Rhetorical devices

Rhetorical Devices (Figures of Speech)A rhetorical device is a technique used in language to convey ideas and messages in a persuasive way. Figures of speech are ways of making our language figurative. When we use words in other than their ordinary or literal sense to lend force to an idea, to heighten effect, or to create suggestive imagery, we are said to be speaking or writing figuratively. 修辞格(figures of speech)是提高语言表达效果的语言艺术。

它能使语言生动形象、具体活泼，给人以美的享受。

1. Simile （明喻）is a figure of speech involving a comparison between two or more things, which are essentially different but have at least one property or characteristic in common. Words like as, as...as, as if, as though, as…so, and like are the commonly used expressions to make the comparison.E.g. Justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a might stream.It is something like improving the food in the prison while the people remain securely incarcerated behind bars.That scoundrel is as sly as an eel.To get a word from him was like pulling teeth.The first time I read a book, it is to me as if I had gained a new friend.He had given me the impression of absolute rigidity,as though he had swallowed a poker.一些常用句型也使用了明喻的修辞手法：(1)What句型：Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.阅读之于思想，如同锻炼之于身体What sculpture is tot a block of marble, education is to the soul.教育之于心灵，犹雕刻之于大理石。

Rhetorical DevicesLesson11.Onomatopoeia（拟声）is the formation of words in imitation of the sounds associated with the thing concerned.e.g. tinkling bells2.Alliteration(押首韵)is the use of several words in close proximity beginning with the same letter or letters.e.g. thread their way among the throngs of people3. Hyperbole(夸张) is the use of a form of words to make something sound big, loud and so on by saying this is like something even bigger, louder, etc.e.g. a flood of glistening linseed oil4. Antithesis(对偶，对语) is the setting, often in parallel structure, of contrasting words or phrases opposite each other for emphasis.“Ask not what you country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”e.g. which towers to the vaulted ceiling and dwarfs the camels and their stone wheels.5. Parallelism(并列) consists of phrases or sentences of similar construction and meaning placed side by side, balancing each other.e.g. the din of stall-holders crying their wares, of donkey-boys and porters clearing, of would-be purchasers arguing and bargaining6. Metaphor(隐喻) makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but the comparison is implied rather than stated, without using words like, as etc. (simile)e.g. It is a vast, somber cavern of room.7. Personification（拟人）gives human form or feelings to animals, or life and personal attributes to inanimate objects, or to ideas and abstractions.e.g. Camels lie disdainfully chewing their hay.8. Inversion (倒装)mainly refers to the reversal of the usual order of the subject and the predicate in a sentence.e.g. In this cavern are three massive stone wheels, …Lesson21.Rhetorical question(反问) is usually defined as any question asked for a purpose other thanto obtain the information the question asks.e.g: Was I not at the scene of the crime? (rhetorical question)2.Synecdoche（提喻）is figure of speech in which a word literally denoting a part is substituted for the whole; or the whole for a part, or a specific word is used to stand for abstract one or vice versa.e.g.They were short of hands at harvest time.China beat Brazil in yesterday’s soccer game.3. Metonymy(换喻) is a figure of speech in which the name of an attribute or a thing is used to stand for another thing, and the relation between the two things is not of similarity, but of contiguity.e.g.The kettle is boiling.Wall Street, American financial centerCapital Hill, U.S. Congressthe Pentagon, U.S. Defense Department4. Anti-climax(渐降) is a figure of speech in which a series of ideas are arranged in such a way that they go from the most important to the least important with steady weakening of emotion and tone. It is usually used for humorous effect.e.g. He lost his empire, his family and his fountain pen.The duties of a soldier are to protect is country and peel potatoes.5. Climax（层递）refers to the arrangement of series of ideas, which go from the least important to the most important with steady strengthening of emotion and tone.e.g. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested6. Euphemism (委婉语)is mild, pleasant, neutral, or inoffensive expressions used instead of harsh, blunt, coarse, or unpleasant ones. They are often used out of courtesy or consideration for other people’s feelings.e.g. pass away, go to heaven, to be gone.weight-watcher, under-achiever, perspiration, do one's business, answer the nature's call etc. Earthly care, worldly worry or concern.7.Irony (反语)is a figure of speech in which the meaning literally expressed is the direct opposite of the me aning intended and which aims at ridicule, humor or sarcasm to make one’s remarks forceful.e.g. Robbing a widow of her savings was certainly a noble act.…on the good fortune that my illness has brought me.Lesson51.Antithesis(对照; 对立; 对偶)It is a counter-propositions and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition.Any man or state who fights on against Nazidom will have our aid. Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe.Rhetorical Devices in the speech•1) Periodic sentence•2) Rhetorical question•3) Parallelism•4) Inversion•5) Repetition•6) Alliteration•7) Simile•8) Metaphor•9) AntithesisLesson 61.Metaphor:...the nerves of both ... Were excessively frayed...his wife shot him a swift, warning glance.The words spat forth with sudden savagery.Her tone ...withered......self-assurance...flickered...The Duchess kept firm tight rein on her racing mind.2. Euphemism:...and you took a lady friend.3. Metonym y:won 100 at the tableslost it at the barthey'll throw the book,...4. Onomatopoeia:appreciative chuckleclucked his tongueLesson 91.Metaphor eg:Mark Twain is Mirror of America2.Metonymy eg: His pen would prove mightier than his pickax 2. Simile:Most American remember M. T. as the father of......a memory that seemed phonographic3. Hyperbole:...cruise through eternal boyhood and ...endless summer of freedom... The cast of characters... - a cosmos.4. Personification:life dealt him profound personal tragedies...the river had acquainted him with ......to literature's enduring gratitude...The grave world smiles as usual...Bitterness fed on the man...Personal tragedy haunted his entire life5. Antithesis:...between what people claim to be and what they really are...6. Euphemism:...men's final release from earthly struggle7. Alliteration:...the slow, sleepy, sluggish-brained sloths stayed at home...with a dash and daring......a recklessness of cost or consequences...8. Metonymy:...his pen would prove mightier than his pickaxe。

修辞手法(全)
修辞手法（Rhetorical Devices）是文学创作中常用的一种表达方式。

它指利用语言的特点和文学形式的变化来表达一个意思的一种方法。

其目的是使文章更加生动、鲜明、有效地表达作者的情感和思想。

修辞手法可以分为四大类：
1. 比喻（Metaphor）：比喻是表达人们意念的最基本手段之一，它能够把一个抽象的事物或概念比作另一个抽象或具体的事物，从而能够让读者更好地理解概念。

2. 对比（Simile）：对比是一种通过将两个事物进行比较而使句子更加生动的写作手法，通过‘比如’，
‘像’等连词，使用者能够把一个事物比作另一个事物，从而加深读者的印象。

3. 修辞（Rhetoric）：修辞是一种使用言辞和表达方式来使话语更加有力量的一种方法。

它可以使话语更具有亲和力、表达更加清晰，并且能够激发读者的思考。

4. 重复（Repetition）：重复是一种有效地表达和强调某些观点的方法，它能够使读者更加清晰地记住文章中的重点内容，并且能够在文章中营造出一种紧张的气氛。

词义修辞格（LexicalRhetoricalDevices）所谓修辞是指依据题旨情境恰当地选择语言手段和表达方式, 以有效地表情达意。

修辞的目的是使作品更加形象生动、引人入胜。

了解英语中的修辞, 有助于我们更好地理解、欣赏文章,也有助于在写作中丰富我们自己的表达。

英语修辞格按其构成大致可以分为三类:(一)词义修辞格(Lexical Rhetorical Devices)词义修辞格主要是指借助语义的联想和语言的变化等特点创造出来的修辞手法。

大学英语中常见的词义修辞格有以下几种:1.Simile 明喻与汉语的明喻基本相同,是以两种具有相同特征的事物和现象进行对比,表明本体和喻体之间的相似关系。

常用来表示明喻的喻词有like, as, as if, as though等。

如:Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back. 学如逆水行舟,不进则退。

“How like the winter hath my absence been” or “So are you to my thoughts as food to life” (Shakespeare). 如“我的离开好象是冬天来临”或“你对我的思想就象食物对于生命一样重要”（莎士比亚）My love's like a red, red rose. 我的爱人像一朵红红的玫瑰花。

The man can't be trusted. He is as slippery as an eel. 那个人不可信赖。

他像鳗鱼一样狡猾。

He jumped as if he had been stung.他像被蜇了似的跳了起来。

Childhood is like a swiftly passing dream. 童年就像一场疾逝的梦。

2. Metaphor 暗喻暗喻也是一种比喻, 但不用比喻词, 因此被称为"缩减了的明喻(a compressed simile)"。

Rhetorical Devices•Simile•It is a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic in common. To make the comparison, words like as, as...as, as if and like are used to transfer the quality we associate with one to the other.•I wandered lonely as a cloud.•The pen is to a writer what the gun is to a fighter.•The diamond is as blue as the great sea.•The ruby shall be redder than a red rose.•Metaphor•It is like a simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied ratherthan stated.•The world is a stage.•Beauty without virtue is a rose without fragrance.•Some books are to be tasted, others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.•Snow clothes the ground.•The lecturer looked down at the sea of faces beneath him.•Metonymy•The substitution of the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated.•Gray hairs should be respected.•I have never read Li Bai.•He is too fond of bottle.•I was not one to let my heart rule my head.•借喻不直接说出所要说的事物,而使用另一个与之相关的事物名称。

Figures of Speech And Rhetorical Devices1.Simile(明喻)：用某一事物或情境来比拟另一事物或情境。

例：Wit without learning is like a tree without fruit2.Metapho r(暗喻)：它不用比喻词，直接把甲事物（喻体）当作乙事物（本体）来描述，其比喻关系隐含在句意中。

例：There were a few lordly poplars before the house.3.Personification(拟人)：把物（包括物体，动物，思想或抽象概念）比做人，使其具有人的外表，个性或情感的修辞手段。

例：The flowers nodded in the breeze.4.Alliteration(押头韵)：指以辅音字母开头，且有音符，有节拍节奏的诗歌。

例：A w ar of w it and w ords才智和语言的交锋5.Rhyme(押尾韵)：押词尾元音之韵例：True wit is nature to advantage d ressed,What oft was thought, but ne’er so well exp ressed,Something whose truth convinced at sight we f ind,That gives us back the image of our m ind.6.Satire(讽刺文)：通过幽默对社会现象或一群人所作所为的讽刺和取笑。

例：People who never gave the flag much thought except on the fourth of July have become suddenly, passionately, patriotic.7.Irony(反语)：正话反说，反说正话，含有讽刺意味。

例：“A fine thing!” the father replied.8.Euphemism(婉言)：把原来显得粗鲁或令人尴尬的语言温和含蓄的表达出来。

⾼级英语⼀修辞格归纳《⾼级英语（⼀）》修辞格归纳英语修辞格种类1.⾳韵修辞格(phonological rhetorical devices)⾳韵修辞格是利⽤词语的语⾳特点创造出来的修辞⼿法。

主要包括onomatopoeia、alliteration、assonance（元韵）、consonance（辅韵）等。

2.词义修辞格(semantic rhetorical devices)主要借助语义的联想和语⾔的变化等特点创造出来的修辞⼿法。

主要包括simile, metaphor, allusion（典故）, metonymy, transferred epithet, personification, hyperbole, irony, euphemism, pun, oxymoron, zeugma（轭式修饰法）, contrast 等。

3.句法修辞格(syntactical rhetorical devices)主要是指通过句⼦结构的均衡布局或是突出重点创造出来的修辞⼿法。

这类辞格主要包括repetition, rhetorical question, parallelism, antithesis, apostrophe （顿呼）等。

Anti-climax 渐降、突降法It is the opposite of Climax (渐升、层进法). A climbing down from strong to weak, from most impressive to less impressive. It is often used in humorous writing.1.For God, for American, and for Yale.2.The duties of a solider are to protect his country and peel potatoes.3.O dear!What shall I do?I have lost my beau and lipstick too.4.I love my motherland,I love my people,I love my wife and my son and my daughter,I also love my pretty little dog.幽默风趣讽刺嘲笑出⼈意料Climax 渐升、层进法A figure of speech in which a series of words or ideas is arranged in order of increasing importance.1.We’re low---we’re very low---we’re very very low, as low as low can be.2.The audience smiled, chuckled and finally howled.3.Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed anddigested.4.He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he who loses courageloses all.5.The drunkard smashed the glasses, upturned the table, and hit an old woman.Rhetorical Question 修辞问句Asking a question whose answer is self-evident intended to stir emotions.A question requiring no answer.不需要回答,其答案寓于问句的反⾯, 其作⽤是加强语⽓,表达强烈的感情, 以引起读者或听者深思。

I Rhetorical Devices1.1Alliteration1.1.1DefinitionThe word “alliteration”derives from Latin, meaning “repeating and playing upon the same letter”. It is the repetition of initial consonant in two or more words. 1.1.2Examples(1)The great and good do not die even in this world. (- Companionship of Books)(2)Love me, love my dog. (- Companionship of Books)(3)The preacher preached a wonderful rhythmical sermon, all moans and shouts and lonely cries and dire pictures of hell, and then he sang a song about the ninety and nine safe in the fold, but one little lamb was left out in the cold. (-Salvation)1.1.3AnalysisIn the three sentence, “good”and “great”，“love”and “love”, and “preacher”and “preached”all have initial consonants; that means they are the repetitions of initial consonants in two words, so the sound rhymes are made in the three sentences. All in all, the alliterations are used in these three sentences.1.2Assonance1.2.1DefinitionAssonance is the repetition or resemblance of vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of a sequence of words, preceded and followed by different consonants. Assonance also refers to the likeness of sound in a series of words.1.2.2Examples(1)My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! (-Salvation)(2)It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.(- Companionship of Books)1.2.3Analysis(1)In the first sentence, in the “light”, the “inside”, and the “life”, the vowel sound “I[ai]”—in the stressed syllables is repeated, so the euphony is created and also it is followed by different consonants, so the assonance is applied.(2)In the second sentence, the “words”and the “works”have the likeness of sound—[wɜː], the partial–rhyme is made, so the figure of speech of this sentence is assonance.1.3Consonance1.3.1DefinitionConsonance comes from Latin, meaning “to harmonize”. It refers to the repetitionof the final and identical consonants whose preceding vowels are different.1.3.2Examples(1)My Stroke of Luck. (--My Stroke of Luck.)(2)Yet it is often misunderstood and misinterpreted, for language is a very complicated mechanism with a great deal of magnitudes. (-Gender Bias in Language)(3)Almost without fail the masculine word is put before the feminine word. For example, Mr. and Mrs., his and hers, boys and girls, men and women, kings and queens, brothers and sisters, guys and dolls and host and hostess are all commonplace in today s society.(-Gender Bias in Language)1.3.3AnalysisIn the first phrase, the sounds of “ke”and “k”are same; in the second sentence, the sounds of the “d”are repeated; in the last sentence, the sounds of the “s”are the same. The consonances are used in the phrase and the two sentences to make them more metrical.1.4Pun1.4.1DefinitionPun is, in nature, a word–play. A pun involves the use of a polysemous word tosuggest two or more meanings, commonly literal meaning versus figurative meaning, or involves the use of homonyms.1.4.2Examples(1)For I was then his vision, as I am still his right hand. Literally, I was (what he often called me) the apple of his eye. He saw nature -- he saw books through me. (-Jane Eyre)(2)If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately. (-Benjamin Franklin)1.4.3Analysis(1)In the first sentence, the sounds “I”and the “eye”are the same.Literally, I help him see something, but figuratively, I am his eyes, and I am the apple in his eye—I am very important, so the pun is used and produces a witty effect from the juxtaposition of meanings.(2)In the second sentence, the first “hang”means “unit”, but the latter “hang”means “being killed”-one word suggests two meanings. The pun is used and both of the humorous effect and witty effect are created.1.5Repetition1.5.1DefinitionRepetition is a powerful rhetorical device which creates good rhythm and parallelism to make the language musical, emphatic, attractive and memorable.1.5.2Examples(1)Then he said: 'Won't you come? Won't you come to Jesus? Young lambs, won'tyoucome?"(-Salvation) (2)And I kept waiting serenely for Jesus, waiting, waiting—but he didn't come.(-Salvation) (3)I wanted to see him, but nothing happened to me. Nothing! I wanted something to happen to me, but nothing happened. (-Salvation)1.5.3AnalysisIn the first sentence, the “Won't you come?”is repeated for three times; in the second sentence, “waiting”is also repeated for three times to show the anxiousness of the author; in the third sentence, the “nothing”is repeated for three times to express that the author’s irritation or complains. The repetitions are used in the three sentences and create good rhymes to make the language more emphatic, attractive and memorable.1.6Anaphora1.6.1DefinitionThe word “anaphora”originates from Greek, meaning “carrying back”. It is a popular figure of speech involving the repetition of the same word at the beginningof successive clauses, sentences or verses.1.6.2Examples(1)Do you respect plant life? Do you stop anyone from carving in the bark of trees? Do you avoid walking on fresh grass? Do you conserve water and energy?(-Becoming A Child Of Nature：It’s A Twofold T ask of Parents and Children)(2)I loved life, and I loved being alive. (- The Light of Depression)(3)He taught me to hate hypocrisy and pious mouthing of unctuous words. He taught me that beneath gruffness there may be kindness, and that kindness is the sweetest thing in the world, and goodness is the best thing in the world. He taught me to despise money grubbing.(-A Debt to Dickens)(4)I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that myfour little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."? （-I Have A Dream）1.6.3AnalysisIn the three sentences, the beginning words of the successive sentences are all repeated：“do you”, “I loved”, “he taught”，and “I have a dream”are all the beginning words of the successive sentences and are all repeated. Therefore, the anaphoras are used and strengthen the tone of the language to make the text more persuasive.1.7Epiphora1.7.1DefinitionEpiphora is the opposite of anaphora. It is the repetition of the same words or phrases at the end of successive lines, clauses or sentences.1.7.2Examples(1)That the government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. (-Abraham Lincoln)(2)The man takes away a woman’s virginity and a woman loses her virginity.(-Gender Bias in Language)(3)And slowly, the desire to live, the courage to want to live, began to return.(-- The Light ofDepression)1.7.3AnalysisIn the three sentences, the ending words of the successive sentences are all repeated：“the people”, “virginity”, and the “to live”are all repeated, so the figure of speech of these three sentences is the epiphora and the epiphora is used to make the speech or text more convincing.1.8Antithesis1.8.1DefinitionThe word “antithesis”comes from Greek word “antithenai”, meaning “opposition”. Antithesis, favored by many speakers when persuading, places contrasting ideas side by side for emphasis and rhythm.1.8.2Examples(1)The world will little note what we say here, but it can never forget what they didhere.(-AbrahamLincoln)(2)In American culture, a woman is valued for the attractiveness of her body, while a man is valued by his physical strength and his achieves.(-Gender Bias in Language)(3)Allen Pace Nielsen notes that there are instances when women are seen as passive while men are active and bring things into being. (-Gender Bias in Language)1.8.3Analysis(1)In the first sentence, the “little note”and the “never forget”are the contrasting ideas in order to emphasize that people will never forget what the soldiers do their country. Clearly, the antithesis is used to stress the important part of the sentence.(2)In the second sentence, the difference between women valued for attractiveness and men valued by their strength and achievements is demonstrated to show that the discrimination to the women. The antithesis is used to make the language more sharp or forceful.(3)The two contrasting ideas: “active”and “passive”are used to show the gender bias in the society. The antithesis is applied to stress the contradiction—the author’s intention can be protruded.1.9Climax1.9.1DefinitionThe word “climax”derives from the Greek word “klimax”, meaning “ladder”. As a figure of speech, climax is the arrangement of words, phrases, clauses, or sentences in ascending order of importance.1.9.2Examples(1) But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannothallow thisground.(-AbrahamLincoln)(2)Men can think, feel and sympathize with each other through their favorite author.(-Companionship ofBooks)1.9.3Analysis(1)Dedicate, consecrate, hallow, the tone of the sentence is gradually increasing, the summit is the “hollow”, so climax is applied to convey the author’s thought in an ascending order of force and intensity. It can make people accept an idea gradually.(2)In the second sentence, firstly, people think, and then at a higher level people feel with each other, and the highest level is that people sympathize with each other through their favorite author. As a result, the climax is used to convince usthat books are very important to us and to make us accept the idea more easily.1.10Anticlimax1.10.1DefinitionAnticlimax is the opposite of climax. It is the figure of speech that involves stating one’s thought in a descending order of significance or intensity, from the sublime to the ridiculous, from strong to weak, from weighty to light or frivolous.1.10.2Examples(1)He gave me that zest, that immense joy in life and in people, and in their variety.(- A Debt toDickens)(2) We sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them.(-Companionship ofBooks)1.10.3Analysis(1)The first sentence, life is a very broad concept, while the people is less broad and the people’s variety is the most narrow concept among the three phrases, so the anticlimax is used and makes the sentence change from a strong tone to a weak one.(2)Firstly we grieve with them, and then enjoy with them and in the end we sympathize with them, but in the second sentence the order is reverse, so the anticlimax is used to make the sentence more humorous.1.11Syllepsis1.11.1DefinitionThe word “syllepsis”derives from the Greek word “sullepsis”, meaning “taking together”. It is a construction in which the word that governs two or more other words means differently when it is collocated with these words separately.1.11.2Examples(1)For three days I dined alone on nothing more than humiliation, shame, and an assortment of junk food from a machine strategically placed outside my room. （-Fresh Start）(2)She opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy. (-Reference Book)1.11.3Analysis(1)In the first sentence, “dined”has two different meanings :the “dined”with the humiliation and shame should be interpreted “suffered”while the “dined”with the junk food should be translated into the “ate”, so the figure of the speech of the sentence is syllepsis and the syllepsis makes the sentence more interesting and attracts more readers.(2)In the second sentence, the word “opened”in “opened the door”means “disclosed the door”, but in “opened her heart”it means “embraced the boy”, so the syllepsis is used to interest the readers.1.12Zeugma1.12.1DefinitionIn Greek, the word “zeugma”means “yoke”. Zeugma is a figure of speech in which a word is used to modify or govern two or more words although its use is not grammatically or logically correct with all of them.1.12.2Examples(1)At moon Mrs. Turpin would get out of the bed and humor, put on kimono, airs, and the water to boil foe coffee. (-Reference Book)(2)“During our war against Dutch,”he recalled, “I was a pacifist—but still a patriot. Other people carried guns. I carried words. Whenever people gathered, I spoke against the Dutch.(-Reference Book)1.12.3Analysis(1)The first sentence, the verbal phrase “put on”correctly governs “kimono”, “airs”in the grammar and logic, but it is incorrect to govern the word “water”, so the zeugma is used to catch the reader’s attention.(2)In the second sentence, “carry”collocates properly with “guns”, but not properly with “words”, so the zeugma is used to attract the audience.1.13Chiasmus1.13.1DefinitionThe word “chiasmus”comes from Greek word “chiasmos”, meaning “cross–wide”. It is a construction involving the repetition of words or syntactic elements in reverse order.1.13.2Examples(1)"The Shepard seeks the sheep,and not the sheep the Shepard;but I seek my master,and my master seeks not me;therefore I am no sheep.""The sheep for fodder follow the Shepard,the Shepard for food follows not the sheep;thou for wages followest thy master,thy master for wages follows not thee;therefore, thou art a sheep." —Shakespeare(2)You can fool all the people some of the time, and some people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.1.13.3Analysis(1)In this poetry, chiasmus is used because some words like “Shepard”and “sheep”, “I”and “my master”etc. are repeated in reverse order. The chiasmusmakes the sentence more humorous.(2)In the second sentence, “all”, and “some”are repeated in a reverse order to make the sentence more humorous, so the chiasmus is applied and creates a solemn and witty effect.1.14Simile1.14.1DefinitionThe word “simile”derives from Latin word“similis”, meaning “like”. In rhetoric, simile is a figure of speech by which two concepts or two dissimilar things are imaginatively or descriptively compared because they have at least one quality or characteristic in common or in resemblance.1.14.2Examples(1)In those days Hollywood was like a magnet. (--Hollywood)(2)The good and true thought may in times of temptation be as an angel of mercy purifying and guiding the soul. (-Companionship of Books)(3)Now what will become of your weariness if you suddenly raise your eyes only to catch sight of distant row of trees （or just a couple of them）standing there proudly like sentries.1.14.3Analysis(1)In the first example the “Hollywood”is the tenor and the “magnet”is the vehicle; they have one thing in common: attractiveness; also, on account of the commonest connective “like”, the figure of speech of this sentence is simile and the simile gives us a deeper insight into the idea through the association.(2)The second example, “both of the good and true thought”is the tenor and the “angel”is the vehicle; plus the commonest connective “as”, the figure of speech of this sentence is simile, and the simile explains abstract idea in simple, concrete imagery.(3)As for the third example, the tenor is “the trees”and the vehicle is the “sentries”; and the trees and sentries all stand very straight—their likeness; because of the word “like”, simile is used in this sentence to make us have a clear idea about the trees’standing.1.15Metaphor1.15.1DefinitionThe word “metaphor”derives from the Greek word “metaphora”, which means “transference, carrying over”. It is a very common figure of speech. Metaphor uses words to indicate something different from their literal meaning—one thing is described in terms of another so as to suggest a likeness or analogy between them. It is like a simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlikea simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated.1.15.2Examples(1)A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life couldthink about.(-Companionship ofBooks)(2)Life is a big swing, dangling between the depths of happiness and sadness.(3)But then, remembering my aisle mate's hand clutching mine while I clutched the hand of the high school student, I feel struck by lightning all over again: the point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on. (-When the Lightning Struck)(4)Many studio chiefs were tyrants, determined to get their own way at all costs, no matter how unscrupulous the means. (--Hollywood)1.15.3Analysis(1)In the first two sentences, the book is not the urn and the life is not the wing, so the “likeness”is implied in these two sentences; thus the metaphor is used in the first two sentences to make the abstract idea like “life”more concrete.(2)In the third sentence, literally, “I was struck by lightning”, but actually, the author wants to express that an idea occurs to me suddenly and sharply, just like being struck the lightning. The metaphor is used.(3)In the third sentence, the metaphor is applied because the studio chiefs and the tyrants are alike in their own ways of doing things, and the “likeness”is implied to illustrate the cruelty of the studio chiefs.1.16Metonymy1.16.1DefinitionThe word “metonymy”derives from the Greek word “metonymia”, which means “change of name”. It is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another.1.16.2Examples(1)About 80％of all American TV entertainment comes from Hollywood. (--Hollywood)(2)The virtue was a great zest for life. If he saw everything black and white, it was because life rushed out of him strong and clear, full of love and hate. (- A Debt to Dickens) 1.16.3Analysis(1)In the first sentence, though Hollywood is a place, nowadays, people are apt to regard Hollywood as a symbol of American movie industry. Therefore, the American movie industry is substituted by the Hollywood. The metonymy is used.(2)Of the second sentence, the “black”and “white”refer to “evil”and “kind”respectively. The metonymy is used to give us more space to think about the referent in a semantic way.1.17Synecdoche1.17.1DefinitionThe word “synecdoche”is from the Greek word “syneckdoche”, which means “to receive together”. It is a figure of speech by which a more comprehensive term is used for a less comprehensive or vice versa; as whole for part or part for whole, genus for species or species for genus, etc.1.17.2Examples(1)To this small, isolated creature there came one day an extraordinary accident.(- A Debt toDickens)(2)Even now, back on terra firma, walking down a Vermont road, I sometimes hear an airplane and look up at that small, glinting piece of metal. (-When the Lightning Struck)1.17.3Analysis(1)The first sentence, the creature is a very general concept, but there the author herself is a specific concept, genus for species, so the figure of speech of this sentence is synecdoche.(2)In the second sentence, the metal is the material of the airplane, part for the whole, so the synecdoche is used.1.18Personification1.18.1DefinitionPersonification is a figure of speech which attributes human characteristics to impersonal things, such as animals, inanimate objects, or abstractions.1.18.2Examples:(1)It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. (-Companionship of Books)(2)Those things never die, nor does the memory of a man who never stopped being my valentine.(-My Forever Valentine) (3)Clinical depression painted my world black while screaming quietly that I was worthless.(-The Light of Depression)1.18.3AnalysisAll the three sentences attribute human characteristics to the impersonal things like the book, those things and clinical depression: the book doesn’t have the ability of turning its back; the things don’t have life not mentioning dying; and the clinical depression can’t scream, so the personifications are used to add the vividness of the sentences.1.19Parody1.19.1DefinitionThe word “parody”derives from the Greek word “paroidia”, meaning “counter –song”. It is seen as kind of imitation which borrows the style and techniques of atext or writer’s idiolect and fits new subject matter to it.1.19.2Examples(1)There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog.”But there is more wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.”(-Companionship of Books)(2)TO LIE OR NOT TO LIE—THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA.(-TO LIE OR NOT TO LIE—THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA)1.19.3Analysis(1)The proverb is the “Love me, love my dog.”And “Love me, love my book”borrows the style of the proverb, so parody is used in this sentence to make the sentence more humorous(2)The second sentence is a kind of imitation of the sentence-to be or not to be, that’s a question—written by Shakespeare. The parody is used to make the sentence more humorous.1.20Transferred epithet1.20.1DefinitionTransferred epithet is a figure of speech in which an adjective properly modifying one noun is shifted to an other noun in the same sentence.1.20.2Examples(1)Memory and desire, stirring.Dull roots with spring rain.Winter kept us warm, covering.Earth in forgetful snow, feeding.A little life with dried tubers. (-Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard)(2)The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the leaThe ploughman homeward plods his weary way.(-Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard)(3)Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,And waste its sweetness on the desert air.Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breastThe little tyrant of his fields withstood;Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood. (-The Waste Land)1.20.3AnalysisIn the three sentences, the adjectives are all shifted to modify another noun in the same sentence: forgetful snow, his weary way, and dauntless breast. Not the snow is forgetful; not the way is weary but the ploughman; not the breast is dauntless but the village–Hampden. All in all, the transferred epithets are used in the threesentences.1.21Allegory1.21.1DefinitionAllegory is a story in verse or prose with a double meaning: a primary or surface meaning, and a secondary or under–the–surface meaning.1.21.2Examples(1)Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon, O King," cried the little Mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?" The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go. Sometime after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight, in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse.(-The Fables of Aesop)(2)The Lion once gave out that he was sick unto death and summoned the animals to come and hear his last Will and Testament. So the Goat came to the Lion's cave,and stopped there listening for a long time. Then a Sheep went in, and before she came out a Calf came up to receive the last wishes of the Lord of the Beasts. But soon the Lion seemed to recover, and came to the mouth of his cave, and saw the Fox, who had been waiting outside for some time. "Why do you not come to pay your respects to me?" said the Lion to the Fox. "I beg your Majesty's pardon," said the Fox, "but I noticed the track of the animals that have already come to you; and while I see many hoof-marks going in, I see none coming out. Till the animals that have entered your cave come out again I prefer to remain in the open air." (-The Fables of Aesop)1.21.3Analysis(1)In the first story, from the surface meaning, the lion was saved by his kindness of not killing the little mouse, but from the under–the–surface meaning, we learned that little friends might prove great friends. Allegory is used to teach moral principle.(2)In the second story, primarily, we know that fox wasn’t killed by the lion because of not entering the cave of lion; secondly, we learned that it was easier to get into the enemy's toils than out again. The allegory is used in the story to make us understand the underlying sense.1.22Allusion1.22.1DefinitionAllusion derives from the Latin word “allusio”，which means “playing with”. It isusually a casual, brief and implicit reference to a famous historical or literary figure or well–known historical event, which the writer assumes to be familiar to his readers.1.22.2Examples(1)Then just before the revival ended, they held a special meeting for children, "to bring the young lambs to the fold." (- Salvation)(2)How do you translate the image of the Lamb of God for a culture in which sheep do not exist? What exactly was the fruit that Eve picked in the Garden of Eden? What was the creature that swallowed Jonah, given that whales are not given to swimming in warm, southern seas?(-Cultural Encounters)1.22.3Analysis(1)The first sentence, the Lame comes from “the Lame of God”, meaning the people who need to be saved from sins, so the allusion is used to make us to be more familiar with the concept in the sentence.(2)The “Eve”, “the Garden of Eden”, and “Jonah”are all from the Old Testament, so the allusion is applied.1.23Hyperbole1.23.1DefinitionIt is a common figure of speech popularly known as exaggeration or over–statement.1.23.2Examples(1)There is little difference between red glass and rubies to a child of six, and I remember wearing that ring with a pride that all the cards in the world could not surpass. (-My Forever Valentine)(2)If our parents didn’t get them for us, we felt our world would fall apart.(-The Virtues of GrowingOlder)1.23.3Analysis(1)In the first sentence, the ring is best in the world—it is only a kind of exaggeration to express that the author thinks the ring is very precious, so the hyperbole is used to emphasize the idea and draw the attention of the sentence.(2)In the second sentence, “the world would fall apart”is also a kind of exaggeration to express that getting good dress is the most important thing in the world, so the hyperbole is used to draw the attention of the audience to the subject so as to lay emphasis on it.1.24Understatement1.24.1DefinitionUnderstatement is a figure of speech in which an idea is deliberately expressed too weakly. It is the opposite of hyperbole.。

Rhetorical DevicesA. Categories:•Syntactic Devices•Lexical Devices•Phonetic Devices and Prose Rhythm•Figures of Speech•Allusions and Skewed Quotations典故和改引B. Syntactic devices句法辞格a. Definition: Syntactic devices refer to variation in the use of sentence structures for stylistic or rhetorical effect, and are different from the processes of transformation of basic sentence patterns according to grammar rules.b. Periodic Sentences 甩尾句Periodic sentence has its main idea at the end of sentence. Supportive or qualifying statements are placed before the main clause or assertion. The stylistic effect of a periodic sentence, is a cumulative effect of tenseness, suspense and dramatic climax. It is one kind of branching sentenc e 分枝句.eg.With his fine Roman nose, his clear grey eyes, black moustache, surmounted by the white-bound helmet of gold, he looked like a crusader.c. Parrallelism 排比Parrallel structure is one of the syntactic schemes of balance 平衡句. In parrallel construction it is necessary to balance word for word, phrase with phrase, clause with clause, sentence with sentence. To make the parrallelism clear, it is essential to repeat the marker of the parrallelism. eg.It is important to know how to study and to learn how to plan one’s time.d. Antithesis 对偶Antithesis is the deliberate arrangement of contrasting words or ideas in balanced structural forms to achieve force and emphasis. This is also a syntactic scheme of balance.eg.Speech is silver; silence is golden.If the economy stays down, can the conservatives stay up?e. Rhetorical question 修辞问句Rhetorical question is one that is asked to imply a definite answer. The question is seldom answered explicitly with a yes or no—the listener or reader surmises the actual answer from the context and/or the tone.eg.Was I not at the scene of the crime?C. Lexical Devices 词法辞格a. Definition: Lexical device refers to such a rhetorical device that the user employs lexical means to express ideas clearly and effectively or to achieve artistic and stylistic effect.b. Lexical repetition 词的反复Lexical repetition is a way that writers repeat words for artistic and stylistic effect. Words may be repeated in juxtaposition, in initial or end position of various patterns or in distant or intermittent positions.eg.Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze.The eyes are not here. There are no eyes here.D. Phonetic Devices and Prose Rhythm语音辞格和文律a. Definition: Phonetic devices and prose rhythem are devices that writers use phonetic sounds for rhetorical effect like echoing or rhyming.b. Alliteration 头韵In this device the same consonant sound is repeated at intervals in the initial position of words. eg.P eter P iper p icked a p eck of p ickled p epper.P ractice makes p erfect.c. Assonance 元韵Assonance is the echoing or resemblance of vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of a sequence of words.eg.a h o t c o pper skyNow everything is l ean er and m ean er, cl ean er and k een er.d. Onomatopoeia 拟声This device makes use of imitation of sounds for effect.eg.Dogs bark, doors bang, windows rattleE. Figures of Speech修辞格a. Definition: By figures of speech we refer to those rhetorical devices termed tropes 转义in clasical rhetoric.Tropes have to do with the way words are made to mean other than what they would normally imply, and therefore involve deviation from the ordinary and literal meaning of wordsb. Simile 明喻A simile is a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic in common.eg.The stars twinkle like diamonds in the sky.c. Metaphor 暗喻A metaphor, like a simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated. In a simile, the words like, as, --- are used to make the comparison while in a metaphor, the comparison would appear simply without such words.Cf: Jim was as cunning as a fox.Jim was a fox.Hence a metaphor is in a sense a condensed simile, differing from the latter only in form.d. Analogy 类比Analogy is also a form of comparison, but unlike simile or metaphor, which usually concentrates on one point of resemblance, analogy draws a parrallel between two unlike things that have several common qualities or points of resemblance. The function of analogy differs also from that of simile or metaphor. While the latter figures serve to heighten effect with vivid image, analogy is chiefly used for persuasion or explanation of an idea.eg.the analogy between the loons and the French Indianse. Personification 拟人Personification is a figure of speech that gives human form or feelings to animals, or life and personal attributes to inanimate objects, or to ideas and abstractions.eg.The wind whistled through the trees.f. Metonymy 转喻/借代Metonymy is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another. This substituted name may be an attribute of that other thing or be closely associated with it. In other words, it involves a change of name, the substituted name suggesting the thing meant.eg.The pen is mightier than the sword.Uncle Sam always likes to play the role of a policeman.g. Synecdoche 提喻Synecdoche has often been confused with metonymy as both figures of speech involve substitution, only metonymy involves substitution of the name of one thing for that of another closely associated with it, whereas synecdoche involves substitution of the part for the whole, or the whole for the part.eg.They counted fifty sails in the harbour. Here sails really means ships, and is an example of the part representing the whole.The birds sang to welcome the smiling year. The smiling year indicates spring, the whole representing the part.h. T ransferred Epithet 移就A transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an epithet ( an object or descriptive phrase) is transferred from the noun it should rightly modify to another to which it does not really belong. Usually, the epithet is transferred from a person to a thing or idea, or the reverse.eg.We spent sleepless nights on this project. The word sleepless is a transferred epithet, for nights cannot sleep. We really mean to say we did not sleep for many nights while working on this project.---the production of guilt-free eggs--- (decholesteroled eggs)i. Hyperbole 夸张Hyperbole is the deliberate use of overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis.eg.She is the prettiest girl in the world.Belinda smiled, and all the world was gay.j. Euphemism 婉语Euphemism is substitution of mild or vague or round-about expression for harsh or direct one. eg.pass away for die, senior citizen for old people, slow for stupid, laid-off for sacked, Mrs. Jones for women’s lavatory, sub-standard housing for slum, etc.k. Irony 反语Irony is a figure of speech that achieves emphasis by saying the opposite of what is meant, the intended meaning of the words being the opposite of their usual sense.For instance, in life we may call a very thin boy ‘Fatty’. Similarly, we may hear people saying, ‘Oh, how I love queuing up’ when in fact they hate it.l. Sarcasm 讽刺Sarcasm is a heavy form of irony, by which writers attack in a taunting and bitter manner, and its aim is to ridicule and wound the feelings of the subject attacked.eg.How merciful the father was to his own daughter! He posted 50 pounds every second Tuesday of each month to his 16-year-old daughter living alone 500 miles away.m. Punning 双关To pun is to play on words, or rather to play with the form and meaning of words, for a witty or humorous effect.eg.It’s better to live rich than to die rich.Sign on a Men’s Gym door: We have courses to make grown men young and young men groan.F.Allusions and Skewed Quotations典故和改引a. Definition: Allusions are references to well-known persons, things, or events that writers assume are familiar to their readers. The assumption is based on the knowledge or belief that their readers share with them a common historical, cultural and literary heritage, which enables them to identify the allusions and to understand their significance. Skewed quotations are deliberate twisting of quotation in a new situation or context in order to emphasize, to clarify, or to satirize a statement or a point.b. Sources of allusions--nursery rhymes (Humpty Dumpty)--fairy tales, myths, legends and fables (Achilles’ heel)--the Bible (Noah and his Ark)--literary works (‘To be or not to be---‘)--modern and contemporary sources (the Cold War)c. An example of skewed quotations: Action speaks louder than words. ( when enraged city dwellers dump their garbage at the City Hall to protest the inefficient garbage removal system)。

Rhetorical device：修辞方式Part I Figure of speech 比喻1．明喻(Simile)明喻就是用like, as, as...as, as if(though) 或用其他词语指出两个不同事物的相似之处Use a book as a bee does flowers. 读书如蜜蜂采蜜。

Wit without learning is like a tree without fruit. 没有学识的机智犹如没有果实的树。

The man can't be trusted. He is as slippery as an eel. 那个人不可信赖。

他像鳗鱼一样狡猾。

He jumped as if he had been stung.他像被蜇了似的跳了起来。

2．暗喻( Metaphor)暗喻和明喻一样也是在两个不同类对象之间进行比较。

但暗喻不用比喻词as或like等，而是直接把本体说成喻体。

如：Time is money. 时间就是金钱。

Experience is the father of wisdom and memory the mother. 经验是智慧之父，记忆是智慧之母。

He has a heart of stone. 他有一颗铁石心肠。

3．换喻/借喻( Metonymy)换喻不像明喻、暗喻等比喻形式那样利用不同类对象的相似或类同点构成比较，而是利用对象之间的某种联系来唤起他人的联想，从而避免直说。

比如用the White House 代替美国政府或者总统，用the bottle来代替wine 或者alcohol，用the bar 来代替the legal profession，用crown代替king等。

pentagon如：His purse would not allow him that luxury. 他的经济条件不允许他享受那种奢华。

The mother did her best to take care of the cradle. 母亲尽最大努力照看孩子。

英语修辞用典
英语修辞用典（Rhetorical Devices）是文学领域中的一个核心概念，它通常用于提升作家、演讲者口头表达的凝聚力和对观众长期记忆的可能性。

它们使用特定的修辞学方式，例如比喻、拟人、双关语、排比等，为文章和演讲带来生动、具体的例子，帮助人们理解其中的深层含义。

1、比喻（Metaphor）：比喻就是一种比较，目的是把客观的事物和抽象的概念连接起来，创造出一种富有想象力的效果，例如“他的声音像水波纹一样”。

2、拟人（Personification）：拟人指的是把抽象的概念或者非人类的事物当作是人来描述，例如：“春雨轻拂在花朵的脸上”。

3、双关语（Pun）：双关语是一种言外之意，它需要在听众和作者之间建立一座沟通的
桥梁，例如：“给我一句话，我就能做好一切准备”。

4、排比（Anaphora）：排比是一种重复的语法结构，它有助于增强作者的口头表达，例如：“你的脸上闪烁着红、白、黄；你的双眼闪烁着期待、勇气、信心”。

5、押韵（Rhyme）：押韵就是把有相同或相近的语音结尾的单词放在一起，它的目的是
在诗歌中增加音乐性，同时也可以在口头表达中增加节奏感和记忆度，例如：“让我们一起放
肆地追逐夏日，刻骨铭心、像初恋一样”。

以上就是英语修辞用典的大致内容，它们都是用来增强文章和演讲的结构和最后效果的有
效工具。

通过使用修辞设备，读者和听众能够在情感和概念的层面上更好地理解作者或演讲者
表达的内容。

一、修辞在英语中的地位语法、词汇、习语和修辞都是构成英语的要素。

基础英语语法作为句式规则是要牢牢记住和熟练使用的。

但是，追根溯源，英语是结构语言，也是分析性语言。

英语的单词按照习惯方式连成习语，学生应当牢记这些习语，而不要用语法去套用。

有些语言现象可能与语法规则不完全相符，然而，它们是地道的英语。

今天，人们讲话的依据是习语，不是规则，因为规则已被众多的著名作家打破了。

莎士比亚开创了双重比较的先例，笛福和阿狄生打破了使用分词的常规。

真谛在于英语语法是肯通融的，它的唯一宗旨是易懂。

民主是英语的特性，我们在不滥用的前提下有权自由运用英语。

事实上，很多习语只不过是失去活力的修辞格。

例如，“山脚下”、“河口”之类的习语在英语中时时出现，几乎人人皆知，但是人们很少想到它们是修辞格。

然而，它们的确是使用了修辞格。

最初讲到“山脚下”、“河口”的人是有意识地采用了隐喻格。

只是天长日久，反复使用，使它们的喻义消退，不再具有形象的特色，隐喻义演变成了词条下收录的词义了。

迄今为止的英语教学对修辞重视得不够。

人们视修辞或为阳春白雪，或为咬文嚼字。

其实大学英语中有关修辞格的教学是很重要的。

英语修辞的重要性不仅体现于写作，还体现在阅读和理解之中。

学生阅读原文时，常常会遇到既无生词，又无语法难点，却不理解文意的情况。

他们查遍词典，甚至查阅了习语辞典也无济于事。

为什么呢？多半是修辞问题。

事实上，学英语而不懂修辞是很难读懂原著的。

因此，在英语教学中要加强修辞的教学。

Rhetorical device：修辞方式Part I Figure of speech 比喻1．明喻(Simile)明喻就是用like, as, as...as, as if(though) 或用其他词语指出两个不同事物的相似之处Use a book as a bee does flowers. 读书如蜜蜂采蜜。

Wit without learning is like a tree without fruit. 没有学识的机智犹如没有果实的树。