Persuasive Rhetoric
Techniques of and definitions
associated with persuasive speaking
and writing.
Rhetoric
• Rhetoric: the art of communicating ideas
• Persuasive rhetoric: reasoned arguments in
favor of or against particular beliefs or
courses of action.
• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is an example
of persuasive rhetoric—Edwards was attempting to
persuade his congregation to be “born again” to be
saved
Effective persuasion
• Should engage both the mind and emotions
of the audience
• Make your audience think the problem is important
enough for them to care about
• Shows that the writer’s position has a firm
moral basis
There are three basic types of
appeals in persuasive
arguments:
1) Logical appeals
2) Emotional appeals
3) Ethical appeals
Logical appeals
• Provide rational arguments to
support writers’ claims
– Deductive approach: start with
generalization or premise then
provide examples
– Inductive approach: start with
examples then draw a conclusion
Emotional appeals
• Often based on examples of suffering
or potential threats.
• Often include loaded language—
language rich in connotations and
vivid images (brilliant –vs- smart
or hideous –vs- ugly)
Ethical appeals
• Based on shared moral
values
• Call upon the audience’s
sense of justice, right,
and virtue
Techniques used in persuasion
1) Identify your theme/purpose
-- Lets your audience know what
your main idea is—what action or
belief you would like them to take
2) Identify your audience
-- ALWAYS use language and
arguments appropriate to your
audience!
Techniques cont’d
•Tone: the author’s attitude or
feelings toward his or her
subject matter
–Conveyed through diction
(remember loaded language?),
details, and direct statements
Techniques cont’d
• Elevated language: people tend to
give more credence to someone
who sounds intelligent
• Rhetorical questions: Questions
that don’t require answers—the
answers are considered obvious
Techniques cont’d
• Repetition: repeating a point
to emphasize its importance
– Expressing ideas in the same
way also shows the
audience that those points
are connected
Other definitions
• Allusion: a reference to a person,
place, event or literary work with which
the author believes the reader will be
familiar
– Patrick Henry warns colonists not to be
“betrayed with a kiss” (a Biblical
allusion to the Apostle Judas, who, with
a kiss, identified Jesus to Roman
soldiers)
Other definitions cont’d
• Simile: comparison using like or as
–Abigail Adams writes that power and
liberty are like heat and moisture
• Metaphor: comparing one thing to
another NOT using like or as
–Adams writes “our country is…the
first and greatest parent.”