The Language of Composition Chapter 1 (copy)

Rhetoric

The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion

Audience

One's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed.

Context

Occassion, time, or place of writing / speaking. Context influences message and meaning.

Purpose

Goal that a speaker or writer wants to achieve; one's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing.

Bias

Prejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue.

Assertion/Claim

An emphatic statement; a declaration. Supported by evidence, this becomes an argument.

Thesis

The central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer.

Subject

The topic addressed in a piece of writing

Speaker

Author, or person whose perspective is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing

Rhetorical triangle/Aristotelian triangle

Diagram illustrating the interaction among subject, speaker, and audience (or subject, writer, and reader).

Persona

The character the speaker creates when he or she writes or speaks, depending on the context, purpose, subject, and audience.

Ethos

Greek for "character." With expertise, knowledge, sincerity, experience or a combination of these factors, the audience has a reason to listen to this speaker on this topic.

Tone

The speaker's attitude toward a subject and audience.

Logos

A Greek term that means an appeal to logic or reason.

Assumption

An underlying belief; a belief or statement taken for granted without proof. In rhetoric, these assumptions are sometimes referred to as warrants.

Counterargument

A challenge to a position; an opposing argument.

Concede/Concession

Acknowledging an opposing view.

Refute/Refutation

Attacking/discrediting an opposing view.

Pathos

Emotional appeal.

Connotation

Definition drawn based on its use in context; implied meaning.

Propaganda

A negative term for communication designed to sway an opinion without use of evidence.

Polemical

Involving dispute or controversy. A polemic could be a controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine or it could be a person engaged in or inclined to controversy, argument, or refutation.

Satire

The use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to expose, denounce, or deride vice or folly.

Visual rhetoric

Images used to argue or persuade.

Arrangement

The organization of a piece of rhetoric.

The Classical Model

1. Introduction

2. Narration

3. Confirmation

4. Refutation

5. Conclusion

Narration

Retelling an event or series of events.

Description

Emphasis is on the senses, IMAGERY created through use of language, used to establish mood or atmosphere.

Process Analysis

Explains how something works, how to do something, or how something was done. Ex. Instruction Manual

Exemplification

Providing a series of examples (facts, specific cases, or instances) turning a general idea into a concrete one.

Induction

Providing a series of specific examples leading to a general conclusion.

Comparison and Contrast

Juxtaposing two things to highlight their similarities and differences.

Classification and Division

Sorting materials or ideas into major categories.

Definition

Clarifying a term or terms, sometimes in order to make claims regarding the term or terms.

Cause and Effect

Writing that analyzes the causes that lead to a certain effect.

occasion

the specific circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding the creation of the text