The Art of Rhetoric

1. The Art of Rhetoric Introduction to Rhetorical Strategies

2. What is Rhetoric? Rhetoric is the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion. • The ability to use language effectively • The ability to create appeal • The creation of a unique style of writing • Analysis of WHAT a text means andHOW it means

3. Text(Logos) RHETORIC Audience(Pathos) Author(Ethos) Aristotle’s Three Appeals • ETHOS: credible speaker • WHO gives the speech? • Does the audience find the speaker believable or credible? • Does the speaker have confidence and poise? • PATHOS: emotion evoked in audience • HOW is it spoken and written • Does it make the audience feel sympathy, empathy, concern, etc.? • LOGOS: reasons and logic • WHAT is in it? • Does the content achieve its purpose?

4. A Breakdown of Judges’ Criteria • Ethos: Confidence and Poise • Professional appearance and genial personality • Pathos: Delivery and Presentation • Strong voice, volume, clear pronunciation, gestures, eye contact, sincerity, emphasis • Use of poignant and emotional words • Logos: Content of Speech • Subject Adherence, Theme, Logic, Content, Color

5. Rhetorical Devices and Techniques for enhancing your speech

6. Emotional Language Use references to the past • Allusions • Spark memories of the past/history (not personal), as related to your speech, for the audience Use poignant language, or words that arouse specific and strong feelings/emotions in the audience • America, patriotism, love, freedom, religion, etc.

7. Inclusive Language Use of pronouns such as we, our, us, etc. to help audience relate to you. “We Democrats — we think the country works better with a strong middle class…” “My fellow Americans, if that is what you want, if that is what you believe, you must vote and you must re-elect President Barack Obama.” -Former President Bill Clinton

8. Anaphora The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases, clauses, or lines. “I want to nominate a man who’s cool on the outside.” “I want a man who believes with no doubt that we can build a new American Dream economy…” “I want a man who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama.” “I want Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States.” -Former President Bill Clinton

9. Repetition A word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity. “Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.” -FDR “Pearl Harbor Speech”

10. Parallelism Emphasizing equal value of two or more ideas by expressing them in the same grammatical form. Arrangement of words, phrases, clauses placed side by side, making them similar in form. “My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.” -President Barack Obama “With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

11. Alliteration The repetition of a sound in the first syllable of each phrase of group of words. "This generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen have volunteered in the time of certain danger. They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. They have served tour after tour of duty in distant, different, and difficult places...” -President Barack Obama

12. Anadiplosis The last word or phrase is repeated to begin the next. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda

13. Anastrophe Inversion of normal word order. “Ask not…” -JFK “Ready are you?” Yoda

14. Assonance Repetition of vowel sounds in non-rhyming words. “Hear the mellow wedding bells” -Edgar Allen Poe “The crumbling thunder of seas” -Robert Louis Stevenson

15. Consonance Repetition of consonant sounds within words or ending words. Ralegh has backed the maid to a tree As Ireland is back to England And drives inland Till all her strands are breathless. - “Ocean’s Love to Ireland”- Seamus Heaney

16. Rhetorical Question A question that doesn’t require an answer– often used to initiate a call to action “Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?” –JFK Inaugural Address

17. Other Devices • allusion • metonymy • synecdoche • motif • figurative language • metaphor, simile, hyperbole, idiom, personification

18. The Six Traits of Writing Keep these in mind: • Content and Ideas: does it stick to the topic and have concrete examples? • Organization: does it have a logical order? • Syntax/Sentence Fluency: do the sentences flow well? • Word Choice: is the word choice strong? • Style and Voice: can we see your personality come through in your writing? • Grammar and Mechanics: is it written in a way which conforms to the standards and rules of the English language?