In rhetoric, a rhetorical device or resource of language is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader. A meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective, using sentences designed to encourage or provoke a rational argument from an emotional display of a given perspective or action. Note that although rhetorical devices may be used to evoke an emotional response in the audience, this is not their primary purpose.