What are Rhetorical

Strategies?

What is rhetoric? And why

bother studying it?

• “the art of effective expression

(speaking & writing) and the persuasive

use of language”

• We study rhetoric because:

– it helps us to better appreciate appeals to

our ethos, pathos, & logos (more on this to

come)

– it helps us to become more effective

persuasive speakers and writers

Examples?

• What are some of the techniques by

which people use language

persuasively?

• Jot these down in your notes

Maybe you named some of

these examples:• Formal diction leads readers/listeners to

believe something is ethically or legally

important

• Emotional diction (sometimes called

“sensationalism”) leads

readers/listeners to recognize that ideas

expressed are important to the

writer/speaker

• Allusion can associate a new idea to a

traditionally respected source

Here is a real-life example of

rhetoric in action…

• If you were trying to persuade a student

to get to class on time, you might say, “it

is WHS policy that students serve

detention after three tardies”. What

makes this statement effective?

• The statement sounds formal and

authoritative!

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

• Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that

there are three basic ways to persuade

an audience that you are right.

Ethos

• Persuasive appeal of one’s character.

Tells us that the author is reliable and

competent

• Example: “I am a father, a taxpayer, and

have served you as senator for 20

years. I deserve your vote to continue

my service.

AK Senator Hollis French

Pathos

• Appeal to emotion (of course, meant to

evoke emotional response)

• Example: “Imagine for a moment a

tragic collision on the Parks Highway. A

family is killed and many others are

injured. The cause is determined to be

frost heaves. We must use more state

funds to pay for road improvements.”

Logos

• Appeal to reason (evokes a rational

response)

• Example: “Alaska’s roads are in a state

of disrepair. Without quality roads, our

transportation system will falter and

hinder our economy. Hence, we must

use more state funds to pay for road

repairs.”

Rhetorical Strategies

• The strategies that follow are just some

of the ways to make your

writing/speaking more persuasive…

Parallel Structure

• Parallel Structure-repetition of

grammatically similar words, phrases,

clauses, or sentences to emphasize a

point or stir the emotions of a

reader/listener. Used to create a sense

of rhythm, balance, and order in writing

or speech.

– Chiasmus=“inverted parallelism” (i.e. eat to

live, not live to eat)

Parallel Structure

The coach told the players: “You will get some sleep tonight, you will not eat too much right before the game, and you will do some warm-up exercises before the game.”

Rhetorical Question

• Rhetorical Question-question not

answered by writer b/c the answer is

obvious or obviously desired. Used in

persuasion to encourage the

reader/listener to reflect on what the

answer must be.

• “How much longer must our people

endure this injustice?”

Allusion• Short, informal reference to famous

person, event, story. Relies on

reader/listener to be familiar with the

reference and hidden meaning. Used to

stimulate ideas, associations, add extra

information.

• If I want to persuade you to wash your

hands, I may say “thou shalt wash thy

hands”. I am trusting that you respect

the commandments and, hence, my

statement.

Analogy

• Comparison between two things that

are alike in certain respects. Used in

persuasion to demonstrate the logic of

one idea by showing how it is similar to

an accepted idea.

– (“Pupils are more like oysters than

sausages. The job of teaching is not to

stuff them and then seal them up, but to

help them reveal the riches within.”-Sydney

Harris)

Alliteration

• Repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Used to call attention to a phrase and

fixes it in the reader’s/listener’s mind.

• (i.e. “Let us go forth to lead the land we

love.”- John F. Kennedy Inaugural

speech)

Humor

• Humor can be used to make you like the writer/speaker and “win you over”

– Hyperbole-exaggeration for emphasis/effect (“at night she needs a paint scraper to take off her makeup”)

– Sarcasm (“Obama doesn’t have the experience of being Miss Wasilla!”)

– Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic) (“it is ironic that the window store had all of its windows broken by vandals”)

– Understatement (From Monty Python: Army officer loses a leg, “Stings a bit.”)

Audience

• When attempting to persuade, consider

your audience.

• For example, you would not use caustic

satire to persuade a potential employer

to hire you.

• (“The food served here is great if you

are a teenager with two dollars in your

pocket.”)