Rhetorical Devices and Strategies: Key Terms for Persuasive Texts

Aristotelian triangle

Rhetorical triangle

audience

listener, viewer, or reader of a text

concession

acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true

connotation

meanings of a word that go past the dictionary definition

context

the circumstances and events surrounding a text

counterargument

the opposing argument to the one the writer is putting forward

ethos

the writer's credibility and trustworthiness.

logos

The speaker's appeal to logic or reasoning

occasion

The setting in which a piece of written or speech is given.

pathos

The writer's emotional appeal to their audience

persona

the face the speaker shows to his audience.

polemic

An aggressive argument that attempts to establish superiority of one's opinion over the others.

propaganda

the spread of ideas and information to further a cause.

purpose

the goal the writer is trying to achieve.

Refutation

The denial of validity of an opposing argument

rhetoric

the art of persuasion

rhetorical appeals

techniques used to persuade individuals (ethos, pathos, logos)

SOAPS

A mnemonic device that stands for Subject Occasion Audience, Purpose, and Speaker.

speaker

the person who creates the text

subject

the topic of the text

text

any cultural product that can be read.