Round Table Discussion: For 10 minutes, with your group members, discuss everything you already know about rhetorical analysis. List as many rhetorical appeals and devices as you can! Turn in your “LETTER TO YOURSELF” (if you don’t want me to read it, staple it closed and put your name on the outside )

Brainstorm: You have a “Letter to Yourself” assignment on your desk. This is due tomorrow...you have 5 minutes to get started on it in class :)

INTRO TO RHETORIC

Rhetoric is used to Persuade Inform Express

Rhetoric in persuasion Persuasion is one of the oldest, and perhaps the most recognized, uses of rhetoric. By arousing an emotional response, evoking powerful imagery, or calling upon reputable authorities, rhetoric gives you a great deal of power with which to communicate your message.

It is no coincidence that the two groups who use rhetoric the most are the two groups most interested in persuading others: politicians and lawyers. Listen to any closing argument that a lawyer presents and you will be sure to identify rhetoric.

What are some techniques a lawyer might use to get a defendant to admit guilt? Let’s take a look at Lt. Daniel Kaffee’s cross-examination of Colonel Jessup in the movie A Few Good Men. Identify persuasive techniques he uses throughout this scene.

A Few Good Men - getting the confession

What techniques does Lt What techniques does Lt. Kaffee use to trick Colonel Jessup into confessing that he ordered a Code Red?

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle Message Purpose Speaker Audience

What are rhetorical appeals? Rhetorical appeals are the three strategies to the art of persuasion as defined by Aristotle Ethos Pathos Logos They are directly connected to the three parts of the Rhetorical Triangle. Let’s see how...

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle Message Logos Appeals to “common sense”/ audience’s sense of reason or logic Main idea or thesis is supported with: Facts Statistics Logical details Data Ethos Pathos Purpose Appeal to audience’s emotions Personal anecdotes Diction (connotations) Imagery Usually include description and figurative language. Demonstrate credibility & trustworthiness Appeal to shared values Reputation can establish ethos Speaker Audience

Political Speeches Look at almost any political speech in the last few hundred years, and you’ll find many clever uses of rhetoric appeals.

How do politicians appeal to their audience? Take a look at this example from American President.

American President

What rhetorical appeals does “the president” use? Did you notice the use of any other devices or techniques?

Quickwrite: In your journals, write about a time where you had to persuade someone and explain how you used one or more of the following: Ethos: established your trustworthiness or convinced someone you had the same goals/values Pathos: played on someone’s emotions to get what you wanted Logos: tried to use reasoning to convince your audience that your request was logical

What are rhetorical devices? Rhetorical devices are techniques writers use to enhance their arguments and communicate more effectively.

Rhetorical Devices You should be familiar with the following rhetorical devices. Keep in mind there are many rhetorical devices, but we will cover only some. Allusion Analogy Antithesis Concession Metaphor Parallelism Anaphora Epistrophe Rhetorical Question Simile

Allusion An indirect reference to a person, place, event, or other literary work. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned EXAMPLE: Taylor Swift alludes to Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet in her song “Love Story.” She never directly mentions the actual play or Shakespeare, but she does allude to plot elements such as disapproving families and the famous balcony scene from the play.

Analogy Example: . A comparison of two events or situations for the purpose of explanation or clarification (similar to a metaphor, but more complex)

Antithesis EXAMPLE: “hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins” ____________________________ Katy Perry’s song “Hot and Cold” also uses antithesis: You’re HOT then you’re COLD; you’re YES then you’re NO; you’re IN then you’re OUT; you’re UP then you’re DOWN A figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed in parallel structure..

Concession Literary device used in argumentative writing where one acknowledges a point made by one’s opponent. It demonstrates that the writer is a mature thinker and has considered the issue from all angles. EXAMPLE: “An individual does have their own right to freedom, but medical evidence proves that second hand smoking is harmful. Nobody has the right to harm the health of another and smoking does just that.” Using concession, the writer has noted that everybody has freedom rights, but argues about the fact that nobody has the right to harm another person’s health, no matter what the case is

Metaphor An implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in common. EXAMPLE: One Direction’s song “One Thing” makes a comparison between kryptonite and love. At first glance, these things don’t have much in common, but kryptonite makes Superman weak, just like love makes men weak (according to the song).

Parallelism Also known as “Parallel Structure” - EXAMPLE: Also known as “Parallel Structure” - the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; This method gives ideas a smoother flow and thus persuasiveness, because of the repetition it employs.

Anaphora EXAMPLE: The repetition of “I’m gonna,” “No one sayin’” and “Free to” at the beginning of consecutive sentences or phrases is Anaphora. A form of parallelism: the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect

Epistrophe A form of parallelism and the opposite of anaphora: the deliberate repetition of the last part of clauses or sentences in order to achieve an artistic effect EXAMPLE: stop at 2:11

Rhetorical Question Question asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected. EXAMPLE:

Simile EXAMPLE: You can break everything I am Like I’m made of glass Like I’m made of paper Comparisons between two unrelated and dissimilar things using “like” or “as” (and sometimes “than”)