Introducing Rhetoric: Using the “Available Means”

Rhetoric

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

rhetorical situation

a circumstance that involves a speaker changing the perspective of the audience by using rhetoric and appealing to them.

audience

the person or group of people the rhetoric is intended for

texts

essays

context

the surrounding words or atmosphere that help determine meaning for the text

occasion

a specific circumstance or event that occurs irregularly and surrounds the text and context

purpose

the overall goal the speaker is trying to achieve via the text

rhetorical triangle

a diagram that shows the relationship amongst the speaker

speaker

the person that creates the text and has a purpose for it

persona

the speaker's characteristic when writing or presenting a text

subject

who or what the text is about

rhetorical appeals

rhetorical techniques that are used to persuade an audience; usually connects with the audience in one way or another

ethos

the credibility of the speaker or the text

logos

the appeal to logic of the texts

pathos

the appeal to emotion of the texts

counterargument

an opposing argument to the speaker's argument

concession

something that is given up, yielded or granted

refutation

proving a theory to wrong or false with evidence

propaganda

used by organization and governments to influence the audience into their ideas

polemical

anything that causes debate or controversy

connotation

the idea or feeling that is promoted from a text or a word

inductive reasoning

a type of thinking in which generalizations are used to seek conclusions

commencement speech

a speech given to mark the beginning of a new period of something or someone