Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis

Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis

rhetoric: how writers and speakers use language to persuade or influence their audiences → how is language working? what effects are produced by the author's choices?

all communication is making a claim; everything is an argument → every choice we make is made with intention or can otherwise be revealing about ourselves and our character

• eg. clothing choices for freshman orientation: what are you (intentionally or subconsciously) expressing about yourself through your clothing?

rhetoric is always situational; speaker (ethos) — message (logos) — audience (pathos), all surrounded by context

• ethos: the credibility of the speaker/author
• logos: the explanation of logic behind a message
• pathos: the use of emotions to persuade an audience

different diction (word choices) has different emotional appeal (connotations)

• repetition should be deliberate and serve a purpose

types of rhetorical choices (a non-exhaustive list)

• syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language
• punctuation: the marks, such as period, comma, and parentheses, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning
• imagery: visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work
• metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable
• allegory: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
• specific word choice and usage (tendency toward longer/shorter words, unique/common words, basic/complex words)
• all of these factors contribute to overall tone, the general character or attitude of a piece of writing

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