Notes on Rhetoric

An Example of Rhetoric from Literature

• Rhetoric is not limited to nonfiction
• The Illiad- shows example of rhetoric through the speech of Priam in order to pursuade Achilles to allow him to reclaim his son's body
• Priam uses ethos through portraying himself as an aging father
• Priam uses pathos by referring to his own father and how his father still has a chane to his son (Achilles) allive
• He uses logos by appealing to Achilles through reason "when he offers 'ransom' "
  

Arrangement

• organized five-part structure for a speech
• Introduction- (exordium) beginning a web
• -->draws readers into the text by showing their interest
• Narration- (narratio)
• -->provides factual information and background material on the subject
• -->detail used in this section depends on the audience's knowledge of the subject
• -->often appeals to pathos
• Confirmation- (confirmatio)
• -->contains the most specific and concrete detail in the text
• -->makes strongest appea to logos
• Refutaion- (refutatio)
• -->addresses the counterargument
• -->counterargument's appeal is largely to logos
• Conclusion (peroratio)
• -->brings all the writer's ideas together
• Sandra Day O'Connor and Roy Romer follow the model
• -->ethos is conveyed through her position
• -->in the narration of both speeches, authors provide background info including facts

Patterns of Development

• Purpose asuggests a methos of organization or arrangement
• Narration- refers to telling a story or recounting a series of events
• can be based on personal experience or on knowledge gained from reading
• chronology governs narration
• Walker uses a step-by-step method
• Description- closely allied with narration because both include specific details
• emphasizes the senses by painting a picture
• used to establish mood and atmosphere
• George Orwell uses emotionally charged language
• Process Analysis explains how something works, how to do something, or something was done
• many self-help books are essentially process analysis
• clarity is key
• Exemplification is providing a series of examples-facts, specific cases, or instances
• turns a general idea into a concrete one
• Aristotle taught that examples are a type of logical proof- induction
• Comparison and Contract- juxtaposing two things to highlight their similarities and differences
• can be subject-by-subject or point-by-point
• Classification and Division- sorting materials or ideas into major categories
• distinctive way of breaking down a larger idea or concept into parts
• Definition- defining a term is often the first step in a debate or disagreement
• some cases the definition is only a paragraph to clarify terms
• other cases the purpose of the entire essay is to establish a definition
• Cause and Effect- analyze causes that lead to a certain effect or the effects that result from a cause is a foundation for an arument
• recognize that there may be more than one cause
• often signaled by a why in the title or opening paragraph