Verbal irony is a rhetorical device that highlights the contrast between what is said and what is actually meant or true, often leading to an unexpected outcome that defies reader expectations.
Irony
(Apex) The relationship between the speaker, the speaker's style of address, and the audience's expectations.
In this passage, Thoreau uses a rhetorical question to engage the reader and prompt them to consider their own values and beliefs. It allows him to make a point indirectly, highlighting the contrast between society's expectations and his own views in a thought-provoking manner.
CONTEXT
The relationship between the speaker, the speaker's style of address, and the audience's expectations
The relationship between the speaker, the speaker's style of address, and the audience's expectations
The relationship between the speaker, the speaker's style of address, and the audience's expectations
The author is using dramatic irony to create a surprise ending by contrasting the reader's expectations with the reality of the situation. This contrast enhances the impact of the surprise twist at the end of the story.
An antithesis is a rhetorical device that presents contrasting ideas within a parallel grammatical structure to create a balance between two opposing concepts. It is commonly used to highlight the difference between two things and emphasize their contrast for effect.
In "A Separate Peace," the school symbolizes order, discipline, and conformity, while the wilderness symbolizes freedom, spontaneity, and adventure. The contrast between the school and the wilderness reflects the inner conflict of the characters as they navigate between societal expectations and personal desires.
Rhetorical definitions are definitions whose purpose is to express or influence attitudes rather than to clarify. Rhetorical explanations are a similar slanting device, only clothed as explanations.
a contrast between light and dark.