Rhetorical Terms ReviewRhetorical Terms Review

The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter

““Before this ugly edifice, and between it and the Before this ugly edifice, and between it and the wheel-track of the street, was a grass-plot, wheel-track of the street, was a grass-plot, much overgrown with burdock, pigweed, much overgrown with burdock, pigweed, apple-peru, and such unsightly vegetation, apple-peru, and such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison.” (ch. 1)flower of civilized society, a prison.” (ch. 1)

-2 rhetorical devices-2 rhetorical devices

MetaphorMetaphor ImageryImagery

““her heart had been flung into the street for her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon” (ch. 2)them all to spurn and trample upon” (ch. 2)

hyperbolehyperbole

““it had sprung up under the footsteps of the it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Anne Hutchinson” (ch. 1)sainted Anne Hutchinson” (ch. 1)

allusionallusion

““It was better to stand thus, with so many It was better to stand thus, with so many betwixt [Chillingworth] and [Hester], than to betwixt [Chillingworth] and [Hester], than to greet him, face to face, they two alone. She greet him, face to face, they two alone. She fled for refuge, as it were, to the public fled for refuge, as it were, to the public exposure, and dreaded the moment when its exposure, and dreaded the moment when its protection should be withdrawn from her.” (ch. protection should be withdrawn from her.” (ch. 3)3) Two rhetorical devicesTwo rhetorical devices

Paradox and ironyParadox and irony

““her spirit could only shelter itself beneath a her spirit could only shelter itself beneath a stony crust of insensibility” (ch. 3)stony crust of insensibility” (ch. 3)

personificationpersonification

““Hester Prynne, standing up, a statue of Hester Prynne, standing up, a statue of ignominy” (ch. 4)ignominy” (ch. 4)

metaphormetaphor

““had the leaves of the trees whispered the dark had the leaves of the trees whispered the dark story among themselves, --had the summer story among themselves, --had the summer breeze murmured about it” (ch. 5)breeze murmured about it” (ch. 5)

personificationpersonification

““But sometimes, once in many days, or But sometimes, once in many days, or perchance in many months, she felt an eye—a perchance in many months, she felt an eye—a human eye—upon the ignominious brand, that human eye—upon the ignominious brand, that seemed to give a momentary relief, as if half seemed to give a momentary relief, as if half of her agony were shared” (ch. 5)of her agony were shared” (ch. 5)

Synecdoche Synecdoche

““a torture to be felt at many an unthought-of a torture to be felt at many an unthought-of moment; a pang, a sting, an ever-recurring moment; a pang, a sting, an ever-recurring agony, in the midst of a troubled joy!” (ch. 8)agony, in the midst of a troubled joy!” (ch. 8)

2 rhetorical devices2 rhetorical devices

AsyndetonAsyndeton oxymoronoxymoron

“ ‘ “ ‘ I could be well content that my labors, and I could be well content that my labors, and my sorrows, and my sins, and my pains should my sorrows, and my sins, and my pains should shortly end with me’” (ch. 9)shortly end with me’” (ch. 9)

polysyndetonpolysyndeton

““He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart, He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart, like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like a sexton delving into a grave, possibly in quest a sexton delving into a grave, possibly in quest of a jewel that had been buried on the dead of a jewel that had been buried on the dead man’s bosom” (ch. 10)man’s bosom” (ch. 10)

Simile or analogySimile or analogy

““whatever painful efficacy there might be in whatever painful efficacy there might be in the secret sting of remorse, a deadlier venom the secret sting of remorse, a deadlier venom had been infused into it by the hand that had been infused into it by the hand that proffered relief” (ch. 13)proffered relief” (ch. 13) 3 rhetorical devices3 rhetorical devices

AlliterationAlliteration MetaphorMetaphor Synecdoche Synecdoche