Rhetorical Strategies & Analysis

Rhetoric Techniques -The art of persuasion! -Can be blatant, in-your-face techniques, or incredibly subtle - and they are not reserved for printed texts. They are used in everyday conversations, speeches, announcements, commercials, as well as visual media.

Rhetorical Techniques -Allows you to judge the credibility and quality of the information.

Rhetorical Modes -The mode is the goal/style of the piece -One or more modes can be used at a time! Why is analyzing rhetoric so important? Consider these speakers… vs.

Rhetorical Modes: Exposition -A piece that explains and analyzes information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and related discussions.

Rhetorical Modes: Narration Telling a story or anecdote in order to introduce, support, or illustrate a given concept.

Rhetorical Modes: Description To re-create, invent, or visually present a person, place, event, or action so that the reader can picture what is being described. (Brings the reader into the piece by appealing to the senses. Narrative modes often utilize moments of description.)

Rhetorical Modes: Argumentation/Persuasion To prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and appeals that thoroughly convince the reader. Additionally, persuasive writing aims to urge the reader to take some form of action.

Organizational Patterns within rhetoric A. Chronological B. Cause/effect

Organizational Patterns within rhetoric C. Problem/solution D. Compare/contrast

Organizational Patterns within rhetoric E. Process

Ethos: Appeals to authority Bases the truth value of an assertion on the authority, knowledge, expertise, or position of the source asserting it.

Logos: Appeals to reason Bases the value of an assertion on facts and statistics, etc.

Pathos: Appeals to Emotion Bases the value of an assertion on feelings such as pity, anger, etc.

Rhetorical Devices: Rhetorical questions Questions that are posed that do not require an answer. “How much longer must our people endure this injustice?”

Rhetorical Devices: Repetition of ideas Repeating words and phrases for a desired effect — usually for emphasis or style. (Also known as anaphora.)

Rhetorical Devices: Loaded Words Verbiage that attempts to influence the listener or reader by appealing to emotion. Loaded words and phrases are those which have strong emotional overtones or connotations, and which evoke strongly positive or negative reactions beyond their literal meaning.

Rhetorical Devices: Analogies Drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect: “The operation of a computer presents an interesting analogy to the working of the brain.”

Rhetorical Devices: Diction Refers to the writer’s or the speaker’s distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expressions. Diction has a direct influence on the author’s tone.

Rhetorical Devices: Connotation A subjective cultural and/or emotional coloration of a word in addition to the explicit or denotative (dictionary) meaning of any specific word or phrase in a language; i.e. emotional association with a word.

Rhetorical Devices: Tone How the author or speaker conveys his/her feeling about the subject matter.

Rhetorical Devices: Hyperbole A figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is rarely meant to be taken literally. “These books weigh a ton.” (These books are heavy.)

Rhetorical Devices: Understatement A form of speech in which a lesser expression is used than what would be expected. Understatement is a staple of humor in English-speaking cultures, especially in British humor.

Rhetorical Devices: Allusion A figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, historical event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication. (Think historical, mythological, biblical, etc.)

Rhetorical Devices: Satire A literary genre or form, also found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are ridiculed by means of reversal, incongruity, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement. (Think of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, or The Onion.)

Rhetorical Devices: Satire Examples:

Distinguishing between valid and invalid inferences: Valid inferences have evidence that supports the findings. It’s rational, logical, current, etc.

Instances of unsupported inferences. Look for the following: 1. Fallacious reasoning: A component of an argument which, being demonstrably flawed in its logic or form, renders the whole argument invalid.

Instances of unsupported inferences. Look for the following: 2.Propaganda techniques: Dissemination of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented.

Instances of unsupported inferences. Look for the following: 3. Bias: A term used to describe a tendency or presence towards a particular perspective, ideology or result, especially when the tendency interferes with the ability to be impartial, unprejudiced, or objective.

Instances of unsupported inferences. Look for the following: 4. Stereotyping: A conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image, based on the assumption that there are attributes that members of the “other group” have in common.

Ultimately, what a reader should do while reading a piece of nonfiction is attempt to answer three related questions: 1) What response is the author of the reading trying to elicit from his or her readers? 2) How does the author employ language to elicit that response? 3) How well does the author succeed in achieving this response?