Literary Devices Found in Early American Sermons: Analysis and Examples

📚 Quick Study Guide

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• Biblical Allusions: Referencing specific passages or stories from the Bible to support arguments and connect with the audience's religious knowledge.
metaphor
• Metaphor and Simile: Using figurative language to draw comparisons and create vivid imagery, making abstract concepts more relatable.
figure of speech
• Rhetorical Questions: Asking questions not for information but to provoke thought and engage the audience.
repetition
• Repetition (Anaphora, Epistrophe): Repeating words or phrases for emphasis and emotional impact. Anaphora repeats at the beginning of clauses; epistrophe at the end.
exaggeration
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.
triad
• The Rule of Three (Triads): Grouping ideas or phrases in threes to make them more memorable and impactful.

Practice Quiz

1. Which literary device involves referencing stories or passages from the Bible?
1. Biblical Allusion
2. Metaphor
3. Rhetorical Question
4. Hyperbole
2. What is the literary device that uses 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike things?
1. Hyperbole
2. Metaphor
3. Simile
4. Biblical Allusion
3. Which device poses a question not meant to be answered but to provoke thought?
1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Rhetorical Question
4. Anaphora
4. What is the repetition of a word or phrase at the *beginning* of successive clauses?
1. Epistrophe
2. Anaphora
3. Hyperbole
4. Metaphor
5. Which literary device employs deliberate exaggeration for emphasis?
1. Understatement
2. Simile
3. Hyperbole
4. Allusion
6. What is the grouping of words, ideas, or phrases in sets of three?
1. Duads
2. Triads
3. Quatrains
4. Couplets
7. Which of these is NOT a common literary device found in Early American sermons?
1. Biblical Allusion
2. Satire
3. Rhetorical Question
4. Repetition