Rhetorical Terms

Aristotelian Triangle

Aristotelian Triangle

another term for a rhetorical triangle

Audience

The listener, viewer, or reader of a text.

Concession

An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable. In a strong argument, a it is usually accompanied by a refutation challenging the validity of the opposing argument.

Connotation

Meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation. Usually positive or negative.

Context

The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.

counterargument

An opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward.

ethos

Speakers appeal to this to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic. It is established by both who you are and what you say.

logos

Speakers appeal to this, as known as reason, by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples , facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back them up.

occasion

The time and place speech is given or a piece is written.

Pathos

Speaker appeal to this to emotionally motivate their audience. More specific appeals might play on the audience’s values, desires and hopes, on the one hand, or fears and prejudices on the other.

persona

The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.

polemic

An aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others. These generally do not concede that opposing opinions have any merit.

propaganda

The spread of ideas and information to further a cause. In it negative sense, the use of rumors, lies, disinformation, and scare tactics in order to damage or promote a cause.

purpose

The goal the speaker wants to achieve.

refutation

A denial of the validity of an opposing argument. In order to sound reasonable, they often follow a concession that acknowledges that an opposoing argument may be true or reasonable.

rhetoric

The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. The art of finding ways to persuade an audience.

rhetorical appeals

Rhetorical technique used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are to ethos, logos, and pathos..

rhetorical triangle

A diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in determining a text.

SOAPS

a mneumonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, and Speaker. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation.

Speaker

The person or group who creates a text. This might be politician who delivers a speech, a commentator who writes an article, artist who draws a political cartoon, or even a company that commisions an advertisement.

Subject

The topic of a text. What the text is about.

text

Any cultural product that can be “read”— meaning not just consumed and comprehended, but investigated. This includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, political cartoons, fine art, photography, performances, fashion, cultural trends, and much more.