Rhetorical devices…the more the merrier!

Rhetoric, as an art, is not only widely used in written texts, but also can be seen everywhere in daily life, ranging from leaders’ speeches and advertising media to daily conversations and speech reports. Rhetoric can be described as Everywhere. We often find that the same words and the same words are so pale and boring when spoken by one person, but so vivid and fresh when spoken by that person. Why is this? Because he has mastered the ever-changing and wonderful magic wand of language - rhetoric. Language is our most important communication tool and an important carrier for us to express our thoughts and emotions. Rhetoric is a process of selecting, adjusting and combining language materials based on a certain topic and situation, using various means and methods, with the purpose of making language expression clear and vivid. Another way of saying it is: Rhetoric refers to the objective laws contained in language communication phenomena that are conducive to improving the effect of language expression. (Li Suo, "Rhetoric of Ancient Chinese Language", Tianjin People's Publishing House, 2000) This statement highlights the communicative function of rhetoric in life.

In life, rhetoric is mainly reflected in the modification function of speech, words, and sentences. Therefore, rhetoric is divided into three aspects: speech rhetoric, word rhetoric, and sentence rhetoric.

1. Rhetoric of speech

Speech is the material shell of language. Different speech forms can express the same meaning, but the effects are very different. Some are pleasant to the ear, such as Huang Yingming. Singing; some are stiff and difficult to pronounce, like chewing wax, unpleasant and boring. This is mainly due to phonetic reasons. Whether a song is good or not, melody is the key. Voice rhetoric is like a composer "composing music" for lyrics. No matter how good the lyrics are, if the music is not composed well or the melody is not beautiful enough, it will not arouse the interest of the audience. It's like a very beautiful person, but you dress her in tattered clothes that are dirty and smelly. Others can't see her beauty. Similarly, the same goes for our speech. No matter how good and substantial the content is, poor expression will inevitably affect the effect of the speech. Therefore, the ultimate goal of phonetic rhetoric is to pursue the musical beauty of language. Make language or speech sound varied, rhythmic, coordinated and beautiful.

Concrete manifestations of language rhetoric in daily life:

1. Duality

For example, in response to the recent earthquake in Wenchuan, a large slogan was issued: "The whole country Sharing the same sorrow, all the people swallowed together." "The mountains and rivers changed their colors, and the grass and trees were filled with sorrow." This fully reflects the grief of the entire Chinese nation after the great earthquake. In addition, there are also "seeing flowers in the mist, looking at the moon in the water" and so on.

2. Repetition

We often say "everything for students, everything for students, for all students" is a relatively common rhetoric of repetition.

3. Dingzhen

There are many people who use the rhetoric of Dingzhen in life, such as Toyota’s advertisement, “There must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, and if there is a road, there is a Toyota car.” This advertising slogan is cleverly conceived using a true rhetorical method, making the upper and lower sentences coherent and logically logical, making it impressive and easy to remember. At the same time, it illustrates the wide sales and excellent performance of Toyota cars in the world. Another example is "If the mountains don't turn, the water will turn. If the water doesn't turn, the clouds will turn. If the clouds don't turn, the wind will turn." It’s not good for a dog to block the road” is the loopback. There is also "Guests come to Tiantianju, and guests come from heaven." This is a couplet from the "Tiantianju" restaurant in Beijing. In addition to reflecting the reciprocity in language, this couplet also implies that the guests of "Tiantianju" are all elegant and decent people. scholar.

5. Rhyme

For example, "Grass does not grow on lively streets, and hair does not grow on smart heads."

6. Parallelism

In recent years, Japanese and Korean dramas have become quite popular in China. Some people have made up a jingle to satirize them: "Japanese dramas nod and bow, Korean dramas ramble, Hong Kong dramas make things up, and mainland dramas are really good if they are good, but worse if they are bad."

2. Word Rhetoric

Word is the smallest unit of language that combines sound and meaning and can be used independently. It is the basis of language. Word rhetoric and phonetic rhetoric are exactly the opposite. If phonetic rhetoric is to "compose" the lyrics and create a sense of rhythm, then word rhetoric is to "fill in the lyrics" for the music.

There are many words in Chinese. Which ones do you want most and best reflect your meaning? This requires word selection and refinement. It's like you already have a very beautiful dress. Whoever you wear it now, the word is equivalent to the person you are looking for. It is the essence and the core. If you find the right words, it means that the clothes are put on a beautiful person, so that beauty and beauty complement each other; otherwise, it is just a flower inserted in the body, which would not be a pity.

The specific embodiment of word rhetoric in daily life:

1. Pun

For example, we often say: "Put chicken feathers on the flagpole, you are so big. (Courage), you must be impatient with life." There is also the slogan of Golden Monkey Leather Shoes: "Golden Monkey Leather Shoes make every step sparkle." "One step" refers to the foot, and the other is a respectful term for the other party, which gives the advertisement a double meaning: put on the golden monkey leather shoes, not only your feet will shine, but also your whole image will be radiant and brilliant.

2. Metaphor

This kind of rhetoric is more common and almost everywhere. For example, when newbies go on the road, there are signs on the back saying "Don't kiss me, I'm shy (Hugh)", and signs on the grass: "Don't step on me, I'm afraid of pain".

3. Exaggeration

This kind of rhetoric is also relatively common, such as our Spring Festival couplets: "The door welcomes thousands of blessings from all over the world, and the household receives thousands of miles of wealth", "A hundred years ago, the heaven and earth regained their vitality and unified Peace between mountains and rivers", and "I'm almost exhausted", "All the flowers I've been waiting for have withered", etc.

4. Euphemisms

For example, when someone dies, don’t say death directly, but say “He went”, “He left”, etc., as well as some words of humility. , such as "One step, no talent" etc.

3. Sentence Rhetoric

Sentence rhetoric emphasizes the selection and refinement of key sentences or paragraphs in an article. It is specifically reflected in the choice of sentence types, such as: inverted sentences, emphasized sentences, hypothetical questions, rhetorical questions, whole sentences and loose sentences, long sentences and short sentences.

1. Inverted sentences

Inverted sentences generally put the part to be emphasized first. For example, "Motherland, I love you!" is stronger and more sentimental than "I love the motherland." We can emphasize different contents in one sentence. For example, "Yesterday I was reading in the library." If the emphasis is on me, it is "I was reading in the library yesterday." If the location is emphasized, it is "In the library, I was reading yesterday." etc.

2. Rhetorical questions

For example, "Did I do something wrong?" is more emotional and more effective than "I did something wrong."

3. Ask questions

For example, "Why is this? The reason is..." is better than "This is because...".

4. Whole sentences and loose sentences

Whole sentences and loose sentences must be organically combined, so that the language can be rhythmic and ups and downs. It is catchy to read and refreshing to listen to. For example, "We live in a glorious era that opens up a new history of mankind. In such an era, people have new associations and new feelings about many things. Not many people are praising the radiant morning sun, Evergreen pines and cypresses, majestic peaks, and surging oceans? Aren't there many people praising the tall poplars, bright lights, running trains, and brand-new calendars? Seeing things and thinking about people, how much do these things arouse in people? Rich and emotional imagination!" The expression is better.

In short, rhetoric has been widely used in life. Maybe we are not aware of it, but it does exist. As long as we observe carefully, think seriously, and experience it, rhetoric will bring benefits to our daily lives. Great convenience.