Persuasive Techniques in Writing

Some things to know… Rhetoric=persuasion Texts= any “cultural product” that can be read Written pieces (fiction/nonfiction) Photographs Cartoons Advertisements (print/TV) EVERYTHING IS AN ARGUMENT

Speaker Subject SOAPS Occasion Audience Purpose SOAPStone is used to identify the RHETORICAL SITUATION Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject Tone This is a sort of “checklist” for analyzing rhetoric

Rhetorical Triangle (Aristotelian Triangle) Speaker: person/group that creates the text Persona: the role the speaker plays while delivering the speech Audience: Listener, viewer, or reader; may be multiple audiences Subject: the topic This is not the same thing as purpose

Rhetoric continued… Rhetoric: “the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion.”- Aristotle Ethos: the authority or credibility of the presenter/writer Pathos: appeal to audience emotion Logos: logical appeal (or simulation of logic)

Ethos Author’s reputation (automatic ethos) Author’s means of argument Build ethos through logos (having a rational well informed argument that acknowledges and refutes other sides)

Logos Using clear, rational ideas… thinking LOGICALLY with clear evidence to back up points Counterarguments: opposing views--- speaker should acknowledge this Refutations & Concessions: strengthen argument

Pathos Appeals to emotion, values, desires, hopes, fears or prejudices Argument should NOT rely purely on pathos (becomes like propaganda) Good pathos: Use of language strong (positive) CONNOTATION with word choice

Pathos and Language Use of language Emphasis techniques: repetition Alliteration Figurative language (especially comparisons) Colorful words and descriptive language (adjectives!) Connotation of words (emotional feeling of words) repetition

Visuals and rhetoric EVERYTHING IS AN ARGUMENT Pathos appeal in visual argumentation We’ll talk more about this later 