ELA11, CSS, Cizeron

There are many tools and techniques that poets, writers and orators use to sway their audiences. The following information and practice will allow you to understand, analyze and distinguish between the different techniques and tools.

"Rhetorical Devices for Persuasion" discusses 8 different rhetorical devices:  rhetorical question, analogy, simile, metaphor, parallelism, repetition, allusion, and anecdote.  This list of rhetorical devices is not exhaustive, obviously, as other strategies includes antithesis, juxtaposition, and humour.  Click here to review rhetorical devices and their definitions. 

Practice your ability to pick out rhetorical devices in text and speech.  Revisit Martin Luther King’s letter or speech from the previous practice and fill out the chart in the worksheet below. Find examples of different rhetorical devices used in the piece(s). Write down the name of the device, its definition, and example from the speech and the effect that the device has on the audience. An example has been provided for you.

Rhetorical Device Practice.docx
Rhetorical Devices Practice.pdf

*Do not submit this practice for marks