Figures of Speech (Rhetoric) – Rhetorical Figures

PLEASE NOTE: This page contains amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Figures of Speech – sometimes called rhetorical figures – create certain impressions within the audience. Due to their emotional effect they are of the appeal to emotion – Pathos. Figures of speech use certain patterns that enhance, elicit or reduce certain emotions, e.g., by using repetition, structure, contrast or other means. Basically, they structure certain messages or contents to enhance the message of the speaker. Figures of speech are known since the Antiquity and modern research in Psychology like persuasion allow us to determine, why certain figures work they way they do.

Selected Figures of Speech

  • Climax

Examples

Here are some examples for uses of figures of speech in speeches and presentations: