When I hear the word “argument,” an image comes to mind. Really, a series of images. Gritted teeth. Shaking heads. Red faces. Arms crossed. Tears. Two people squaring off against each other, pits in their stomachs. Words as weapons. But that’s a limiting view of argument. I’ve been reading through, of all things, a textbook … Continue reading On a broader definition of argument
Category: Rhetoric
On isocolons
I wouldn't say this is a rhetorical device, in that it's not argumentative. But an isocolon sure can make something sound good. An isocolon is a parallel structure, where multiple phrases contain the same number of words or syllables. Usually, isocolon appear in two, three, or four parts. A famous example in advertising is the … Continue reading On isocolons
On correctio and apophasis
Correctio is a sneaky rhetorical gambit: you say something, stop, claim you made a “mistake,” and correct yourself. Clever speakers know that even when you retract or amend a statement, you’ve still planted the idea in listener’s minds. The correction stands not on its own but as a concept linked to the “mistake.” It’s not … Continue reading On correctio and apophasis
On synonyms
In reading about rhetoric, I'm confronted by an uncomfortable thought: Every word you use should be there for a reason. As a writer who works in first drafts and rough edits (!), you can understand why this thought made me panicky. I don't dedicate that level of attention to my writing, though I wish I … Continue reading On synonyms
On ploce
There’s an incantatory magic to repetition. I’m tempted to deploys ploce here and prove my point—but that would be a little on the nose. Ploce is repetition of a word throughout a passage. Unlike epizeuxis, where a word repeats in sequence, ploce is the appearance of a word in multiple places without specific spacing constraints. … Continue reading On ploce
On polypton
Polypton is a word scheme that plays with derivative forms of the same word. FDR offers a famous example in his claim that the “only thing we have to fear (1) is fear (2) itself.” Fear #1 is a verb in infinitive form, while fear #3 is a noun. Both words, of course, share an … Continue reading On polypton
On agnomination
Agnomination is a word scheme that replaces one word in a phrase with a similar sounding word that offers a contrast of meaning, often an antithesis. The scheme results a stark either/or premise with an "echo" effect. The most famous example in modern oratory is Malcolm X's "the ballot or the bullet" speech. The use … Continue reading On agnomination
On metonymy
Synecdoche, which I looked at last week, is actually a subcategory of another rhetorical device: metonymy. Metonymy involves the substitution of one term for a closely related term. In the case of synecdoche, that substitution involves the whole for the part ("the FBI" for the "the agent") or the part for the whole ("the hand" … Continue reading On metonymy
On synecdoche
Synecdoche is a device best known as the substitution of the part for the whole, as in “all hands on deck” or “mouths to feed.” But what I’d forgotten is that the reverse is also synecdoche—the substitution of the whole for the part. What I hadn’t realized is that I’m a a frequent user of … Continue reading On synecdoche
On alliteration
As a device, alliteration is a pretty obvious one. Read a passage aloud (or even silently) and it will jump out at you. It's hard to miss a string of similar sounding words. Alliteration can delight—but also irritate—the reader. It's a delicate device that wears out its welcome pretty quickly. That last sentence? I wrote … Continue reading On alliteration
Taylor Coe 