6.2.2 Rhetorical devices

The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Master-level Urdu

At C2 level you are no longer only “correct” in Urdu, you are shaping nuance, rhythm, and emotional impact. Rhetorical devices are the tools that allow you to do this consciously. In Urdu, these devices are deeply linked with classical Persian and Arabic traditions, and with Indo‑Muslim literary culture. This chapter focuses on how they work functionally for a highly proficient non‑native speaker, not on cataloging every historical figure of speech.

We will look at major device types that are especially productive in contemporary refined Urdu: sound‑based devices, repetition and parallelism, figurative devices, structural balance, and “voice” devices such as rhetorical questions and irony. For each, you will see how to recognize the device, how to use it, and how to avoid overuse.

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1. Sound-based Devices in Urdu Prose and Speech

1.1 Alliteration and Consonant Harmony

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words. Urdu, with many consonant clusters borrowed from Persian and Arabic, uses this heavily in speeches, essays, and journalism.

Examples:

Functionally, alliteration can:

• Tie together a list of related concepts
• Create memorability, especially in slogans and headings
• Provide a rhythmic opening to paragraphs or speeches

Good use in a formal speech:

ہمیں تعمیری، ترقیاتی، اور تبدیلی کی قوت کو سمجھنا، سنبھالنا، اور استعمال کرنا ہوگا۔
hameñ taʿmīrī, taraqqiyātī, aur tabdīlī kī quwwat ko samajhnā, sanbhālnā, aur istemāl karnā hogā.
We must understand, manage, and use the power of construction, development, and change.

Here, both nouns and verbs show deliberate consonant harmony.

Pitfall: Avoid forcing unnatural word order just to maintain alliteration, especially in academic prose, where clarity is central.

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1.2 Assonance and Sound Echo

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. In Urdu, the contrast between long and short vowels, and between front and back vowels, can create subtle musical effects even in prose.

Examples:

• Front vowel echo:

یہ فیصلہ صرف میرے دل کی نہیں، میرے علم کی بھی آزمائش ہے۔
yeh faislā sirf mere dil kī nahīñ, mere ʿilm kī bhī āzmāʾish hai.
This decision is not only a test of my heart, but also of my knowledge.

The “i” sound in “dil / ʿilm” ties emotion and intellect.

• Long ā echo:

ہمیں آج یہ طے کرنا ہے کہ ہم کہاں کھڑے ہیں، کہاں جانا چاہتے ہیں، اور کیسے جائیں گے۔
hameñ āj yeh tai karnā hai keh ham kahāñ khaṛe haiñ, kahāñ jānā chāhte haiñ, aur kaise jāeñge.

The repeated ā in kahāñ, jānā, chāhte, jāeñge produces a soft continuity that suits reflective oratory.

Use assonance to:

• Smooth transitions between clauses
• Give a slight poetic tone to otherwise plain formal Urdu
• Echo key words through similar sounds

Avoid very dense assonance in technical writing, where it can sound overly lyrical.

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2. Repetition, Parallelism, and Triplets

2.1 Strategic Repetition (Takrār)

Repetition is perhaps the most powerful and most misused rhetorical tool. In high‑level Urdu you see controlled repetition, often in:

• Opening and closing lines
• Key thematic terms in an essay
• Policy or campaign speeches

Example, direct repetition of a phrase:

ہمیں جواب دینا ہوگا، تاریخ کو بھی اور آنے والی نسلوں کو بھی جواب دینا ہوگا۔
hameñ jawāb denā hogā, tārīkh ko bhī aur āne vālī naslōñ ko bhī jawāb denā hogā.
We must answer, we must answer to history and to future generations.

Here, repetition underlines accountability.

Standard classroom or academic use:

اس مضمون میں ہم تین سوالات کا جائزہ لیں گے: کیا ہوا؟ کیوں ہوا؟ اور اب کیا ہونا چاہیے؟
In this article we will examine three questions: What happened? Why did it happen? And what should happen now?

Notice how repetition of “کیا / ہوا” builds a clear logical structure.

Do not confuse emphasis with redundancy. At C2 level, you should cut any repetition that does not add a new emphasis or contrast.

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2.2 Parallelism (Mutawāzī Saakht)

Parallelism is the repetition of syntactic structure. Urdu loves balanced structures in formal writing and speeches.

Common patterns:

1. Parallel infinitives with کرنا:

ہمیں سوچنا بھی ہے، سمجھنا بھی ہے، اور پھر عمل کرنا بھی ہے۔
We must think, we must understand, and then we must act.

2. Parallel clauses with کہ:

مسئلہ یہ نہیں کہ ہم کیا کہتے ہیں، مسئلہ یہ ہے کہ ہم کیا کرتے ہیں۔
The issue is not what we say, the issue is what we do.

3. Parallel noun phrases:

وہ الفاظ کا بھی، لہجے کا بھی، اور لب و لہجے کے پس منظر کا بھی خیال رکھتا ہے۔
He pays attention to words, to tone, and to the background of the tone.

Guideline:

For instance, avoid:

وہ بولنے کا بھی، اور وہ کہ کیسے سنے گا، خیال رکھتا ہے۔ ✗

Better:

وہ بولنے کا بھی، سننے کا بھی، اور سمجھنے کا بھی خیال رکھتا ہے۔ ✓

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2.3 Triplets and the Rule of Three

Lists of three are very common in Urdu rhetoric, partly under Arabic influence and partly as a universal pattern.

Functional uses:

• To present a complete picture: past, present, future
• To group three related values or problems
• To make a statement more memorable

Example in value statements:

ہمیں اخلاص، ایمانداری، اور انصاف کے ساتھ فیصلہ کرنا ہوگا۔
We must decide with sincerity, honesty, and justice.

Example in problem framing:

ہمارے سامنے تین بڑے چیلنج ہیں: غربت، جہالت، اور بدعنوانی۔
We face three major challenges: poverty, ignorance, and corruption.

Triplets are also useful in academic intros, body, and conclusion statements:

اس بحث میں سب سے پہلے ہم پس منظر دیکھیں گے، پھر دلائل کا جائزہ لیں گے، اور آخر میں نتائج مرتب کریں گے۔

Be careful not to inflate a list to three just for form; only group items that are conceptually tight.

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3. Figurative Devices: Metaphor, Simile, and Personification

3.1 Conceptual Metaphor in High-level Urdu

Metaphor in Urdu is often inherited from classical Persian, but in C2 communication you must decide how archaic or contemporary you want to sound. Some metaphors are timeless and function well in modern prose.

Common conceptual metaphors:

Usage in an editorial style:

جب وقت کا دریا تیز بہنے لگتا ہے تو وہ قومیں بچ جاتی ہیں جو اپنی کشتی کو سنبھالنا جانتی ہیں۔
When the river of time begins to flow quickly, the nations that survive are those that know how to control their boat.

Here, “river of time” and “boat of the nation” create an extended metaphor.

At C2 level, you can build controlled extended metaphors over a paragraph, but you must keep them coherent:

• Choose one main image (river, road, building).
• Keep all later images compatible (avoid mixing river and building metaphors in the same passage unless you want deliberate surrealism).

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3.2 Simile (Tashbīh) with جیسے and کی طرح

Similes make comparisons explicit. In formal Urdu, “کی طرح” is more neutral, while “جیسے” is slightly more conversational but still acceptable in serious writing.

Patterns:

• Noun 1 + کی طرح + noun / noun phrase
• Clause 1, جیسے کہ + clause 2

Examples:

یہ مسئلہ برف کے گلے کی طرح ہے، جتنا دیر کریں گے، اتنا بڑھے گا۔
This problem is like a snowball, the more we delay, the more it will grow.

وہ ایسے بولتا ہے جیسے کہ ہر لفظ ناپ تول کر ادا کر رہا ہو۔
He speaks as if he is weighing every word before saying it.

In C2 prose, similes can:

• Clarify complex abstract ideas with concrete images
• Soften harsh criticism by framing it as comparison rather than direct attack
• Add vividness to dry analysis

However, avoid cliché similes in academic writing, for example “سفید کاغذ کی طرح صاف” unless you are consciously echoing popular speech.

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3.3 Personification (Tashkhīs)

Personification attributes human qualities to abstract ideas. Urdu uses this both in poetic and serious journalistic texts.

Examples:

تاریخ ہم سے سوال کرتی ہے کہ ہم نے کیا سیکھا۔
History asks us what we have learned.

خاموشی چیخ چیخ کر بتا رہی تھی کہ سب ٹھیک نہیں ہے۔
Silence was screaming that everything was not alright.

امید مر نہیں جاتی، بس سو جاتی ہے اور کسی لمحے پھر جاگ اٹھتی ہے۔
Hope does not die, it just falls asleep and wakes again at some moment.

Personification can be particularly effective when:

• You want to emphasize moral responsibility (“تاریخ یاد رکھے گی”).
• You want to dramatize a situation in a speech without sounding unprofessional.

In academic essays, use personification sparingly and mostly in introductions or conclusions, where a slightly elevated tone is acceptable.

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4. Structural Balance: Antithesis, Chiasmus, and Contrast

4.1 Antithesis (Tazād or Muqābalah)

Antithesis places contrasting ideas in a parallel structure. Urdu rhetoric uses it to sharpen arguments and moral statements.

Pattern: X نہیں، بلکہ Y or X تو ہے، لیکن Y بھی ہے.

Examples:

ہمیں تعلیم کے نمبر نہیں، تعلیم کا مقصد سمجھنا ہوگا۔
We must understand not the marks of education but the purpose of education.

مسئلہ یہ نہیں کہ راستہ کتنا لمبا ہے، مسئلہ یہ ہے کہ ہم چلنے کے لئے تیار ہیں یا نہیں۔
The question is not how long the road is, the question is whether we are ready to walk or not.

وہ شکایت کم اور شکر زیادہ کرتا ہے۔
He complains less and is more grateful.

Antithesis is particularly effective in:

• Thesis statements
• Slogans
• Section headings in essays or reports

Guideline: Keep the contrasted parts parallel at the grammar level:

وہ تنقید تو بہت کرتا ہے، لیکن عمل بالکل نہیں کرتا۔ ✓
Parallel verbal forms “کرتا ہے” and “کرتا”.

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4.2 Chiasmus (Inversion for Emphasis)

Chiasmus is criss‑cross structure, AB / BA. It is less named in Urdu discussions than antithesis, but it appears frequently in refined prose and especially in speeches.

Structure:

• Phrase 1: A + B
• Phrase 2: B′ + A′ (reversing order)

Examples:

ہم کتابوں کو نہیں پڑھ رہے، کتابیں ہمیں پڑھ رہی ہیں۔
We are not reading the books, the books are reading us.

ہمیں نظام کو بدلنا ہے، ورنہ نظام ہمیں بدل دے گا۔
We must change the system, otherwise the system will change us.

اگر ہم سچ کے ساتھ نہیں کھڑے ہوں گے، تو سچ ہمارے خلاف کھڑا ہو جائے گا۔
If we do not stand with truth, then truth will stand against us.

Use chiasmus when:

• You want a memorable closing line
• You want to highlight a reversal of roles or consequences

Avoid overusing this pattern in academic writing, where too many “clever” sentences can distract from substance.

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5. Rhetorical Questions, Exclamation, and Irony

5.1 Rhetorical Questions (Istifhām-e-Inkārī, etc.)

A rhetorical question expects no answer. It suggests the answer is obvious. Urdu uses such questions in:

• Opinion pieces
• Political and moral speeches
• Reflective essays

Common patterns:

• کیا + verb phrase؟
• آخر + interrogative؟
• کیا واقعی + clause؟

Examples:

کیا ہم واقعی یہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ خاموش رہ کر مسئلہ حل ہو جائے گا؟
Do we really think that by remaining silent the problem will be solved?

آخر ہم کب تک دوسروں کو ذمہ دار ٹھہراتے رہیں گے؟
Until when will we go on holding others responsible?

اگر انصاف صرف طاقتور کے لئے ہو تو کیا وہ انصاف رہتا ہے؟
If justice is only for the powerful, does it remain justice?

In written academic text, rhetorical questions should be used sparingly, usually in introductions or in transitions between sections. Too many questions can make your argument feel less precise.

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5.2 Controlled Exclamation

Exclamation in formal Urdu is not limited to the “!” symbol. It is also a matter of lexical choice and syntactic emphasis.

Forms:

• Interjections: واہ، افسوس، حیرت ہے کہ، کمال ہے کہ
• Intensifiers: کس قدر، کتنی بڑی، کیسی عجیب

Examples:

حیرت ہے کہ اتنے تجربے کے باوجود ہم نے یہ سادہ نکتہ نہ سمجھا۔
It is astonishing that despite so much experience we did not understand this simple point.

افسوس کہ ہم نے ماضی کی غلطیوں سے بہت کم سیکھا۔
It is a pity that we learned very little from the mistakes of the past.

Subtle exclamation in academic prose often appears as evaluative comment in the conclusion; in a speech it can appear more often, but too many “واہ” or “کمال ہے” may sound theatrical.

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5.3 Irony and Understatement in Urdu

Irony in refined Urdu is often understated, not loud sarcasm. At C2 level, mastering this tone helps you read columns, satire, and political commentary, and also lets you make critical points politely.

Typical signals:

• Saying “دلچسپ” or “قابلِ غور” when something is clearly problematic
• Using polite formulas with obviously critical content
• Contrasting lofty language with a trivial reality

Examples:

یہ بھی ایک دلچسپ حقیقت ہے کہ شفافیت کے نام پر بننے والے ادارے سب سے کم شفاف نکلے۔
It is also an interesting fact that the institutions formed in the name of transparency turned out to be the least transparent.

انہوں نے بڑا احسان کیا کہ ہمیں یاد دلایا کہ قانون سب کے لئے برابر نہیں ہوتا۔
They did us a great favor by reminding us that the law is not equal for everyone.

ہماری ترجیحات کتنی عمدہ ہیں کہ ہم کتب خانوں سے زیادہ شادی ہال بنا رہے ہیں۔
Our priorities are so excellent that we are building more wedding halls than libraries.

Irony is risky for non‑native speakers because it can be misunderstood as literal meaning. In high‑stakes formal contexts, such as official reports or legal writing, avoid irony. Reserve it for:

• Op‑eds
• Academic essays where an evaluative tone is acceptable
• Speeches to audiences that know you well

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6. Lists, Climax, and Relief

6.1 Climactic Lists (Tarraqqī)

A climactic list moves from weaker to stronger items, creating a sense of escalation.

Pattern: X, then X+Y, then X+Y+Z.

Examples:

یہ صرف ایک بحث نہیں، ایک اختلاف نہیں، بلکہ ایک گہرا فکری بحران ہے۔
This is not only a debate, not only a disagreement, but a deep intellectual crisis.

ہم نے غلطیاں کیں، مواقع کھوئے، اور بعض صورتوں میں شعوری طور پر غلط فیصلے کیے۔
We made mistakes, missed opportunities, and in some cases deliberately made wrong decisions.

Climactic structure is highly effective in:

• Paragraph endings
• Lead‑up to a key thesis sentence
• Formal speeches, to build emotional energy

Check that each step really increases intensity or scope; if there is no clear escalation, the device loses power.

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6.2 Anti‑climax and Intentional Deflation

Sometimes you may want to deflate expectations, especially in humorous or satirical prose. Urdu writers often use a grand build‑up that ends in something trivial.

Example:

ہم نے ایک بڑے مقصد کے لئے دن رات محنت کی، دوستوں کو چھوڑا، فرصت کو قربان کیا، اور آخر میں… صرف ایک سیلفی لے کر گھر آ گئے۔
We worked day and night for a great goal, left friends, sacrificed leisure, and in the end… just took a selfie and went home.

This device is powerful in satire, but avoid it in serious argumentative prose, where it can weaken your authority.

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7. Rhetorical Devices and Register Control

At C2 level you must align your stylistic choices with context. The same device can feel elegant in a speech and inappropriate in a research article.

7.1 Matching Devices to Genres

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7.2 Subtlety versus Ornamentation

Urdu has a strong tradition of ornate style, but modern educated Urdu also values directness and simplicity. At C2, you should be able to modulate between:

• A more ornamented style, using foregrounded rhetorical devices, for literary or ceremonial contexts.
• A more neutral style, with devices in the background, for academic or technical contexts.

Guideline:

Try rewriting a paragraph in two ways:

1. With visible parallelism and a clear antithesis.
2. With plain prose, same meaning, minimal devices.

This exercise will give you control, so you choose stylistic weight intentionally, not accidentally.

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8. Vocabulary List for This Chapter

This vocabulary will help you discuss rhetorical devices explicitly when analyzing or crafting high‑level Urdu texts.