Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short...

Introduce your classes to the Art of Rhetoric with a lesson that focuses on Aristotle's persuasive appeals and how they have been used, both ethically and unethically, to influence opinion.

The AP Literature and Composition exam is all about close reading. Test takers are presented with a passage and asked to analyze how an author uses literary devices to create a desired effect. Prepare your students for the exam with a...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" serves as an exemplar for a mini-lesson plan on semicolons. Working alone or in small groups, class members first circle all the semicolons in the letter, and then consider how...

This is an alphabetical list of literary and rhetorical terms; each includes a definition and examples.

This site is provided for by the Brigham Young University. Almost anything you would want to know about rhetoric and speech is here with great examples and explanations. Intended for a college-level audience, but plenty for younger...

An interesting approach to how to analyze a speech. Presents a rhetorical pentangle as well as a rhetorical triangle, where each of the vertices represents an item to analyze. There is also an outline of the different areas to examine in...

Wikipedia provides a detailed definition of figure of speech, and then includes hyperlinks to different types of figures of speech.

Explains what personification is and gives examples. Includes links to related articles on symbolism, elements of rhetoric, fables, figure of speech, and allegory.

This is an encyclopedia entry for the word "Understatement." It defines the term, provides background information about it, and offers references.

Calling itself "unique," Bob's is easy to use, with cross-links throughout, phonetic pronunciation guides when necessary, and many examples and quotations. Click on the letter and scroll for the word.

This site provides a very detailed definition of the term but does not give any examples. Part of a larger site of literary terms.