Explaining & Defining Rhetoric's Purpose in Writing

At the heart of it all, using rhetorical devices and strategies will not only spice up your writing for a presentation, job interview, in school, etc., it will also benefit the rest of your life.

Think of it this way, any time you try to inform, persuade, or argue with someone, you’re engaging in rhetoric. Using rhetoric not only makes you sound more intelligent, it teaches you the art of persuasion. And arguing, can't forget arguing.

If you've ever had an emotional reaction to a speech or changed your mind about an issue after hearing a debater's rebuttal, maybe in a book or newspaper or even on TV, you've experienced the power of rhetoric. Imagine, you being able to enact upon the exact same strategies and devices. By developing a basic knowledge of rhetorical devices, you can improve your ability to process and communicate information while also strengthening your persuasive skills.

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Other Methods of Appeal

Kairos - Devices in this category are dependent on the idea that the time has come for a particular idea or action. The very timeliness of the idea is part of the argument.

Humor - Humor creates connection and identification with an audience, thus increasing the likelihood that they will agree with the speaker. Humor can also be used to deflate counter-arguments and make opposing points of view appear ridiculous.

Logos - Method Three

Ethos - Method One

Devices in this category seek to convince and persuade via logic and reason, and will usually make use of statistics, cited facts, and statements by authorities to make their point and persuade the listener.

Pathos - Method Two

Ethical appeals try to convince the audience that the speaker is a credible source, that their words have weight and must be taken seriously because they are serious and have the experience and judgment necessary to decide what’s right.

*Think of this, as an example, when you have been asked to write an essay. Your instructor has directed you to look at outside research, and cite your evidence at the bottom of the page. You do this in order to prove the theory, or proposition, that you are trying to convince your readers of in your essay.*

These rhetorical devices base their appeal in emotion. This could mean invoking sympathy or pity in the listener, or making the audience angry in the service of inspiring action or changing their mind about something.

A Rhetorical Device

A linguistic tool used in the course of rhetoric, administering specific sentence structure, sounds, and imagery to acquire a desired response.

A Rhetorical Strategy

Rhetorical Strategies are the ways you approach an audience, by which you will present your ideas and evidence to readers. These strategies help a writer organize evidence, connect facts into a pattern, and provide groups of information necessary for projecting a purpose or an argument. Examples may include analyzing the cause of an outcome, comparing one thing to another, displaying your facts into categories, defining a key term, describing a person, place, or phenomenon, explaining how a process works, or narrating a pertinent event or experience.

Explaining & Defining Rhetoric's Purpose in Writing

Imagery - Using figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. Authors describe settings using imagery to create visual representations of the words we are reading/hearing. They also do this by setting a tone to their writing, or more in-depth, what the mood of the scene is.

Rhetorical Devices

Tone - The perspective or attitude that the author conveys with regards to a specific character, place or development. Tone can portray a variety of emotions ranging from solemn, grave, and critical to witty, wry and humorous. Tone encourages the readers/listeners to comprehend the writer’s feelings towards a particular topic & influences the reader’s understanding of the story.

Parallelism - Compound words or phrases that have equivalent meanings so as to create a definite pattern. Authors find this structure beneficial when "specifying or enumerating pairs or series of like things".

Onomatopoeia - Refers to a word that mirrors the real-life sound it signifies (e.g. using the word "boom" to signify the sound of thunder). Onomatopoeia is included in writing so it can stimulate a reader's (or listener's) imagination.

Diction:

Syntax - A rhetorical device that consists of repetition among adjacent sentences or clauses. The repeated sentences or clauses provides emphasis to a center theme or idea the author is trying to communicate.

Alliteration - The repetition of the initial sound of each word (e.g. Kacey the cactus couldn't crawl). Authors use alliteration to make their writing more poetic, while including a rhythm.

Metaphor - A figure of speech that writers use to communicate what they are trying to say, without directly saying it. Almost similar to giving an example. Authors use metaphors to help spice up their descriptions of people, objects or places.

Hyperbole - An exaggerated statement. Writers use this in writing or speaking so their more measured words won't seem dull and uninspiring in comparison.

Analogy - A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explaining or clarifying. Authors use this by showing a similarity through the relationship between two things.

Connotative - Describing or suggesting something by using an implication or making an association. (Used in writing/speaking to suggest something.)

Denotation - Commonly defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings. (Used in writing/speaking to contradict the feelings or idea the words suggest.

Created by: Kiara Love

Defining Rhetoric

How Author's Appeal to Their Audiences

The Root of Rhetoric

(Ethos, Pathos, Logos)

The term rhetoric refers to language that is used to inform, persuade, or motivate audiences. Rhetoric uses language to appeal mainly to emotions, but also to shared values or logic.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are the three most common methods of persuasion used to convince audiences within writing and speaking.

English Language & Composition AP