1. What are Rhetorical Devices?
Rhetorical devices are the nuts and bolts of speech and writing; the parts that make a communication work. Separately, each part of is meaningless, but once put together they create a powerful effect on the listener/reader.

2. What is rhetoric? And why bother studying it?
“the art of effective expression (speaking & writing) and the persuasive use of language”
We study rhetoric because:
it helps us to better appreciate appeals to our ethos, pathos, & logos (more on this to come)
it helps us to become more effective persuasive speakers and writers

3. Examples?
What are some of the techniques by which people use language persuasively?
Jot these down in your notes

4. Maybe you named some of these examples:
Formal diction leads readers/listeners to believe something is ethically or legally important
Emotional diction (sometimes called “sensationalism”) leads readers/listeners to recognize that ideas expressed are important to the writer/speaker
Allusion can associate a new idea to a traditionally respected source

5. Here is a real-life example of rhetoric in action…
If you were trying to persuade a student to get to class on time, you might say, “it is SCHS policy that students serve detention after three tardies”. What makes this statement effective?
If you’re parents were trying to persuade you to clean your room, they might say, “Clean up your bedroom or you will loose cell phone privileges for the week.” What makes this statement effective?

6. These statements sound formal and authoritative!

7. Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that there are three basic ways to persuade an audience that you are right.

8. Ethos
Persuasive appeal of one’s character. Tells us that the author is reliable and competent
Example: “I am a father, a taxpayer, and have served you as senator for 20 years. I deserve your vote to continue my service.
AK Senator Hollis French

9. Pathos
Appeal to emotion (of course, meant to evoke emotional response)
Example: “Imagine for a moment a tragic collision on the Parks Highway. A family is killed and many others are injured. The cause is determined to be frost heaves. We must use more state funds to pay for road improvements.”

10. Logos Appeal to reason (evokes a rational response)
Example: “Alaska’s roads are in a state of disrepair. Without quality roads, our transportation system will falter and hinder our economy. Hence, we must use more state funds to pay for road repairs.”

15. Rhetorical Strategies
The strategies that follow are just some of the ways to make your writing/speaking more persuasive…

16. Logical Fallacy
Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim. Avoid these common fallacies in your own arguments and watch for them in the arguments of others.

17. Fallacies
Slippery Slope: This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z.
“If we ban Hummers because they are bad for the environment eventually the government will ban all cars, so we should not ban Hummers.”
Genetic Fallacy: This conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth. Example:
The Volkswagen Beetle is an evil car because it was originally designed by Hitler's army.
Hasty Generalization: This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts. Example:
Even though it's only the first day, I can tell this is going to be a boring course.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc: This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.' Example:
I drank bottled water and now I am sick, so the water must have made me sick.

18. Fallacies cont.
Begging the Claim: The conclusion that the writer should prove is validated within the claim. Example:
Filthy and polluting coal should be banned.
Circular Argument: This restates the argument rather than actually proving it. Example:
George Bush is a good communicator because he speaks effectively.
Either/or: This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices. Example:
We can either stop using cars or destroy the earth.
Ad hominem: This is an attack on the character of a person rather than his or her opinions or arguments. Example:
Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all dirty, lazy hippies.
Ad populum: This is an emotional appeal that speaks to positive (such as patriotism, religion, democracy) or negative (such as terrorism or fascism) concepts rather than the real issue at hand. Example:
If you were a true American you would support the rights of people to choose whatever vehicle they want.

19. Fallacies Cont.
Red Herring: This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them. Example:
The level of mercury in seafood may be unsafe, but what will fishers do to support their families?
Straw Man: This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument.
People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor.
Moral Equivalence: This fallacy compares minor misdeeds with major atrocities.
That parking attendant who gave me a ticket is as bad as Hitler.

20. Ad hominem
Ad hominem (Latin) means “against the man”. As the name suggests, it is a literary term that involves commenting on or against an opponent to undermine him instead of his arguments.
How can you argue your case for vegetarianism when you are enjoying your steak?”
“All murderers are criminals, but a thief isn’t a murderer, and so can’t be a criminal.”
“Well, you’re a thief and a criminal, so there goes your argument.”

21. Parallel Structure
Parallel Structure-repetition of grammatically similar words, phrases, clauses, or sentences to emphasize a point or stir the emotions of a reader/listener. Used to create a sense of rhythm, balance, and order in writing or speech.
Chiasmus=“inverted parallelism” (i.e. eat to live, not live to eat)
Parallel example: The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.

22. Parallel Structure
The coach told the players: “You will get some sleep tonight, you will not eat too much right before the game, and you will do some warm-up exercises before the game.”

23. Parallelism
Writing structures that are grammatically parallel helps the reader understand the points better because they flow more smoothly.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts…who still wonders…who still questions

24. Rhetorical Question
Rhetorical Question-question not answered by writer b/c the answer is obvious or obviously desired. Used in persuasion to encourage the reader/listener to reflect on what the answer must be.
“How much longer must our people endure this injustice?”

25. Allusion
Short, informal reference to famous person, event, story. Relies on reader/listener to be familiar with the reference and hidden meaning. Used to stimulate ideas, associations, add extra information.
If I want to persuade you to wash your hands, I may say “thou shalt wash thy hands”. I am trusting that you respect the commandments and, hence, my statement.

26. Analogy
Comparison between two things that are alike in certain respects. Used in persuasion to demonstrate the logic of one idea by showing how it is similar to an accepted idea.
(“Pupils are more like oysters than sausages. The job of teaching is not to stuff them and then seal them up, but to help them reveal the riches within.”-Sydney Harris)

27. Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds. Used to call attention to a phrase and fixes it in the reader’s/listener’s mind.
(i.e. “Let us go forth to lead the land we love.”- John F. Kennedy Inaugural speech)

28. Humor
Humor can be used to make you like the writer/speaker and “win you over”
Hyperbole-exaggeration for emphasis/effect (“at night she needs a paint scraper to take off her makeup”)
Sarcasm (“Obama doesn’t have the experience of being Miss Wasilla!”)
Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic) (“it is ironic that the window store had all of its windows broken by vandals”)
Understatement (From Monty Python: Army officer loses a leg, “Stings a bit.”)

29. Audience When attempting to persuade, consider your audience.
For example, you would not use caustic satire to persuade a potential employer to hire you.
(“The food served here is great if you are a teenager with two dollars in your pocket.”)

30. Antithesis
A figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase or grammatical structure
Obama is famous for having said “There are no red states or blue states. There are only the United States of America.”
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way." (Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)

31. Juxtaposition the act of positioning close together
Obama talks about the “not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers”
The juxtaposition of “bitter cold” and “scorching heat” stresses the extreme conditions in which people campaigned for Obama, convincing the audience of their dedication

32. Repetition
Repetition can be effective in creating a sense of structure and power. In both speech and literature, repeating small phrases can ingrain an idea in the minds of the audience.
Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.

33. Metaphor and simile simile metaphor
A simile is where one thing is said to be the same as or like something else.
A metaphor is where one thing is said to be something else.
Decide whether the quotes below contain metaphors or similes.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
(Wordsworth)
Juliet is the sun (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)
simile
metaphor

34. Hyperbole
Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.
My grandmother is as old as the hills.
Your suitcase weighs a ton!
She is as heavy as an elephant!
I am dying of shame.
I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

35. Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings.
Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t it so?
The wind whispered through dry grass.
The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
Time and tide waits for none.
The fire swallowed the entire forest.

36. Anaphora
In writing or speech, the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is known as Anaphora.
It is common for us to use anaphora in our everyday speech to lay emphasis on the idea we want to convey or for self affirmation. Read the following anaphora examples:
“Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better”
“My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration.”
“Buying nappies for the baby, feeding the baby, playing with the baby: This is what your life is when you have a baby.
“I want my money right now, right here, all right?”

37. Aporia
a figure of speech wherein a speaker purports or expresses to be in doubt or in perplexity regarding a question (often feigned) and asks the audience how he/she ought to proceed. The doubts may appear as rhetorical questions often in the beginning of the text.

38. Amplification
refers to a literary practice wherein the writer embellishes the sentence by adding more information to it in order to increase its worth and understandability. When a plain sentence is too abrupt and fails to convey the full implications desired, amplification comes into play when the writer adds more to the structure to give it more meaning.
Original sentence- The thesis paper was difficult. After amplification- The thesis paper was difficult: it required extensive research, data collection, sample surveys, interviews and a lot of fieldwork.

39. Epistrophe
Epistrophe: Epistrophe is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. Also known as epiphora and antistrophe. Contrast with anaphora (rhetoric). The "trope of obsession" is how Mark Forsyth characterizes epistrophe. "It's the trope of emphasizing one point again and again You can't seriously consider the alternatives, because the structure dictates that you'll always end up at the same point" (The Elements of Eloquence, 2013).
Ex. "A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight!" (Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003)

40. Symploce
Figure of repetition that combines Anaphora and Epistrophe in which the first and last word or words in one phrase, clause, or sentence are repeated in one or more successive phrases, clauses, or sentences; repetition of the first and last words in a clause over successive clauses.
Ex: "Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it."

41. Active Voice v. Passive Voice
Active Voice- The boy hit the ball. The subject of this sentence actively hits the ball.
Passive Voice- The ball was hit by the boy. The subject sits passively, doing nothing while some outside agent performs the action.

42. Here’s why it is better rhetoric to use active voice…
Active voice sentences are shorter.
The fighter punched Ali and dodged the uppercut. (Active= 8 words)
Ali was punched by the fighter, and then an uppercut was dodged by him. (Passive= 14 words)

43. Active sentences are clear and to the point
When you use passive voice, you have to use boring phrases like “by so-and-so” or leave this out and let your sentence become unclear.
The airplane was flown to Bermuda (by the pilot).
My car has been driven to Dallas. (By whom? A car thief? The teletubbies?)

44. To Identify the Evil Passive Voice
Is there a form of the verb “to be” such as is/am/are/was/were/be/being/been? (Can’t create passive voice without this)
Could you insert “by so-and-so” after the verb? (the dog was fed (by the owner)
ID the subject and main verb. Is the subject “doing” the action? Or is it sitting passively?

45. The End