Rhetorical Analysis (Chapter 1)

rhetoric

the strategic use of language/communication to inform, persuade, entertain, or move an audience

text

any purposeful piece of communication that can be "read" or interpreted

not only essays and speeches, but also images, advertisements, videos, social media posts, public events, etc.

context

the broader historical, cultural, political, social, or personal circumstances surrounding the text

subject

the topic of a text

exigence

the aspects of a rhetorical situation that make it urgent

put simply: the reason the text needs to exist now

occasion

the specific event or circumstance that prompted the text

rhetorical situation

the whole set of circumstances surrounding a text:

who communicates, to whom, about what, why, when, where, and through what medium

purpose

what the speaker or writer wants to accomplish

(persuade, inform, criticize, commemorate, entertain, or call an audience to action)

rhetorical triangle

the relationship among the speaker, audience, and message

writer/speaker

the person or group creating the text

"speaker" does not have to mean someone delivering an oral speech; it can also refer to an author or organization

persona

the identity, character, or voice that the speaker presents to the audience

it may be similar to the real author, but it is the version of the speaker constructed in the text

audience

the intended or actual readers, listeners, viewers, or users of a text

message

the main idea or position the speaker wants to convey to the audience about the subject of a text

ethos

an appeal based on the speaker's credibility, character, authority, expertise, or trustworthiness

pathos

an appeal to the audience's emotions, values, beliefs, hopes, fears, or sympathies

logos

an appeal to logic and reason through evidence, facts, examples, definitions, statistics, and clear reasoning

counterargument

a fair statement of an opposing viewpoint or objection to a writer's claim

concession

an acknowledgment that an opposing claim has some validity or merit

refutation

the act of proving that an opposing claim or argument is false, flawed, unsupported, or illogical

rebuttal

a response to an opposing claim or argument that explains why it is less convincing than the writer's own position

style

a writer's distinctive way of using language—the choices in words, sentence structure, figurative language, organization, etc. that create an overall effect

diction

a writer's deliberate choice of words

diction may be formal, informal, technical, elevated, plain, etc.

denotation

a word's literal, dictionary definition

connotation

the emotional, cultural, or implied associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning

syntax

the arrangement of words and phrases into sentences

(sentence length, fragments, repetition, parallelism, and punctuation used to emphasize ideas and shape pace)

tone/tone shift

the speaker's attitude toward the subject, audience, or occasion, conveyed through language and style

a noticeable change in the speaker's attitude or emotional stance; a tone shift often signals something important