Rhetorical

The Rhetorical Situation

Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Context, Exigence,(& what each of these means)

S- credibility/background/bias

P- motive/argument

A- demographics/biases

C - time/place

´E - catalyst/impact

Aristotelian Triangle

A diagram that illustrates the relationship between speaker, subject, and audience in a rhetorical situation

Logos

Appeals to reason and logic by offering clear rational ideas using details, facts, statistics

Ex: Facts, common sense, cause/effect

Ethos

‘Character”, established of speaker in what they say and who they are; appeals to audience’s trust in the character, authority, or expertise of a speaker

Ex: qualifications, personal experience, specialized language

Tone

The speaker’s attitude toward the subject as revealed by his or her choice of language

Ex:The speaker feels outraged towards his intended audience

Style

Examining sentence structure and word choice to discover meaning, purpose and effect of a text

Ex: The author uses archaic language and repetition to remind readers of the importance of history.

Archaic Language

Using language that is antiquated (old-fasioned)

Ex:Beliefs for which our forbears fought

Alliteration

Use of words with the same consonant sound close together

Ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Colloquialism

Using language that reflects the way people actually speak (slang)

Ex: You’re nuts! Don’t be a chicken; I wasn’t born yesterday

Connotation

The implied or contextualized meaning that underlies the main meaning of a word

Ex:She’s feeling blue today

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word

Ex: The blueberry is very blue

Ellipsis

Omitting some parts of a sentence to give the reader a chance to fill the gaps

Ex: I’m not sure what to do..

Jargon

Using language that is specific to a place, period, position, or occupation

Ex:Bang for the buck (business jargon)

Repetition

Just as it sounds, in order to emphasize or reiterate

Ex:When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child

Simple

One independent clause

Ex: Joe waited for the train

Complex

One independent clause and one dependent clause

Ex: While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late

Compound

Two independent clauses joined with a conjunction

Ex: Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.

Compound-complex

More than one sentence joined by a conjunction, one of which is complex; a compound sentence with a dependent, or subordinate clause.

Ex: Though Joe realized the train was late, he decided to wait, and he remained quite calm.

Cumulative Sentence

Sentence where main clause is at the beginning and then more is added on

Ex: But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course -- both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind’s final war.

Hortative sentence

Sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action

Ex: Let both sides explore what problem unites us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.

Imperative Sentence

Sentence that commands or demands

Ex: My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Periodic Sentence

sentence where the main clause is withheld until the end

Ex:

To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in a new age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support...

Anaphora

Repetition of words/phrases at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, lines

Ex: …not as a call to bear arns, though arms we need— not as a call to battle, though embattled we are"

Antimetabole/chiasmus

Repetition of words in reverse order

Ex: Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

Antithesis

Opposition or contrast of ideas/words in a parallel construction

Ex: We shall… support any friend, oppose any foe..

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, words (speeds up)

Ex: He eats, drinks, sleeps.

Asyndeton

Addition of multiple conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, words (slows down)

Ex: He eats and drinks and sleeps.

Juxtaposition

Placements of two things closely together to emphasize differences

Ex: We are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth..that the torch has been passed to a new generation of americans— born in this century..

Parallelism

Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, clauses

Ex:Let both sides explore..Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals..Let both sides seek to invoke..Let both sides unite to head.."

Alliteration

Repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in a sequence

Ex: Let us go forth to lead the land we love…

Allusion

Reference to another source (e.g. Bible, mythology, poem, work of art)

Ex: Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isiah..

Anecdote

A usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident to explain, illustrate, or persuade

Ex: When I was a child, my family went on a summer vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains every year. One year, my aunt saw a black bear while she was hiking. She was so terrified, she ended up sitting on a boulder for an hour just to make sure it had gotten far enough away from her. She still won't go hiking alone anywhere.

Antecedent

a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another; what pronouns refer to

Ex:

Tell the professor I'll see him tonight. ("The professor" is the antecedent of the pronoun "him.")

Assonance

Repeating vowel sounds

Ex: Go slow over the road

Consonance

Repetition of identical or similar consonants in neighboring words

Ex: He struck a streak of bad luck.

epithet*

a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name; a disparaging or abusive word or phrase

Ex: Elvis Presley = “The King of Rock and Roll”

euphemism*

the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend

Ex:He passed away.

extended metaphor*

a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences

Ex: You’re a snake! Everything you hiss out of your mouth is a lie.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration

Ex: The class was dying of laughter.

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to all five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, taste- words used to paint a picture

Ex:

The color is repellant, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight.

maxim*

a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct

Ex:

If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all

Metaphor

Comparison that replaces one object for another (stronger than simile)

Ex: And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion...

Metonymy

The substitution of the name for an attribute of the thing meant

Ex: “suit” for “business executive”

Motif

Repeating symbol throughout a text

Ex: Water;blood;light;thirst

Oxymoron

Using two contradictory words next to each other

Ex: peaceful revolution

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true

Ex: The first rule about fight club is you don’t talk about fight club.