Rhetorical devices gain meaning from context. Anaphora in a speech after a disaster (“We will rebuild. We will heal…”) creates unity and hope. Juxtaposition in a description (“Diamonds glittered on the table; the miner's hands were raw”) exposes injustice.
Irony and understatement often criticise indirectly. Saying “Losing all your exams is not ideal” underplays a serious problem, perhaps for comic effect or to mask emotion.
Analyse the speaker, audience and purpose: who is speaking, to whom, and what do they want to achieve?
Worked example
What does the juxtaposition in “Diamonds glittered on the table; the miner's hands were raw” suggest?
- Diamonds suggest wealth; raw hands suggest painful labour.
- Placing them together highlights a contrast.
Answer:It exposes the injustice between those who profit and those who labour.
Key words
- context
- the situation in which language is used
- juxtaposition
- placing contrasting ideas side by side
- audience
- the people addressed
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: RI.11-12.6