Rhetoric RHETORIC • Definition: The art of persuasive language. • Most people try to persuade through the use of one or more rhetorical appeals. APPEALS: LOGOS • appeal based on logic or reason. • Example: It’s a fact that smoking causes caner. Therefore, if you don’t want cancer, you shouldn’t smoke. Ethos • ETHOS: Ethos is appeal based on the character of the speaker. “As a doctor, I can say that this product will certainly will improve your health.” Pathos • PATHOS: Pathos is appeal based on emotion. The most powerful & immediate appeal. Example: “If you don’t contribute to SPCA, hundreds of helpless animals will face euthanasia.” SYLLOGISM • An argument or form of reasoning in which two statements or premises are made and a logical conclusion is drawn from them. Syllogism Format Premise #1 – All dogs have four legs Premise #2 – Clifford is a dog Conclusion – Clifford has for legs For a syllogism to be considered valid, the conclusion must stem logically from the premise. Valid does not mean truthful. Syllogism Format Premise #1 – Penguins are black and white. Premise #2 – Some old TV shows are black and white. Conclusion – Therefore, some penguins are old tv shows. This argument would be considered VALID. Validity is not the same as TRUTH. Syllogism Format Sound – an argument is considered sound if the premise are TRUE. The penguin argument is a VALID argument, however it is not a SOUND argument. Deductive Reasoning Starts with a general premise, then moves to a more specific premise before drawing conclusion. Example: Premise #1: All turtles have shells Premise #2: The animal I have captured is a turtle Conclusion: I conclude that the animal in my bag has a shell Inductive Reasoning Inductive reasoning is making a conclusion based on a set of experiences or data. Inductive reason typically using a specific example then moves to a more general conclusion Example: Premise #1: All sheep that I've seen are white Conclusion: All sheep must be white Elements of Style • Rhetorical devices are language techniques that author’s use to better convey their meaning and persuade. • Most of these terms come from Greek or Latin. ANADIPLOSIS • The repetition of a key word, especially the last one, at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. “He gave his life; life was all he could give.” ANALOGY • a comparison of similar things, often to explain something unfamiliar with something familiar. "Climbing is a journey and not a destination. Men do not conquer mountains any more than a flea conquers an elephant by climbing up its back." APOSTROPHE • a rhetorical device in which the speaker addresses a dead or absent person, or an inanimate object or abstraction. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.” METONYMY • The use of the name of one thing for that of another associated with or suggested by it. For example, “the White House” of the “President.” “The white house sent orders to Congress today” SYNECDOCHE • figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. (e.g. “hands” for manual laborers; “the law” for a police officer). ANAPHORA • the regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses. “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets.” – Winston Churchill ANTITHESIS • Figure of speech in which opposing or contrasting ideas are balanced against each other using grammatically parallel syntax. • Ex: You are going; I am staying. The exact opposite • (Joy is the antithesis of sorrow). ASYNDETON • conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose. “I came. I saw. I conquered.” POLYSYNDETON • the opposite of asyndeton. • Uses lots of conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) not normally found in successive words, phrases, or clauses. • The use of many conjunctions has a slowing effect. PARALLELISM • expressing similar or related ideas in similar grammatical structure. • “He tried to make the law clear, precise and equitable.” JUXTAPOSITION • the side-by-side comparison of two or more objects or ideals for the purpose of highlighting similarities or differences.
