What is Rhetoric? “Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of PERSUASION.”- Aristotle

Aristotle believed that from the world around them speakers could observe how communication happens and use that understanding to develop sound and convincing arguments. In order to do that speakers needed to look at THREE elements: SPEAKER, SUBJECT, and AUDIENCE.

Rhetoric is the way in which you communicate in everyday life. These communications can be persuasive in nature and can be made of text, images, video, or any other type of media.

Rhetoric requires an understanding and control of language and knowledge of culture; the rhetorical situation which includes the purpose, audience, topic, writer, and context, genre; and other aspects to achieve an intended purpose. In many cases, rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) can also contribute to this intended purpose.

In today’s media, we often hear terms like “divisive rhetoric” or “bad rhetoric,” which often gives a negative perception of rhetoric even if someone may not understand what it exactly is. At its core, it’s a term that has its roots dating back to ancient Greece. Back then, they focused on persuasion techniques and speech rather than written text. Now, rhetoric encompasses not only speeches and written works, but also visual rhetoric such as images and film.

Audience

When writing anything, consider who is being addressed.  Audiences bring in their own perspectives, biases, experiences, and expectations, which can make writing for a particular audience very difficult.

Writer

Writers, just like their audience, are influenced by a number of things, like their age, location, perspective, bias, culture, experiences, and expectations.  Writers may need to consider if the traits they are bringing in may have a positive or negative outcome.  For example, even if someone is very passionate about stopping animal testing, to convince others, they may have to show restraint in expressing all of their personal views about people who test products on animals.  If these are the people they must convince, no matter what the writer may personally feel, writers should avoid insulting or degrading their audience if they have a chance at motivating change.

Topic

What are you writing about? The topic may be self-selected or assigned, but writers should try and find an angle that they are motivated to write about.  The topic should also be broad enough to fit the assignment’s parameters and specific enough to go into detail.

Context

The context describes the circumstances surrounding the writing which include the time (when the text is written), location (where is the text placed), events surrounding the writing, and the culture.

Purpose

Consider what the purpose of the writing is.  Are you writing to persuade, inform, entertain, evaluate, and analyze?

Why is Rhetoric Important? Since everyone can use rhetoric, an awareness of its prevalence can be empowering and can help you

become a more critical consumer and creator. It helps you as a writer and reader understand the different and interrelated influences surrounding

your writing and how it will be received and interpreted. Rhetoric gives you a framework to think critically about your writing and reading choices. Knowing how to use the tools of rhetoric can improve your communication and can help more people

to agree with your perspective. Rhetoric is a careful way of channeling your creative energies and incorporating written/visual/audio

compositions to create, affirm, and improve the world around us.

When we are mindful of a writer’s rhetorical strategy when we read, we are better able to understand his or her message. When we are mindful of our own rhetorical strategy when we write, we are better able to advance our point of view and achieve our purpose.

Use the SOAPSTone acronym and corresponding questions described as a model to rhetorically analyze text.

Tone Vocabulary

Like the tone of a speaker’s voice, the tone of a work of literature expresses the writer’s feelings of purpose. TO determine the tone of a passage, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What is the subject of the passage? Who is its intended audience?2. What are the most important words in the passage? What connotation do these words have?3. Are there any hints that the speaker or narrator does not really mean everything he or she says? If any jokes

are made, are they lighthearted or bitter?4. If the narrators were speaking aloud, what would the tone of his or her voice be?

Positive Tone/ Attitude WordsAmiable Consoling Friendly PlayfulAmused Content Happy PleasantAppreciative Dreamy Hopeful ProudAuthoritative Ecstatic Impassioned RelaxedBenevolent Elated Jovial ReverentBrave Elevated Joyful RomanticCalm Encouraging Jubilant Soothing Cheerful Energetic Lighthearted SurprisedCheery Enthusiastic Loving SweetCompassionate Excited Optimistic SympatheticComplimentary Exuberant Passionate VibrantConfident Fanciful Peaceful Whimsical

Negative Tone/ Attitude WordsAccusing Choleric Furious QuarrelsomeAggravated Coarse Harsh ShamefulAgitated Cold Haughty SmoothAngry Condemnatory Hateful SnootyApathetic Condescending Hurtful SuperficialArrogant Contradictory Indignant SurlyArtificial Critical Inflammatory TestyAudacious Desperate Insulting ThreateningBelligerent Disappointed Irritated TiredBitter Disgruntled Manipulative UninterestedBoring Disgusted Obnoxious WrathfulBrash Disinterested OutragedChildish Facetious Passive

Humor-Irony-Sarcasm Tone/ Attitude WordsAmused Droll Mock-heroic SardonicBantering Facetious Mocking SatiricBitter Flippant Mock-serious ScornfulCaustic Giddy Patronizing SharpComical Humorous Pompous SillyCondescending Insolent Quizzical TauntingContemptuous Ironic Ribald TestingCritical Irreverent Ridiculing WhimsicalCynical Joking Sad WryDisdainful Malicious Sarcastic

Sorrow-Fear-Weary-Atone/Attitude Words

Aggravated Embarrassed Morose ResignedAgitated Fearful Mournful SadAnxious Foreboding Nervous SeriousApologetic Gloomy Numb SoberApprehensive Drave Ominous SolemnConcerned Hollow Paranoid SomberConfused Hopeless Pessimistic StaidDejected Horrific Pitiful UpsetDepressed Horror PoignantDespairing Melancholy RegretfulDisturbed Miserable Remorseful

Neutral Tone/ Attitude WordsAdmonitory Dramatic Intimae QuestioningAllusive Earnest Judgmental ReflectiveApathetic Expectant Learned ReminiscentAuthoritative Factual Loud ResignedBaffled Fervent Lyrical RestrainedCallous Formal Matter-of-fact SeductiveCandid Forthright Meditative SentimentalCeremonial Frivolous Nostalgic SeriousClinical Haughty Objective ShockingConsoling Histrionic Obsequious SincereContemplative Humble Patriot UnemotionalConventional Incredulous Persuasive UrgentDetached Informative Pleading VexedDidactic Inquisitive Pretentious WistfulDisbelieving Instructive Provocative Zealous

Language Words- Used to describe the force or quality of the entire piece Like word choice, the language of a passage has control over tone. Consider language to be the entire body of words used in a text, not simply isolated bits of diction, imagery, or detail/ For example, an invitation to a graduation might use formal language, whereas a biology text would use scientific and clinical language. Different from tone, these words describe the force or quality of the diction, images, and details as a WHOLE. These words qualify how the work is written.

Artificial Exact Literal PretentiousBombastic Figurative Moralistic ProvincialColloquial Formal Obscure ScholarlyConcrete Grotesque Obtuse SensuousConnotative Homespun Ordinary SimpleCultured Idiomatic Pedantic SlangDetached Informal Picturesque symbolicEmotional Insipid Plain TriteEsoteric Jargon Poetic VulgarEuphemistic Learned Precise

Tone is the writer’s or speaker’s attitude in regard to the subject/ topic and the audience. Understanding tone depends in the reader’s appreciation (knowledge) of word choice, imagery, and language. To misinterpret tone is to misinterpret meaning. If you miss irony or sarcasm, you will miss the meaning.

DIDLSDICTION The connotation of the word choiceIMAGES Vivid appeals to understanding through

sensesDETAILS Facts that are included or omitted

LANGUAGE The overall use of language, such as formal, clinical, jargon

SENTENCE STRUCTURE/ SYNTAX How structure affects the reader’s attitude