harassment, I am not a feminist but I do have problem with male chauvinism
The famous speech by Martin Luther king ‘I have a dream that one day…’ is also an example of anaphora
You should not speak out loud, you should not laugh out loud, you should not breathe, this how a good girl is supposed to be in this society
Antistrophe/ epistrophe
Repeating word(s) at the end of phrases
It is a dream come true if we get Pakistan, not just a piece of land. it is a crown of freedom and success, not just a piece of land
Of the people, by the people, for the people, is the motto of democracy.
Antithesis
Using contrasting ideas in consecutive sentences to provoke into action
This agreement will be a turning point in our lives, after this we live as brothers or end as enemies.
Join us on the trip or stay locked in you room
Apophasis
Revealing a secret that was to be kept by using’ I will not tell ‘for humor or sarcasm. Saying something, doing something
I will not tell anyone that you fell asleep during online class.
I will not tell Mia that you called her a drama queen
Oxymoron
Using two opposite words in single phrase
Undiscovered treasure,
He is a living death, neither says something nor does anything
They have a love hate relationship, one moment they will do PDA and the other moment they will refuse to see each other’s faces
Antanagoge
A negative and a positive statement together
She is messy but she is a masterpiece
She is cute but will bury you if you piss her off
Chiasmus
Reversing the order of words in consecutive clauses to give some sense and provoke emotions
You do not keep secrets; secrets keep you, especially the dark ones. If even one is revealed, you are gone.
You thick you shape your buildings, but the fact is the buildings shape you
Do not ask what America has given you; ask what you have given America
If you do not respect, you do not get respect
Climax/ parallelism
Using important and same sounding phrases or letter for continuity
Live for your family, for your parents because have been with you through your things and they deserve to see you happy
veni, vidi, Vinci
A small house, a good partner, a little happiness was all she wanted.
Diacope
Not a single leaf, I repeat not a single leaf can move without the permission of God
It was a magic to see the flowers dancing, a magic so eye pleasing that we could watch the whole night
Euphemism
Using pleasant words for some unpleasant thing, game of words
I saw my human flea wearing a head shoe coming towards me
Her grandmother passed away last month
We have used ‘human flea’ instead of ‘sibling’ and ‘head shoe’ instead of ‘hat’, ‘passed away’ instead of ‘died’.
Expletive
Word or phrase interrupting normal speech to add emphasis
There is no reason to hold back, it is a high time we stand
There is nothing left to lose
Quetta, a city of forgotten dreams is under the spill of racism and terrorism
Eponym
Using a famous name for the specific attribute
Are you waiting for angel Gabriel to put words in your mouth?
You do not have to mother Terresa to help the needy ones, anybody can do that
Hyperbole
Exaggerating a situation
When I saw him, I got so excited that my organs started clapping
The kid was so scared, I could hear his heartbeats
Hypophora
You ask a question, and then answer it yourself
When someone leaves the world, do you die with them? No, you keep living and keep praying for them.
Litotes
It is an understatement. Opposite of hyperbole
Those people are not blind; they can see how you deceive them
The candidate was not that bad not to consider for once for the job
Meiosis
It is also opposite of hyperbole, an understatement to draw more attention
The injuries on my body are nothing compared to wounds of my heart
The beauty you will see inside is tenfold of what you are seeing now
It is only the beginning, you are already tired
Mesodiplosis
Repeating word(s) in the middle of sentences
Allah is so powerful, he can move the mountains, so powerful, and he can crash them into sand
In his court, you will be rewarded for a beautiful soul and beautiful heart but will be judged and punished for unfair acts.
Metabasis
A statement followed by transition
I have had enough of drama and dragging; now I want to hear the truth
Metanoia
Adding importance to something by expressing it better
Even the blind could see how much I put efforts
After all these blessings if you are unhappy, it is your fault of being blind, not the fault in you stars
Irony
When we say something but mean the opposite. The difference between appearance and reality
We all hoped he would be a good prime minister
The irony of faith and this generation is that the procreator and mother of tomorrow is left uneducated. Not only uneducated but also their population is a grave concern
Tricolon
Using a trio of words or phrases
If you are not awake, no ruler, no policy, no land can guarantee you safety
All are free, all are equal and all deserve a chance to pursue happiness.
Symploce
Repeating first and last words
No matter how tired you are, you have to walk. No matter how shattered you are, you gotta stay strong.
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