Repetition of the same word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences. Builds rhythm and emphasis.
"I have a dream… I have a dream… I have a dream…" — Martin Luther King Jr.
A direct comparison without "like" or "as". One thing is described as another to create a vivid image.
"America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds'." — MLK
A brief reference to a person, event, text, or place the audience is expected to know. Adds depth and authority.
"Five score years ago" (Lincoln's Gettysburg Address); the Constitution as a "promissory note."
Contrast of ideas in parallel structure. Opposites placed side by side to highlight the difference.
"We shall support any friend, oppose any foe." — JFK. "Not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." — MLK
Three parallel elements in a row (words, phrases, or clauses). Creates balance and memorability ("rule of three").
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people." — Lincoln. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
A series of ideas or images arranged in order of increasing importance or intensity. Builds to a peak.
"I came, I saw, I conquered." — Caesar. Or: from local → national → global impact in a speech.
Explicit comparison using "like" or "as". Makes an idea concrete and vivid.
"We will rise like a phoenix." "As cold as ice."
Repetition of the same sound (usually consonant) at the start of nearby words. Adds rhythm and punch.
"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." "Same struggle, same sacrifice."
Reversal of structure in two parallel phrases (A B → B A). Creates a memorable, balanced twist.
"Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." — JFK
Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Not meant to be taken literally.
"I've told you a million times." "This is the best day ever."
A question asked for effect, not to get an answer. Engages the audience and implies a shared conclusion.
"Isn't it time we acted?" "How long must we wait?"
Repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses (opposite of anaphora).
"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." "Government of the people, by the people, for the people."
How many devices exist? There is no single official count — it depends on the authors and what you include. In antiquity, the Ancients (Aristotle, Rhetorica ad Herennium, Quintilian) already described dozens of figurae (figures of thought and style). Their lists vary, often between 50 and 100+ names depending on whether variants and subcategories are included. Today, handbooks and rhetoric sites often list 30 to 80 “common” devices (anaphora, metaphor, alliteration, chiasmus, etc.), not counting regional variants or neologisms. In practice, dozens to a hundred devices are “recognized” in theory; the most common lists run around 50–70. The six in the Martin Luther King Jr. case study (Anaphora, Metaphor, Allusion, Antithesis, Tricolon, Climax) are therefore a small, widely used selection in speech and analysis.