Stylistic Devices English: Explanation, List & Examples

«Fischer’s Fritz fishes fresh fish. Fresh fish fishes Fischer’s Fritze.» You probably already know this tongue twister from your childhood, right? But what you may not have known is that this sentence contains various rhetorical devices. But what exactly are rhetorical devices?

Rhetorical medium are linguistic means stylish devices), the to design of the language to serve. With these means, texts as well as the oral language can be embellished. The term comes from the term «rhetoric», which means something like «rhetoric».

You not only need rhetorical stylistic devices if you want to analyze and interpret texts, they can also benefit you when writing your own texts. As soon as you incorporate stylistic devices into English, your text will be upgraded.

In everyday life, the terms «rhetorical means» and «linguistic means» used synonymously.

English stylistic devices – effect & function

Authors consciously use rhetorical stylistic devices to feelings or a specific one Effect to evoke. Rhetorical stylistic devices can be used to emphasize individual parts of the text and, among other things, to create linguistic images (e.g. with metaphors) that convey the content in a different way pictorial level transfer. Rhetorical stylistic devices illustrate and emphasize text passages.

Other functions of rhetorical stylistic devices are:

  • create images in your head
  • Make what is written or spoken more lively and entertaining
  • structure texts
  • Increase impact and meaningfulness
  • Get audience/reader attention
  • Disappoint and surprise reader expectations

The metaphor as an example

One of the most well-known rhetorical stylistic devices is the metaphor (metaphor). The metaphor belongs to the category of figures of thoughtthat create an image in the mind of the reader. Metaphors are therefore often not clear, but depend on the respective interpretation. Unlike other stylistic devices, metaphor has no universal characteristics other than creating an image in your imagination. That’s why examples often help you to understand the stylistic device metaphor:

She breaks my heart.

(She breaks my heart.)

From this example you can see that rhetorical devices do not directly describe certain situations or feelings, but rather rewrite. Metaphors create one Situation that transports a feeling.

The heart, for example, cannot break. However, many people can understand the feeling of having the heart broken metaphorically.

Through this indirect way of description, the author leaves a lot to the reader room for interpretation. This means that you as the reader read the text with your own thoughts and experiences and interpret it individually for yourself with these in mind. A metaphor does not have to mean the same thing to all readers.

Do you know the difference between a metaphor (Metaphor) and one similar (Comparison)? At first glance, the two stylistic devices appear identical. But watch out! The rhetorical device similar is a comparison and uses the expressions is like (…) or is like (…) like: Love is like a fight on a battlefield. (Love is like a fight on a battlefield.)

the metaphor against is a broader concept and creates a comparison by saying that something, something is. Here is an example for better understanding: Love is a battlefield. (Love is a battlefield.)

Love will be in the metaphor (Metaphor) referred to as a battlefield. in the similar (Comparison) love is only compared to fighting on a battlefield.

English stylistic devices – overview

In addition to metaphors, there are four types of linguistic means in English literature: word figures, sentence figures, sound figures and thought figures. The linguistic means transport their effect in different ways and have different formal requirements.

word figures (Ilean)

Word figures form a category of rhetorical stylistic devices and refer to the meaning of individual words and word sequences in texts, which are mostly repeated or changed. In word figures, the writers deviate from the usual choice of words.

The stylistic devices neologism and accumulation belong to the group of word figures and are explained to you in more detail here.

accumulation

The author expresses with the accumulation (accumulation) the complexity of a term and draws attention to a generic term through the accumulation of similar terms. An accumulation is one Accumulation of several sub-concepts or synonyms of a generic term. The stylistic device of accumulation becomes clearer with this example:

He schemed, he plotted, he lied, he stole, he cheated, he broke the law.

(He plotted, he conspired, he lied, he stole, he cheated, he broke the law.)

In the example, the verbs are schemed, plotted, song, stole, cheated and broke (the law) Sub-terms for the upper term committed crimes (offences committed).

neologism

neologism is the English term for the linguistic means neologism. In simpler terms, the term means neologism neologism. That is, a new word is created that did not previously exist.

In this example you can see a few neologisms as examples:

banana republic (banana republic)

cyberspace

memes

If you like the neologisms cyberspace and memes say nothing no problem! as cyberspace is the name given to the virtual network on the Internet. Through digitality is in cyberspace everything connected.

memes are also created by the internet. Images from pop culture and the media are misused and placed in new contexts. Often they will memes sent in chat histories and should be funny.

Neologisms often arise in connection with language change or (technical) progress. Neologisms are often used, especially in future and science fiction novels.

as banana republic (German: banana republic) are colloquially used to refer to states in which corruption and a weak economic situation prevail. The political system in these countries is often characterized by corruption, inefficiency and insecurity. Originally, this was the name given to the countries in Central America that lived mainly from banana exports.

Accumulation and neologism are among the most important word figures in English. Other word figures are the climax, the diminutive, the antonomasia, the neologism, the metonymy, the paronomasia and the onomatopoeia.

Isn’t that detailed enough for you? If you want to read more about word figures, take a look at the explanation «Word figures English».

sentence figures (Syntactical Devices)

Syntactical devices are rhetorical devices that refer to the sentence construction relate. This group of linguistic means consists either of sentence building blocks or even of the whole sentence. Sentence figures are deviations from the usual sentence structure. Accordingly, you can often recognize sentence figures externally. Two of the most important sentence figures are explained here.

If you are not one hundred percent sure about the sentence structure in English, you can read the explanation on the topic «English word order» again.

chiasm

The chiasm (chiasm) is the Crossing of clauses. Two similar formulations are often used, which, however, contradict each other in terms of content. opposites will be there highlighted. You can see an example of a chiasm here:

They don’t know what they want,

and don’t want what they know.

(They don’t know what they want

and don’t want what they know.)

The parts of the sentences are similar in structure and construction, but contradict each other in terms of content. That’s how one comes about cross position the parts of the sentence. The verbs want and know change their place in the clauses.

ellipse

The basic rules of English grammar are demonstrated in the use of the ellipsis (ellipse) thrown overboard and there will be Parts of sentences or words omitted. The sentences remain understandable and often seem relaxed and colloquial. Here is an example of an ellipse:

The faster, the better.

(The faster the better.)

The language is simplified through the use of ellipses. In this case it was verb omitted, but the statement is nevertheless clear. Ellipses are also often used in headings to shorten them and thus more meaningful close.

Further rhetorical devicesbelonging to the group of sentence figures belong are: the rhetorical question (rhetorical question), the parallelism (parallelism), the accumulation (accumulation), the antithesis (antithesis), the exclamation (exclamation), the interlaced (enjambement) and the enumeration (number).

If you want to read more about sentence figures, take a look at the explanation «Sentence figures English».

sound figures (sound devices)

Sound devices refer in their effect to the sound of a word or the acoustic design of a sentence. In the group of these rhetorical devices, it matters, like a word or a sentence sounds, i.e. how the sentence is read or pronounced. Sound figures often deviate from the usual sound design, i.e. the pronunciation of the sentence. The sound figures anaphor and alliteration are among the best-known sound figures and are explained to you in more detail below.

To analyze sound patterns in English, it makes sense to read the text quietly or to imagine the sound of the sentence.

anaphor

The rhetorical device anaphora (anaphora) consists word repetitions. One or more words are repeated in consecutive sentences or phrases. The anaphora is used to structure and rhythmize consecutive sentences and parts of sentences. Regularity is also emphasized. You can find an example of an anaphor here:

Every day she woke up at 7 am Every day she took a shower afterwards. Every day she went to school at 8 am.

(Every day she woke up at 7 a.m. Every day she showered afterwards. Every day she went to school at 8 a.m.)

The word construction every day is repeated in three consecutive movements, in this case emphasizing the routine of the lyrical I.

alliteration

The rhetorical device of alliteration (alliteration) is through consecutive words with the same initial letter educated. The stylistic device is used a lot in literature as well as in colloquial language and can be recognized quickly. Alliteration reinforces the content of the text and usually sounds coherent and beautiful. You can find examples of alliteration here:

Quick quse

(Short question)

Shey sells seashells by the sseashore.

(She sells seashells on the seashore.)

Also Tongue-twister often involve alliteration. Try reading the tongue twister from the second example in quick succession.

In addition to anaphora and alliteration, there are other stylistic devices in the group of sound figures. Other sound figures include: the assonance (association), the syncope (syncope), the epipher (epiphora), the onomatopoeia (onomatopoeia), the elision (elision) and the emphasis (emphasis).

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