Explanatory Synthesis Essay (phone dangers) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explanatory Synthesis (phone dangers) - Essay Example m to connect to their offices, plus the young adults who use these gadgets for entertainment (Sutko and Souza 811), it is impossible to ignore how this gadget can play a big role in an individuals life. The dangers associated with dependence on the gadget is not necessarily a psychological one, but rather, a physical one. While it can be argued that mobile phones provide people with â€Å"the ease and comfort of being able to contact family members immediately, or even being able to use it during emergencies† (Sutko and Souza 813-4), there is still considerable danger in the use of these gadgets. More people nowadays are able to purchase the gadget, while networks try so hard to keep up with the number of subscribers they can accommodate. While this may seem to be merely a business issue, as consumers, people should also understand what dangers lie under the presumption that mobile phones can be used for emergencies when in reality, a network being more and more crowded in time may prove this impossible. While that may still be under considerable argument, accidents caused by mobile phones is something that has been happening for decades. According to statistics, cell phone use causes over 300, 000 vehicle-related injuries and over 2, 500 vehicle-related deaths annually. These figures are out of the estimated 7 million vehicle-related accidents in the country per year (Blettner and Berg 927). That means mobile phone use is responsible for around 4.5% of vehicle-related accidents in the whole united States. For such a small gadget, this is such a big number. And for such a widely-used and relied on necessity, this is such a bothering fact. While some may argue that hands-free phone may resolve the issue, one has to consider that the advent of hands-free phones did not significantly reduce the number of mobile-phone related motor accidents in the past years (Blettner and Berg 931). Furthermore, the hidden dangers of mobile phone use associated with radiation (Zur,

Advantages of working from home Essay Example for Free

Advantages of working from home Essay There is a trend towards making jobs more mobile and allowing employees to access work remotely from home. Technology has also made a great contribution allowing people to work from home. Equipments such as computers, facsimile machines, telephones etc. have revolutionized the work industry and this trend has helped employers, employees and the state at large. An International Telework Association survey found that the number of teleworking employees grew from 41.3 million in 2003 to 44.4 million in 2005 and projects that number to climb to 51 million by 2008 (Marcia Reed-Woodard, Dec 2005). For a company, employees working from home may save them time, space and money. But for an employee, the benefits are much greater. In addition to the above mentioned factors, the employees benefit with flexibility in working hours, avoid distractions and family commitments are easily fulfilled. The greatest advantage is the time factor which can make the job much comfortable working from home. Often at times, time, becomes your ally, expanding or contracting to conform to specific work assignments. The pressure to finish the work or to look busy even when you are not, is eliminated. Therefore, you can fix your own work hours, more or less, as required. You do not have to reach work on time or give a reason for being late, relieving everyday stress. In an event of sickness, you do not need to get a medical or present a reason to the boss. You can still get some work done instead of remaining idle at home. Lunch can be managed and repair works can be done easily while being at home. You can set your own target and get maximum work done according to your wish. You avoid getting in traffic by driving for long hours to get to work and hence you save on fuel charges, car maintenance and also your precious time. Even if you take a two hour lunch no one can punish you as you are your own boss. Secondly, you avoid distractions around you while working at home. You can avoid difficult co-workers who can make your life stressful at work. Also bullies and gossipers can be avoided to give a good peace of mind. Sometimes there are office politics, like the boss favours some one and constantly looks at what you are doing. This calamity avoided can become a boon in concentrating on more work and reaping more benefits since peacefully you can get extra work done without having to face comments from co-workers or boss on the spot. At work you may come in contact with customers who are offensive, abusive etc. while at home no such instances can bother you. Thirdly, you can be with your family and get your work done simultaneously. The notion that parents do not spend time with children can be avoided and proper care can be taken of them at home. Children get more attention and life can be healthier when people around you are happy, and this can boost your self confidence and esteem. If any family member is sick or needs to get some attention, then this task is easily accomplished as you are your own boss. You can take your own decisions at your own will. Members of the family can be of great help when you have a large amount of work such as, typing a report, which can be done by anyone mature enough in the house or also your close friend or relative. Children can have an opportunity to see what their parents do for a living. The financial benefits are also very attractive. Instead of waiting for a boss to give you a raise or a promotion, the amount of money you can earn is directly related to your own performance. Whether the business is the sole means of support or a secondary income, its earning potential is up to you. These days, people who have been frequently shut out of job markets, for example, homemakers, students, retirees, to name a few, can use their home business to create new income opportunities. You save on travel expenses and you do not have to send your children to nurseries if you can be at home, so substantial savings can be made. In conclusion, working from home can be very relaxing and comfortable. We can see that working from home increases efficiency due to fewer distractions, and much greater benefits are reaped due to less stress and office complications. Today more people have home-based businesses, which increases the use of new ideas to generate income. Hence, working from home can be very rewarding and it may be a dream come true if in the future you own a business with your own ideas and independent thinking. References: -Scarry, Sandra and John Scarry. The writers workplace 6th  edition. http://choosing-careers.suite101.com/article.cfm/five_reasons_to_be_self_employedhttp://ezinearticles.com/?7-Benefits-of-Working-At-Homeid=51130http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCESitemId=1073791632

The Best Things :: Essays Papers

The Best Things Recently, there has been a television commercial that has the saying â€Å"there are some things money can’t buy.† The story â€Å"The Practical Heart† by Allan Gurganus could be used for this ad. It is about a wealthy family who is forced into poverty when they visit America. Her family heritage, the way in which she gets the painting, and the painting itself are all factors in Muriel restoring her family dignity. Muriel’s family heritage is a factor because without it dignity is not there to be restored. They lived on a seven-acre compound called â€Å"Sunnyside.† Sunnyside had a big stone house and an orchard. The father was a writer and Professor who had published four books. He was educated by tutors at his home. He was skilled in Greek and Latin and could recite three-day's worth of poetry. Muriel, the eldest daughter, was a child prodigy on the piano and had received excellent notices. All of this is a reason for Muriel to have the portrait done. Her family is now living in poverty and is looked down upon by people who should be looking up. By having the portrait done, the dignity the family once had can be restored. â€Å"He saved you, and, with you, redeemed your clan’s tarnished dignity†(39). Muriel sees that Sargent can capture the truth in his paintings and believes that he will be able to capture the true beauty inside her. The way in which Muriel goes about getting the painting is also a factor because it is the only way to achieve her goal. Muriel saves and sacrifices for years in order to have the means to visit Sargent. When she is finally able to go, she knows that she must conduct herself in a manner that gives respect to the great artist. â€Å"Knowing they would need the added respectability its notepaper afforded†(47), she stays in the village’s best hotel. She tours churches to give the appearance of not travelling all the way only for the painting. She wears her best clothes and converses with Sargent knowingly. She plays the part of someone who is worthy of being painted by the great one. Had Muriel not gone about it in the manner she did, the painting would never have came to be. The Best Things :: Essays Papers The Best Things Recently, there has been a television commercial that has the saying â€Å"there are some things money can’t buy.† The story â€Å"The Practical Heart† by Allan Gurganus could be used for this ad. It is about a wealthy family who is forced into poverty when they visit America. Her family heritage, the way in which she gets the painting, and the painting itself are all factors in Muriel restoring her family dignity. Muriel’s family heritage is a factor because without it dignity is not there to be restored. They lived on a seven-acre compound called â€Å"Sunnyside.† Sunnyside had a big stone house and an orchard. The father was a writer and Professor who had published four books. He was educated by tutors at his home. He was skilled in Greek and Latin and could recite three-day's worth of poetry. Muriel, the eldest daughter, was a child prodigy on the piano and had received excellent notices. All of this is a reason for Muriel to have the portrait done. Her family is now living in poverty and is looked down upon by people who should be looking up. By having the portrait done, the dignity the family once had can be restored. â€Å"He saved you, and, with you, redeemed your clan’s tarnished dignity†(39). Muriel sees that Sargent can capture the truth in his paintings and believes that he will be able to capture the true beauty inside her. The way in which Muriel goes about getting the painting is also a factor because it is the only way to achieve her goal. Muriel saves and sacrifices for years in order to have the means to visit Sargent. When she is finally able to go, she knows that she must conduct herself in a manner that gives respect to the great artist. â€Å"Knowing they would need the added respectability its notepaper afforded†(47), she stays in the village’s best hotel. She tours churches to give the appearance of not travelling all the way only for the painting. She wears her best clothes and converses with Sargent knowingly. She plays the part of someone who is worthy of being painted by the great one. Had Muriel not gone about it in the manner she did, the painting would never have came to be.

Vegetables - Its Whats for Dinner Essay -- Vegetarianism Vegetarian

Vegetables - It's What's for Dinner James Garner, a washed-up hollywood celebrity, was paid by the meat board to tout beef as, "Real food for real people." In April of 1988, James Garner underwent a quintuple coronary artery bypass surgery (Realities 1989). This is just one of the shocking side effects of consumption of meat. "The practice of vegetarianism involves eating vegetable products and not consuming meat, fish, and in many instances, egg and dairy products." ("Vegetarianism"). Thus, a vegetarian diet can benefit individuals as well as the world. Vegetarianism is a very healthy, environmentally aware, animal friendly lifestyle. There are three major types of vegetarians. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians do not eat meat, but will consume dairy and egg products. Lacto-vegetarians do not eat meat or eggs, but will consume dairy products. Vegans consume no animal products of any kind (Farley, 12). In most cases, Vegans avoid leather, fur, wool, silk and other products made from animals. Advocacy of a non-meat diet, dates back to the middle of the first millennium. In fact, the first recorded teachings of non-meat diets, are the teachings of Pythagoras of Samos around five hundred and thirty b.c. From Plato onward, many Roman and Greek philosophers and writers advocated vegetarianism as an ethical way of life. Also, during the humanitarianism of the 17th and 18th centuries, sensitiveness to animal suffering began ("Vegetarianism"). Vegetarianism has firm roots in religion. It was practiced originally in connection with religious purification rituals. Many religious groups follow vegetarian diets. They consider eating flesh gluttonous, cruel and wasteful. In the Roman Catholic Church, Trappist monks have practiced vegetarianism... ...ion. Most horrifying is the fact that bulls raised for food production are often castrated without any type of anesthesia or pain-killers. Veal calves are force-fed and iron deficient, anemia-producing diet, never solid foods. (The Vegetarian Youth Network). Its quite obvious that a vegetarian diet for the whole world can benefit mankind and animals. Works Cited The Crazy Vegetarian. [Online] http://www.crazyveg.com. Farley, D. "More People Trying Vegetarian Diets." FDA Consumer Oct.1995:10- 13. Quick, S. "Eating Vegetarian? How to do it the Healthy Way." Glamour Sept. 1995:64. Realities 1989. [Online] http://www.cs.unc.edu/~barman/realities1989.html. Vegan Action. [Online] http://www.vegan.org/info.html#anchor707384. Vegetarian Youth Network. [Online] http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/1154. "Vegetarianism." Compton's Encyclopedia 1995ed.

Human Nature In Society

The roots of human nature are sunk deep into our history and experiences. When in our own lives we are to find the basis of our human nature, we must look to our early years, the formative years. Now take for example if we placed a newborn in the wild or in a high-class, well-mannered, wealthy family. The human nature of the newborn in the wild will be exactly that, wild and chaotic. While on the other hand the newborn in the well-mannered society will be well mannered and moralistic. Human nature is defined by the values that are taught and the values that society defines, if there are no societal values, human nature is doomed and lessened to that of wolves. Society defines the values and morals for its people to live by, common values. These values affect human nature and affect the way an even slightly self-conscious person behaves. An example of one of these societal values is table manners. Society has defined over hundreds of years of history to eat accompanied by utensils. Society also has set the value and that eating with your bare hands is un-civilized. Another example of a moralistic standard is not to steal. This value is taught by our parents and members of the society, the human society. So human nature has a conscience because of social morals and values. The formation and situation of human nature is dependent on these guidelines. Some peoples human nature may be to steal, maybe to survive but most humans have this as a wrong. Most people have developed a database of right and wrong. Although without society or modern civilization, human nature is reduced to a mind-frame of everyone for themselves and to basically survive. Without civilization Human nature is the same as the instinctual behavior of any human, eat drink, and sleep. Human nature is what separates humans from monkeys. Human nature as a balance of good and evil, humans can use their brain power for good or evil. Some aspects of human nature I encounter are events such as to decide between right and wrong, cause and effect. Human nature forms its basis of teachings at an early age. If you and I are taught good and right early on then our nature will be more knowledgeable and perhaps better. General human nature is different than individual but not by much. Generally, humans are a species that thrive to better their own lives and if possible others lives also. Human Nature also inhibits the qualities of greed, ambition, pride etc. The job of humans is to conform, to an extent, to society and its standards and values. Humans control or do not present these negative or positive aspects. Individually speaking, some people are more greedy than others, some more kind. Even though human nature includes many different aspects, most civilized humans, their nature is to an extent abide by widely accepted moral values. On simple value would be to live and let live, and if possible help. A societal value I am faced with everyday is to be kind and generous or at least to be polite to other fellow human beings. We can think of human nature to follow a kind of moral code such as many religions encourage. Encompassing all, human nature is not the pursuit of humanitarianism but the pursuit of once again, control or present certain qualities of ones characteristics and do this within the guidelines of society or on a larger scale humanity. Human nature is defined by the values that are taught and the values that society defines, if there are no societal values, humans are no different than animals in the wild. Human nature has aspects including love, greed, and ambition which dogs do not. But at the crux, humans do attempt, basically, to survive. Human nature is very complex in the task of approximating individual traits but when speaking of humanity all together its nature is different than animals in that we use our unique characteristics. Humans have wants and desires and also are capable of helping others in need.

The Effects of Illegal Immigration

The Effects of Illegal Immigration Free Online Research Papers According to an article in USA today, â€Å"Illegal Immigration population declines† Thomas Frank writes, â€Å"The number of illegal immigrants in the USA fell for the first time in at least four years, as the nations tough economy discourages people from sneaking into the USA†. Illegal immigration has been on an all time rise for the last 4 to five years, as the nations economy struggles to stay out of a depression. I believe illegal immigration has a great effect on how the economy is doing. It cost the nation millions and billions of dollars to pay for the problems that also come with illegal immigration. One large problem is the smuggling of drugs and other illegal things that come over are borders, with an already rising problem with gangs and drug cartels in the southwestern states illegal immigrants from Mexico only intensifies the problem. Another issue with illegal immigration is the already struggling healthcare in the United States many illegal immigrants ar e having babies therefore making there children U.S. citizens and force are hospitals to care for the mother and child for free or in other wards making the other U.S. citizens pay for through taxes and expensive healthcare costs. We also have many U.S. citizens struggling there selves and in some cases illegal immigrants are being taken care of instead of our own people who are here illegally. Also, with the state of the nations economy the government does not have the money to be spending on trying to stop the immigrants in the united states. The United States also has problems with Jail overcrowding especially in the southern states close to the United States border According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, over the past five years more than 72,000 illegal criminal aliens have been arrested on drug charges alone. In 1999 29 percent of United States jail population consisted of illegal immigrants. I believe we should not jail and I think it would be cheaper to p ut them on a bus and send them back to there own country thus cutting out the problem of Jail overcrowding and reducing the costs of them living in our jails and spending taxpayers money on things like the food they eat and the cost to provide surveillance for these illegal criminal aliens. The final and one of the worst problems that comes with illegal immigration is the fact that many of these immigrants will work for less than minimum wage. The why this is a problem is because there is a reason for minimum wage in this country so that everyone gets somewhat of a honest pay for a days work but when an illegal immigrant will work for nothing then greedy employers will hire these immigrants so they can make more money off there business illegally. This also takes jobs away from U.S. citizens who want to work for an honest days pay. With the United States rising unemployment rates we can not afford to give jobs out to people that are here illegally. Illegal immigration devastates our economy in the United States in all of these ways and makes it harder for the honest citizens of the United States to live in there own country. Many people may argue that the United States was founded and built on immigration but the country was not built on illegal immigration. The united states already allow immigrants into our country legally. There is no good that comes out of illegal immigration because there is no moderation of it we are just having a free for all at the borders and there fore letting criminals and maybe even terrorist into the United States illegally and un-detected. I think that one of the main reasons that people come into our country illegally is because of the state of there country and the way they have live. Also people that come into our country illegally are not always bad people many of them are just desperate for a way to make a better life for there selves and there families. When illegal immigrants can make 2 dollars an hour in the united states compared to what if anything they can make in there own country they jump to the idea of a wealthy life in the united states. I do not blame people for trying to have a better life for themselves in the United States but they have to do it legally which is some times hard to do when you have so many people trying to get into the country. Many illegal immigrants are bad though many illegal immigrants that come into the country are sometimes drug smugglers and are often related to gangs and many drug cartels such as the Mexican mafia and gangs of those sorts. The United States is a great place to live for an honest American citizen but many illegal immigrants are making it hard to live and more expensive to live in this country. Illegal immigration is greatly affecting our country and is no good for anybody in this country. The number of illegal immigrants has reduced since the downfall of our economy and the recession we are in. I believe the reason for the number of illegal immigrants is falling little by little now is because our economy is not as great as it was and is making our country less opportunistic. Our country economy now is also making immigrants less motivated to try to come over here illegally when not even a regular American citizen can find a good job. I think that the illegal immigrants are also realizing in some cases that are country is going through hard times and it may not be worth it for them to try to come here illegally. If I was an citizen of another country I would not want to come to this country to live unless I had a career already setup for me here like some from the district of Columbia come here to play professional baseball, or like a citizen of Canada or Russia would come here to play hockey or football. The reason we have illegally immigrants is simply because our c ountry is a great place to live compared to Mexico. In Mexico the conditions of living are very dirty and bad, there is trash in the streets all over and the water system is terrible. Many Americans can get sick from drinking the water in Mexico if they are not use to it. There is also a very big crime rate in Mexico due to the rising drug problem they have with rival gangs fighting for control of certain territories to sell and transport there drugs to United States. Also there a many kidnapping in Mexico by gangs for bribes to get money out of the families of the victim also another way to make money for the gangs and drug cartels. Money creates a serious problem for all people, people will do almost anything to get there hands on a dollar. I believe this is why we have such a problem with illegal immigration. From every aspect of illegal immigration there is always money from the cost of illegal immigration to our country to the amount of money the illegal immigrants can earn once they get into our country. So I believe we stop giving the illegal immigrant money when they come over here to make it and we stop the problem of illegal immigration because that is what keeps driving the immigrants over to our country. Research Papers on The Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraQuebec and CanadaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UsePETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyWhere Wild and West MeetBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The 20 Most Useful Rhetorical Devices

The 20 Most Useful Rhetorical Devices SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Rhetoric is the art of effective communication; if you communicate with others at all, rhetorical devices are your friends! Rhetorical devices help you make points more effectively, and help people understand you better. In this article, I'll be covering some important rhetorical devices so you can improve your own writing! What Are Rhetorical Devices? A lot of things that you would think of as just regular everyday modes of communicating are actually rhetorical devices That’s because ‘rhetorical devices’ is more or less a fancy way of saying ‘communication tools.’ Most people don’t plan out their use of rhetorical devices in communication, both because nobody thinks, â€Å"now would be a good time to use synecdoche in this conversation with my grocery clerk,† and because we use them so frequently that they don’t really register as â€Å"rhetorical devices.† How often have you said something like, â€Å"when pigs fly!† Of those times, how often have you thought, â€Å"I’m using a rhetorical device!† That’s how ubiquitous they are! However, being aware of what they are and how to use them can strengthen your communication, whether you do a lot of big speeches, write persuasive papers, or just argue with your friends about a TV show you all like. Rhetorical devices can function at all levels: words, sentences, paragraphs, and beyond. Some rhetorical devices are just a single word, such as onomatopoeia. Others are phrases, such as metaphor, while still others can be sentence-length (such as a thesis), paragraph-length (hypophora), or go throughout the entire piece, such as a standard five-paragraph essay. Many of these (such as the thesis or five-paragraph essay) are so standard and familiar to us that we may not think of them as devices. But because they help us shape and deliver our arguments effectively, they're important to know and understand. Busting out a dictionary isn't the most efficient way to learn rhetorical devices. The Most Useful Rhetorical Devices List It would be impossible to list every single rhetorical device in one blog post. Instead, I've collected a mixture of extremely common devices you may have heard before and some more obscure ones that might be valuable to learn. Amplification Amplification is a little similar to parallelism: by using repetition, a writer expands on an original statement and increases its intensity. Take this example from Roald Dahl’s The Twits: â€Å"If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.† In theory, we could have gotten the point with the first sentence. We don’t need to know that the more you think ugly thoughts, the uglier you become, nor that if you think good thoughts you won’t be ugly- all that can be contained within the first sentence. But Dahl’s expansion makes the point clearer, driving home the idea that ugly thoughts have consequences. Amplification takes a single idea and blows it up bigger, giving the reader additional context and information to better understand your point. You don’t just have to restate the point- use amplification to expand and dive deeper into your argument to show readers and listeners how important it is! Anacoluthon Anacoluthon is a fancy word for a disruption in the expected grammar or syntax of a sentence. That doesn’t mean that you misspoke- using anacoluthon means that you’ve deliberately subverted your reader’s expectations to make a point. For example, take this passage from King Lear: â€Å"I will have such revenges on you both, That all the world shall- I will do such things, What they are, yet I know not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this passage, King Lear interrupts himself in his description of his revenge. This has multiple effects on the reader: they wonder what all the world shall do once he has his revenge (cry? scream? fear him?), and they understand that King Lear has interrupted himself to regain his composure. This tells us something about him- that he’s seized by passion in this moment, but also that he regains control. We might have gathered one of those things without anacoluthon, but the use of this rhetorical device shows us both very efficiently. Anadiplosis Anadiplosis refers to purposeful repetition at the end of one sentence or clause and at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. In practice, that looks something like a familiar phrase from Yoda: â€Å"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.† Note the way that the ending word of each sentence is repeated in the following sentence. That’s anadiplosis! This rhetorical device draws a clear line of thinking for your reader or listener- repetition makes them pay closer attention and follow the way the idea evolves. In this case, we trace the way that fear leads to suffering through Yoda’s purposeful repetition. When life gives you lemons, use antanagoge! Antanagoge Antanagoge is the balancing of a negative with a positive. For example, the common phrase, â€Å"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,† is antanagoge- it suggests a negative (lots of lemons) and follows that up with a positive (make lemonade). When writing persuasively, this can be a great way to respond to potential detractors of your argument. Suppose you want to convince your neighborhood to add a community garden, but you think that people might focus on the amount of work required. When framing your argument, you could say something like, â€Å"Yes, it will be a lot of work to maintain, but working together will encourage us all to get to know one another as well as providing us with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers.† This is a little like procatalepsis, in that you anticipate a problem and respond to it. However, antanagoge is specifically balancing a negative with a positive, just as I did in the example of a garden needing a lot of work, but that work is what ultimately makes the project worth it. Apophasis Apophasis is a form of irony relating to denying something while still saying it. You’ll often see this paired with phrases like, â€Å"I’m not saying†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"It goes without saying†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , both of which are followed up with saying exactly what the speaker said they weren’t going to say. Take this speech from Iron Man 2: "I'm not saying I'm responsible for this country's longest run of uninterrupted peace in 35 years! I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a phoenix metaphor been more personified! I'm not saying Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an iced tea, because I haven't come across anyone man enough to go toe to toe with me on my best day! It's not about me." Tony Stark isn’t saying that he’s responsible for all those things†¦ except that’s exactly what he is saying in all of his examples. Though he says it’s not about him, it clearly is- all of his examples relate to how great he is, even as he proclaims that they aren’t. A scene like this can easily be played for humor, but apophasis can also be a useful (albeit deceptive) rhetorical tool. For example, this argument: Our neighborhood needs a community garden to foster our relationships with one another. Not only is it great for getting to know each other, but a community garden will also provide us with all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables. It would be wrong to say that people who disagree aren’t invested in others’ health and wellness, but those who have the neighborhood’s best interests in mind will support a community garden. That last sentence is all apophasis. Not only did I imply that people who don’t support the community garden are anti-social and uncaring (by outright stating that I wouldn’t say that, but I also implied that they’re also not invested in the neighborhood at all. Stating things like this, by pretending you’re not saying them or saying the opposite, can be very effective. Assonance and Alliteration Assonance adds an abundance of attractive accents to all your assertions. That’s assonance- the practice repeating the same vowel sound in multiple words in a phrase or sentence, often at the beginning of a word, to add emphasis or musicality to your work. Alliteration is similar, but uses consonant sounds instead of vowel sounds. Let’s use Romeo and Juliet as an example again: â€Å"From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.† Here, we have repetition of the sounds ‘f’ and ‘l’ in ‘from forth...fatal...foes,’ and ‘loins...lovers...life.’ Even if you don’t notice the repetition as you’re reading, you can hear the effects in how musical the language sounds. Shakespeare could easily have just written something like, â€Å"Two kids from families who hate one another fell in love and died by suicide,† but that’s hardly as evocative as the phrasing he chose. Both assonance and alliteration give your writing a lyrical sound, but they can do more than that, too. These tools can mimic associated sounds, like using many ‘p’ sounds to sound like rain or something sizzling, or ‘s’ sounds to mimic the sounds of a snake. When you’re writing, think about what alternative meanings you can add by emphasizing certain sounds. Asterismos Listen, asterismos is great. Don’t believe me? How did you feel after I began the first sentence with the word ‘listen?’ Even if you didn’t feel more inspired to actually listen, you probably paid a bit more attention because I broke the expected form. That’s what asterismos is- using a word or phrase to draw attention to the thought that comes afterward. ‘Listen’ isn’t the only example of asterismos, either. You can use words like, ‘hey,’ ‘look,’ ‘behold,’ ‘so,’ and so on. They all have the same effect: they tell the reader or listener, â€Å"Hey, pay attention- what I’m about to say is important.† Dysphemism and Euphemism Euphemism is the substitution of a more pleasant phrase in place of a familiar phrase, and dysphemism is the opposite- an unpleasant phrase substituted in place of something more familiar.These tools are two sides of the same coin. Euphemism takes an unpleasant thing and makes it sound nicer- such as using 'passed away' instead of 'died'- while dysphemism does the opposite, taking something that isn't necessarily bad and making it sound like it is. We won’t get into the less savory uses of dysphemism, but there are plenty that can leave an impression without being outright offensive. Take ‘snail mail.’ A lot of us call postal mail that without any real malice behind it, but ‘snail’ implies slowness, drawing a comparison between postal mail and faster email. If you’re making a point about how going electronic is faster, better for the environment, and overall more efficient, comparing email to postal mail with the phrase ‘snail mail’ gets the point across quickly and efficiently. Likewise, if you're writing an obituary, you probably don't want to isolate the audience by being too stark in your details. Using gentler language, like 'passed away' or 'dearly departed' allows you to talk about things that might be painful without being too direct. People will know what you mean, but you won't have to risk hurting anyone by being too direct and final with your language. Generally, fiction books are where you'll find epilogues. Epilogue You’ve no doubt run into epilogues before, because they’re a common and particularly useful rhetorical device! Epilogues are a conclusion to a story or work that reveals what happens to the characters in the story. This is different from an afterword, which is more likely to describe the process of a book’s creation than to continue and provide closure to a story. Many books use epilogues to wrap up loose ends, usually taking place in the future to show how characters have changed as a result of their adventures. Both Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series use their epilogues to show the characters as adults and provide some closure to their stories- in Harry Potter, the main characters have gotten married and had children, and are now sending those children to the school where they all met. This tells the reader that the story of the characters we know is over- they’re adults and are settled into their lives- but also demonstrates that the world goes on existing, though it’s been changed forever by the actions of the familiar characters. Eutrepismus Eutrepismus is another rhetorical device you’ve probably used before without realizing it. This device separates speech into numbered parts, giving your reader or listener a clear line of thinking to follow. Eutrepismus is a great rhetorical device- let me tell you why. First, it’s efficient and clear. Second, it gives your writing a great sense of rhythm. Third, it’s easy to follow and each section can be expanded throughout your work. See how simple it is? You got all my points in an easy, digestible format. Eutrepismus helps you structure your arguments and make them more effective, just as any good rhetorical device should do. Hypophora You’ve probably used hypophora before without ever thinking about it. Hypophora refers to a writer or speaker proposing a question and following it up with a clear answer. This is different from a rhetorical question- another rhetorical device- because there is an expected answer, one that the writer or speaker will immediately give to you. Hypophora serves to ask a question the audience may have (even if they’re not entirely aware of it yet) and provide them with an answer. This answer can be obvious, but it can also be a means of leading the audience toward a particular point. Take this sample from John F. Kennedy’s speech on going to the moon: But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too. In this speech, Kennedy outright states that he’s asking questions others have asked, and then goes on to answer them. This is Kennedy’s speech, so naturally it’s going to reflect his point of view, but he’s answering the questions and concerns others might have about going to the moon. In doing so, he’s reclaiming an ongoing conversation to make his own point. This is how hypophora can be incredibly effective: you control the answer, leaving less room for argument! Litotes Litotes is a deliberate understatement, often using double negatives, that serves to actually draw attention to the thing being remarked upon. For example, saying something like, â€Å"It’s not pretty,† is a less harsh way to say â€Å"It’s ugly,† or â€Å"It’s bad,† that nonetheless draws attention to it being ugly or bad. In Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave, he writes: â€Å"Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for the superior goodness of his own over that of the others.† Notice the use of â€Å"not uncommon.† Douglass, by using a double negative to make readers pay closer attention, points out that some slaves still sought superiority over others by speaking out in favor of their owners. Litotes draws attention to something by understating it. It’s sort of like telling somebody not to think about elephants- soon, elephants becomes all they can think about. The double negative draws our attention and makes us focus on the topic because it’s an unusual method of phrasing. Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia refers to a sound represented within text as a mimicry of what that sound actually sounds like. Think â€Å"bang† or â€Å"whizz† or â€Å"oomph,† all of which can mean that something made that kind of a sound- †the door banged shut†- but also mimic the sound itself- †the door went bang.† This rhetorical device can add emphasis or a little bit of spice to your writing. Compare, â€Å"The gunshot made a loud sound,† to â€Å"The gun went bang.† Which is more evocative? Parallelism Parallelism is the practice of using similar grammar structure, sounds, meter, and so on to emphasize a point and add rhythm or balance to a sentence or paragraph. One of the most famous examples of parallelism in literature is the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." In the beginning, every phrase begins with â€Å"It was,† which is itself a parallelism. But there are also pairs of parallelism within the sentence, too; â€Å"It was the ___ of times, it was the ___ of times,† and â€Å"it was the age of ___, it was the age of ___.† Parallelism draws your reader deeper into what you’re saying and provides a nice sense of flow, even if you’re talking about complicated ideas. The ‘epoch of incredulity’ is a pretty meaty phrase, but Dickens’ parallelism sets up a series of dichotomies for us; even if we don’t know quite what it means, we can figure it out by comparing it to ‘belief.’ Personification Personification is a rhetorical device you probably run into a lot without realizing it. It’s a form of metaphor, which means two things are being compared without the words like or as- in this case, a thing that is not human is given human characteristics. Personification is common in poetry and literature, as it’s a great way to generate fresh and exciting language, even when talking about familiar subjects. Take this passage from Romeo and Juliet, for example: â€Å"When well-appareled April on the heel Of limping winter treads.† April can’t wear clothes or step on winter, and winter can’t limp. However, the language Shakespeare uses here is quite evocative. He’s able to quickly state that April is beautiful (â€Å"well-appareled†) and that winter is coming to an end (â€Å"limping winter†). Through personification, we get a strong image for things that could otherwise be extremely boring, such as if Shakespeare had written, â€Å"When beautiful April comes right after winter.† Procatalepsis Procatalepsis is a rhetorical device that anticipates and notes a potential objection, heading it off with a follow-up argument to strengthen the point. I know what you’re thinking- that sounds really complicated! But bear with me, because it’s actually quite simple. See how that works? I imagined that a reader might be confused by the terminology in the first sentence, so I noted that potential confusion, anticipating their argument. Then, I addressed that argument to strengthen my point- procatalepsis is easy, which you can see because I just demonstrated it! Anticipating a rebuttal is a great way to strengthen your own argument. Not only does it show that you’ve really put thought into what you’re saying, but it also leaves less room for disagreement! Synecdoche Synecdoche is a rhetorical device that uses a part of something to stand in for the whole. That can mean that we use a small piece of something to represent a whole thing (saying ‘let’s grab a slice’ when we in fact mean getting a whole pizza), or using something large to refer to something small. We often do this with sports teams–for example, saying that New England won the Super Bowl when we in fact mean the New England Patriots, not the entirety of New England. This style of rhetorical device adds an additional dimension to your language, making it more memorable to your reader. Which sounds more interesting? â€Å"Let’s get pizza,† or â€Å"let’s grab a slice?† Likewise, consider this quote from Percy Bysshe Shelly’s â€Å"Ozymandias†: â€Å"Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them.† Here, Shelly uses ‘the hand’ to refer to the sculptor. The hand did not sculpt the lifeless things on its own; it was a tool of the sculptor. But by using just the hand, Shelly avoids repeating ‘the sculptor,’ preserves the poem’s rhythm, and narrows our focus. If he had referred to the sculptor again, he’d still be a big important figure; by narrowing to the hand, Shelly is diminishing the idea of the creator, mirroring the poem’s assertion that the creation will outlast it. Poes' bells are a great example of a tautology. Tautology Tautology refers to using words or similar phrases to effectively repeat the same idea with different wording. It’s a form of repetition that can make a point stronger, but it can also be the basis of a flawed argument- be careful that your uses of tautology is the former, not the latter! For example, take this section of â€Å"The Bells† by Edgar Allen Poe: â€Å"Keeping time, time, time,In a sort of Runic rhyme†¦From the bells, bells, bells, bells.† Poe’s poetry has a great deal of rhythm already, but the use of ‘time, time, time’ sets us up for the way that ‘bells, bells, bells, bells’ also holds that same rhythm. Keeping time refers to maintaining rhythm, and this poem emphasizes that with repetition, much like the repetitive sound of ringing bells. An example of an unsuccessful tautology would be something like, â€Å"Either we should buy a house, or we shouldn’t.† It’s not a successful argument because it doesn’t say anything at all- there’s no attempt to suggest anything, just an acknowledgment that two things, which cannot both happen, could happen. If you want to use tautology in your writing, be sure that it’s strengthening your point. Why are you using it? What purpose does it serve? Don’t let a desire for rhythm end up robbing you of your point! Thesis That thing your English teachers are always telling you to have in your essays is an important literary device. A thesis, from the Greek word for ‘a proposition,’ is a clear statement of the theory or argument you’re making in an essay. All your evidence should feed back into your thesis; think of your thesis as a signpost for your reader. With that signpost, they can’t miss your point! Especially in longer academic writing, there can be so many pieces to an argument that it can be hard for readers to keep track of your overarching point. A thesis hammers the point home so that no matter how long or complicated your argument is, the reader will always know what you’re saying. Tmesis Tmesis is a rhetorical device that breaks up a word, phrase, or sentence with a second word, usually for emphasis and rhythm. We often do this with expletives, but tmesis doesn’t have to be vulgar to be effective! Take this example from Romeo and Juliet: â€Å"This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.† The normal way we’d hear this phrase is â€Å"This is not Romeo, he’s somewhere else.† But by inserting the word ‘other’ between ‘some’ and ‘where,’ it not only forces us to pay attention, but also changes the sentence’s rhythm. It gets the meaning across perfectly, and does so in a way that’s far more memorable than if Shakespeare had just said that Romeo was somewhere else. For a more common usage, we can turn to George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, which often has Eliza Doolittle using phrases like â€Å"fan-bloody-tastic† and â€Å"abso-blooming-lutely.† The expletives- though mild by modern standards- emphasize Eliza’s social standing and make each word stand out more than if she had simply said them normally. What’s Next? Rhetorical devices and literary devices can both be used to enhance your writing and communication. Check out this list of literary devices to learn more! Ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are all modes of persuasion- types of rhetorical devices- that can help you be a more convincing writer! No matter what type of writing you're doing, rhetorical devices can enhance it! To learn more about different writing styles, check out this list!