 a.k.a. Neo-Classical Criticism  Herbert Wilchelns (1925): “The Literary Criticism of Oratory”  Sought to distinguish study of oratory from study of literature

 Concerned with particular audience response  Concerned with reasonable effect  Judges rhetoric by its persuasive appeals and effects

 Goal is to identify aspects of the rhetorical action that explains its persuasive effect on the audience.  Reconstructing the context:  Context/Occasion  Audience  Rhetor

 Invention  Arrangement  Style  Delivery  Memory

 The main ideas, themes, lines of argument, and content  Inartistic Proofs  Artistic Proofs:  Ethos  Logos  Pathos  Inductive Arguments  Deductive  Enthymeme

 Types of organization structures  Chronological  Spatial  Thematic  Problem-solution  Cause-effect  Delayed thesis

 Word choice  Dramatic depictions  Stories  Metaphors  Repetition

 Use of voice  Facial expressions  Body movement/posture  All non-verbal components

 Not as relevant today

 Effects can be difficult to isolate and verify  Strict interpretation of effects doesn’t allow for moral judgments  Works best with oral presentations