Question

RHETORICAL DEVICES
Rhetorical devices are patterns of words used to clarify or stress ideas, stir emotions, and make
language memorable. Three types of rhetorical devices often used in arguments are analogy,
direct address, and juxtaposition.
Type of Rhetorical Device: Example: Frequent Effect or
Purpose:
Analogy: a comparison that points
out the similarities between two
things, often explaining something
unfamiliar by likening it to
something familiar
In the human body, the
spleen is like a filter for your
blood.
clarifies or explains
something unfamiliar or
hard to understand
Direct Address: the use of the
word “you” to speak directly to the
reader or audience
You must get out and vote if
you want your voice to be
heard.
enhances reader interest
by creating the illusion of a
relationship with them
Juxtaposition: placing two very
different ideas or images side by
side
My mother is short and thin
while my father is tall and
stout.
highlights the differences
between the two ideas or
images
Rhetorical devices also influence the tone of an argument. A writer’s tone is their attitude toward
their subject matter or their audience.
DIRECTIONS: Read each passage. Then, answer the questions that follow.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
—President John F. Kennedy, Jr.
1. Which rhetorical device is used in the passage?
a. analogy b. direct address c. juxtaposition
2. What is the intended effect of the rhetorical device you identified in question 1?
Our biology teacher, Mrs. Kim, said that the human brain is like a computer, as both send
information.
3. Which rhetorical device does Mrs. Kim use?
a. analogy b. direct address c. juxtaposition
4. Why does Mrs. Kim likely use the rhetorical device you identified in question 3?

Answer 1

1. c. juxtaposition.

2. The juxtaposition highlights the contrast between expecting benefits from the country and offering service to the country; this contrast emphasizes civic duty and encourages people to act for the common good.

3. a. analogy.

4. Mrs. Kim uses an analogy to make a complex or unfamiliar idea (how the brain processes information) easier to understand by comparing it to a familiar object (a computer), clarifying the concept for students.