Common Rhetorical Devices in Written English

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Abstract:Rhetorical devices are kinds of literal form of expressions. Their application is to make the idea more striking and effective, for they have the strength to express and illustrate. An appropriate rhetorical device appeals to the imagination, gives us vivid pictures and makes the written English impressive and interesting. For this reason, written English often uses various rhetorical devices to improve the readability and attract readers' attention and to arouse readers' interest of reading their materials. This paper mainly discusses common rhetorical devices in written english so as to help readers understand the written materials better.

Key Words:rhetorical devices written English understand

1. The definition of rhetorical devices

Rhetoric is the art of using language to communicate effectively. A rhetorical device is a skill that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the aim of persuading him or her thinking a topic from a different view. Rhetorical devices may be applied to waken an emotional reply of the audience; The aim of rhetoric is to persuade towards a particular frame of view or a particular course of action, right rhetorical devices are used to build up sentences designed both to make the audience acceptable by emotional changes and to provide a reasonable argument for the frame of view or course of action.

2.The variety of rhetorical devices

2.1 Onomatopoeia

The use of the words that sounds like the thing that are describing. Onomatopoeia is the simulation of the voice of the things or the moves. The poets often use some onomatopoetic words for the sound rendering text, such as slam, mow, screech, whirr, crush, sizzle, wring, wrench, click, whimper, and, of course, snap, crackle, and pop. If properly used, they can enlarge the impression of the described scene in momentum and will also enhance the art affect. However, some onomatopoeia is ready-made but still others are temporarily created by the author.

For instance:

"Is anybody here? Ding dong! The bells are going to chime."

"Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is." (Slogan of Alka Seltzer, U.S.)

Here these italic words are onomatopoetic words.

2.2 Hyperbole

A way of describing something by saying it is much bigger, smaller, worse etc than it actually is "exaggeration" It is the deliberate use of overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis. For instance:

(1) He almost died laughing.

(2) A hundred years should get to praise thine eyes and on thine forehead gaze, two hundred to adore each breast, but thirty thousand to the rest.

2.3 Irony(反语)

It 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:

We are lucky, what you said makes me feel real good.

2.4 Simile & Metaphor

Simile(明喻):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.

For instance:

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

Metaphor(暗喻):It is like a simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated.

For instance:

The world is a stage.

2.5 Metonymy (转喻)

It is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the mane of one thing for that of another.

For instance:

The pen (words) is mightier than the sword (forces).

2.6 Personification (拟人)

Personification is a figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form. The use of personification in advertising will endow the product with human emotion, and will make them amicable to consumers.

For instance:(1) Flowers by Interflora speak from the heart.--Interflora (2) We are proud of the birthplaces of our children, the grapes of Almaden.(3) On our classic varietal wines, you will find the birthplaces of our children.--Almaden

2.7 Pun (双关语)

Pun is a play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words.For instance:

(1) Ask for More--More cigarette

(2) Spoil yourself and not spoil your figure.

(3) A deal with us means a good deal to you.

2.8 Zeugma(轭式搭配)

It is a single word which is made to modify or to govern two or more words in the same sentence, within properly applying in sense to only one of them, or applying to them in different senses.

For instance:

The sun shall not burn you by day, nor the moon by night. (Here noon is not strong enough to burn)

3.Conclusion

From what we have mentioned above, we know that every word or sentence, have to reach its utmost purpose. That is to say, it must be far away from common language in expressing thoughts. The successful authors have no extra word. The excellent author is just like a tree, which forms its own structure and organizes by itself. As for the readers, while we are reading written English, we are enjoying a process of understanding. We are appreciating not only the happiness, but also the bitterness of authors.

In my opinion, authors want to convey a vivid and imaginative sense of experience, characterized by the use of condensed language, as well as literary techniques. The success of a author should attribute a lot to the use of literary techniques.

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