An introduction to very basics Rhetoric An introduction to very basics

September 8, 2015 Objective: TSWBAT analyze the definition of rhetoric and apply these devices to their own work. Warm Up: Define rhetoric in your own words. Why do you think this is something we should study. Who does it affect more, the reader or the writer?

Rhetoric Audience Speaker Subject Rhetoric is the art of writing and speaking to effectively. It is often thought of with the Rhetorical Triangle: Speaker Subject

Steps in analyzing the rhetoric and language of a writing selection: Identify the subject, audience, and speaker. Connect the audience, speaker, and subject to the author’s purpose. Examine the selection for strategies and techniques the author uses to achieve his purpose. Clarify the effects of the use of the strategies, and how those effects contribute to the author’s purpose.

Terms to Know Claim Support Diction Syntax The main idea the speaker is trying to communicate Sort of like a Thesis Statement Support Any information that helps prove the claim is true This is where information is cited, comparisons are made, and the reasoning is explained Diction Most simply, it means word choice This can GREATLY affect how an argument is perceived by the audience Syntax Order of words and structure of sentences Different types of sentences or sentence patterns can affect the way the audience reacts to the argument

More Terms to Know Rhetorical Appeal Rhetorical Device The persuasive approach the speaker uses These can be based on Logic, Emotion, or Authority Most speakers can and should use more than one Rhetorical Device Specific techniques that make argumentation more effective They can influence how the audience thinks or feels about the claim or support

The Rhetorical Appeals

Logos logical argument appeal to reason or logic frequently includes the use of data, statistics, math, research, order, and "objectivity."

Pathos An Emotional Appeal Appeal to human emotions (such as desire, passion, or patriotism) within the audience/reader Includes considerations of the values and beliefs in the audience that will ultimately move them to action.

Ethos Ethos refers to the character or authority of the speaker/writer. As an audience, our perception of the speaker/writer's ethos is what leads us to trust him or her. It involves the trustworthiness and credibility of the speaker/writer Is the speaker/writer dependable? Is he or she knowledgeable? Can we trust him or her?

Name that Appeal: Watch the following ads. Identify the Rhetorical Situation and list examples of the rhetorical appeals that are present: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YyvOGKu6ds&feature=related

Rhetorical Devices

Alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables of a phrase. The repetition of sounds makes the writing more engaging, moving, and memorable. Repeating vowel sounds is known as assonance; repeating consonant sounds is known as consonance EXAMPLE: "We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall…” – Barack Obama *This is a type of repetition

Allusion An allusion is a brief, usually indirect, reference to a famous historical event, literary figure, biblical event, cultural phenomenon, etc. This helps the speaker or reader to quickly tap into the ideas an emotions associated with another event, story, or idea. EXAMPLE: Fluffy, the three-headed dog in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is an allusion to the mythological creature Cerberus in Greek mythology, who was a three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld. Also, like Fluffy, the Greek hero Orpheus put Fluffy to sleep by playing music on his lyre, just like Quirrel did in the book. Also, Hagrid claims he bought Fluffy from a Greek man, which just further alludes to the myth. Allusion: a brief, usually indirect, reference to a famous historical event, literary figure, biblical event, cultural phenomenon, etc. Example: * “‘Ay,’ he said aloud. There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just a noise such as a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood.” --Santiago’s comment from Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man in the Sea. This is an allusion to Christ’s crucifixion. *Fluffy, the three-headed dog in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, is an allusion to the mythological creature Cerberus in Greek mythology, who was a three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld. Also, like Fluffy, the Greek hero Orpheus put Fluffy to sleep by playing music on his lyre, just like Lord Voldemort/Prof. Quirrel did in the book. Also, Hagrid claims he bought Fluffy from a Greek man, which just further alludes to the myth.

Anaphora Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines. This can lead the audience to see connections between ideas that might not otherwise be obvious, or to help repeat and draw attention to an important idea. EXAMPLE "We shall fight in the trenches. We shall fight on the oceans. We shall fight in the sky.“ – Winston Churchill

Euphemism A euphemism is a substitution of a more pleasant expression for one whose meaning may come across as rude or offensive. A speaker using a euphemism shows how he or she regards the reader. EXAMPLE: Saying that someone “passed away” rather than “he died”

Hyperbole Hyperbole is exaggeration for rhetorical effect. The opposite of an understatement. EXAMPLE: “I died laughing”

Parallelism Parallelism is similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. Also called Parallel Structure. It promotes clarity and balance, which tends to be more concise and effective. EXAMPLE: "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.“ - Amos *This is a type of repetition Parallelism: Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. Also called parallel structure. By convention, items in a series appear in parallel grammatical form: a noun is listed with other nouns, an -ing form with other –ing forms, and so on. Parallelism promotes clarity and balance, which tends to be more concise and effective. Example: *“We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned with contempt, for the foot of the throne.” ---from Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention.” The use of parallelism emphasizes how many ways the colonists have attempted to avoid war.

Rhetorical Question A rhetorical question is one posed for emphasis, not requiring an answer. This is used to draw the audience’s attention to a particular point. EXAMPLE Posing the question "Can't you do anything right?" is intended not to ask about the listener's abilities, but rather to insinuate a lack of the listener's abilities.

Understatement An understatement deliberately de-emphasizes something in order to downplay its importance. Opposite of hyperbole. EXAMPLE: To say that cell phones changed communication is an understatement.

Verbal Irony Verbal irony is an expression in which words mean something contrary to what is actually said. Sarcasm EXAMPLE: Calling someone a genius after making a mistake. NOTE: There are two other forms of irony that we will discuss this year: Situational and Dramatic

A quick Note on Comparing and Contrasting… Writers will often use three tools for comparing and contrasting two different things: Juxtaposition is the acts of placing two things (often abstract ideas) next to one another, usually for the purpose of comparing or contrasting their qualities. EXAMPLE: Describing the daily routines of a custodian and an investment banker in order to show the differences in their lives. A Simile is a comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as” EXAMPLE: “He’s dumb as a brick.” A metaphor is the same thing as a simile, but without the “like” or “as” EXAMPLE: “Men are pigs.” All of these are used to get the reader to see the connection between two ideas that may not be immediately obvious. Comparison and Contrast – establishing a basis of comparison and emphasizing the similarities and/or differences of two things. Examples: *“I knew enough about hell to stop me from stealing. I was holy in almost every bone… but boredom made me sin.” (from Gary Soto’s autobiography) *”They [Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant] were two strong men, these oddly different generals, and they represented the strengths of two conflicting currents that, through them, had come into final collision.” Bruce Catton

Vocab So Far Rhetoric Alliteration Verbal Irony Claim Allusion Juxtaposition Support Anaphora Simile Diction Euphemism Metaphor Syntax Hyperbole Logos Parallelism Pathos Rhetorical Question Ethos Understatement