Rhetorical
Analysis
Syntax
How sentence structure may
be a rhetorical strategy
 Syntax
is the order of words in a
sentence/the sentence structure
 Certain
syntactical choices can have a
rhetorical effect and can contribute to
the rhetorical purpose.
Parallelism
A
set of similarly structured words, phrases
or clauses that appears in a sentence or
paragraph; a grammatical pattern in
clauses and sentences.
prep.
article
noun
 “government
prep.
article
of the people, by the
people, and for the people”
noun
prep.
art.
noun
Parallelism
“Phrases and clauses that balance one another as
each unit generates its own rhythm, until they
coalesce into a unity that is all the more remarkable
in its fusion of details that would otherwise have
been rendered separately, like pieces unable to
interlock because no one took the time to connect
them.
One of the great joys of reading authors like Henry
James is seeing how they integrate ideas that are
complementary, sometimes even antithetical, and
provide them with a setting where they can be at
home.” –explanation of parallelism in letter to editor, NYTIMES Book Review, Jan 12, 2011. Letter
written by Bernard F. Dick
Parallelism
 Dick’s
idea of parallel structure as a home
that unifies separate ideas can help us
understand the rhetorical effects of
parallel structure.
 When asked to explain the effects of
parallelism, we follow steps:
1. Recognize the syntax: the repetition of
grammatical patterns. Here we are
finding the “home.”
“government of the people, by the people,
and for the people”
2. Identify the details that are fused, or brought together. At
this point we look at the meanings of words within each
parallel element.
-
The common element is people, repeated three times.
-
The separate details that are brought together into this
home are the three different prepositions: “of,” “by” and
“for.” Prepositions show the relationship between nouns, in
this case, between the “government” and “people.”
-
Now we look at the relationship, which is what parallel
structure makes us do. Lincoln points out that government is
“of” the people—the institution of government is actually
made up of individuals. Then, government is “by” the
people—the people created the government. Finally (and
this series of prepositions appears to be in ascending order
of importance), government is “for” the people—it exists to
protect the rights of people themselves.
3. Summarize the “unity” or meaning that is created
by putting the different prepositions together in the
“home” provided by this parallel structure.
Through the repetition of prepositions, each of which
clarifies a distinctive relationship between
government and people, Lincoln makes clear that
government is made up of people and exists for
people; people are more important than
government. Parallelism helps him achieve an
important rhetorical goal of the Gettysburg speech:
to make meaningful the loss of soldiers who fought
to preserve our government. That this government is
“of the people, by the people and for the people”
validates such an enormous sacrifice.
Parallelism in President
Kennedy’s Speech

1.
2.
3.
Find the long sentence in the first paragraph that
has parallel structure. With your partner, go
through the steps of analysis for parallelism.
Recognize the syntax: the repetition of
grammatical patterns. Here we are finding the
“home.”
Identify the details that are fused, or brought
together. At this point we look at the meanings
of words within each parallel element.
Summarize the “unity” or meaning that is created
by putting the different details together in the
“home” provided by this parallel structure.
Antithesis
 The
juxtaposition (placing side by side) of
opposing or contrasting words or ideas, in
parallel structure.
Analyzing antithesis
 Follow
the same steps to analyze
antithesis as you do parallel structure, but
instead of looking at what ideas are being
united in the home of parallel structure,
you’re looking at what ideas are being
contrasted in the home of parallel
structure.
Analyzing antithesis—
open your
rhetoric packet to the terms in the back and find antithesis.
“It was nothing they did, it was what they
didn’t do” (Canada 14).
1. Identify repetition of grammatical patterns
2. Identify the details being contrasted
3. Summarize the meaning created through
the contrast
Canada uses antithesis to point out the contrast
between his innocent belief that the police
would help him and his growing awareness that
they didn’t care about people in his
neighborhood.

Antithesis
“Place your virtues on a pedestal; put your vices
under a rock.”
With your partner, write a sentence or two
explaining the rhetorical effect.
1. Identify repetition of grammatical patterns
2. Identify the details being contrasted
3. Summarize the meaning created through
the contrast
Syntactical Variation

Short sentences contrast with longer sentences;
the meaning in the short sentence is emphasized.
Granted, the 3 percent figure is self-reported and
Politifact, the non-partisan, Pulitzer Prize- winningfact-checking-website, suggests it could nudge
higher depending on how you crunch the numbers.
But it also rules that Sen. Jon Kyl “vastly overstated”
the organization’s involvement in abortions. In other
words, he lied. (Leonard Pitts)

We can see that the simple sentence, “In other
words, he lied” is meant to emphasize the
untrustworthy character of Sen. Jon Kyl.
Marker verbs to use for syntax
that emphasizes
Reinforces
 Underscores
 Confirms
 Enhances
 Defends
 Stresses
 Supports
the idea that…
the assertion that…
The point that…


Look at the first sentence in P. 4. It is a simple sentence in a speech
mostly composed of compound, complex, and compoundcomplex sentences. “The facts of the matter are that there is no
justification for an increase in steel prices.”

When analyzing a fragment or simple sentence, consider the
rhetorical organization that has come before as you decide the
rhetorical effect.
Toward the middle of the speech, after President Kennedy has used a
series of complex sentences to describe the sacrifices of the American
people and the economic side effects of rising steel prices that will
contribute to the people’s struggles, he boils down what the steel
companies are doing into a simple sentence: “The facts of the matter
are that there is no justification for an increase in steel prices.” A simple
sentence at this point in the speech underscores the steel companies’
total lack of concern for American values and American struggles; the
basic nature of the sentence reveals that the actions of the steel
company are plainly and simply unjust.

Look at the use of a simple sentence in the last paragraph of the
speech and write a few sentences describing the idea that is being
emphasized. (Hint: think about what is left unsaid is being
emphasized in this sentence and why)
Syntactical Variation
 Complex
sentence: A complex sentence
could have a rhetorical effect. Look for
the dependent clause and identify if the
idea is being subordinated, or made less
important than the idea in the
independent clause.
Repetition

Purposeful repetition of important words
“When it comes to healthcare reforms to give
families more access and more choices, results
matter. When it comes to improving our economy
and creating new jobs, results matter. When it comes
to better securing our homeland and fighting the
forces of terror, results matter. And when it comes to
choosing a President, results matter.” (George Bush)
 What idea is being emphasized? (Do not just
repeat the word being repeated—think idea)
“When it comes to healthcare reforms to give
families more access and more choices, results
matter. When it comes to improving our
economy and creating new jobs, results matter.
When it comes to better securing our homeland
and fighting the forces of terror, results matter.
And when it comes to choosing a President,
results matter.” (George Bush)
 By repeating the words “results matter,” Bush
reinforces the importance of choosing a
leader who can actually find solutions to the
various issues that are foremost on the
nation’s mind, not just someone who talks
about the issues. He implies that he would be
the person for job by lastly listing the issue of
choosing a President with the final
punctuating refrain of “results matter.”
Repetition in Kennedy’s
speech
 Find
repetition in paragraph three and
write a few sentences summarizing the
rhetorical effect.
Rhetorical Question

A question asked to make a point. The speaker/writer
already knows the answer to the question, and he
asks the question to remind his audience of this
answer.

In his first encounter with the police, Canada learns
that they expect and accept the level of violence
that occurs in his neighborhood. He imagines the
police asking a rhetorical question: “What’s the
matter with you people, don’t you know where you
live?” Obviously, the people know where they live.
The police use this question to remind the inhabitants
of the ghetto that violence is part of their world.