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Rhetoric

We make choices when deciding to write something, whether we're aware of them or not. Everything you read and listen to – a novel, a news article, a podcast – is peppered with rhetoric. In all forms of communication, you have an underlying message to understand. 

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Rhetoric

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We make choices when deciding to write something, whether we're aware of them or not. Everything you read and listen to – a novel, a news article, a podcast – is peppered with rhetoric. In all forms of communication, you have an underlying message to understand.

Picture the writing you consume each day. You're probably seeing social media posts, scholastic material, books, articles, blogs, and so on. Given how much we consume, it's beneficial to understand the purpose behind that content and the rhetoric used.

Rhetoric Definition

Rhetoric is any word choice a communicator makes to persuade the intended audience.

Rhetoric is at the heart of effective communication. As a writer or speaker, you will be making choices using rhetoric that has an intended effect on your audience. Understanding rhetoric can help you know which choices will be best.

The concept of rhetoric dates back to the Greeks when Aristotle came up with three modes that can be used to convince someone to do something. These are known as Aristotle's Rhetorical Appeals. They are pathos, logos, and ethos. We'll go over these below, but first, picture your own experiences with writing.

Rhetoric [+] Aristotle and Rhetoric [+] StudySmarterFig. 1 - Aristotle's appeals help you to persuade

What is your thought process before and while you are writing? What do you hope your audience will do with the information you give your audience? Do you want your audience to learn something, feel a certain way, or take action?

Rhetoric is about understanding your target audience. Knowing your audience is essential because it allows you to decide how to write something based on the particular audience and particular situation – this is what we call the rhetorical situation.

Rhetoric and Rhetorical Situations

A rhetorical situation is a circumstance, timing, or location that can influence a piece of writing. In other words, what is the background context of the rhetoric? To understand the rhetoric involved, you'll need to identify the context first.

Rhetoric and the Target Audience

Let's look at some situations you might encounter when trying to understand the audience.

You are sending a private text to a friend:

  • You have one audience member.

  • You are close with them.

  • You might not think about grammar.

  • It's a text about a personal life story.

Rhetoric, Texting a Friend, StudySmarterFig. 2 - You text a friend informally

You are sending a private message to a boss:

  • You have one audience member.

  • You have a professional relationship.

  • Your messages relate to work.

Notice the potential differences between those two situations. Obviously, you need to have a different tone for each situation.

In other words, your rhetorical situation will influence your rhetorical choices.

A rhetorical situation is the situation of your communication: the time, audience, and purpose for your communication.

A rhetorical choice is what tools you, the writer or speaker, decide to use when composing something (an essay, speech, etc.).

So how do you tell the difference between a rhetorical situation and a rhetorical choice?

Identifying a Rhetorical Situation

Here are some questions to ask.

  • Who is in my audience?
    • Is it my teacher?
    • Is it a small or large crowd?
    • What are the needs of the crowd?
  • Where is this situation taking place?
    • Is it a speech in front of a group?
    • Is it in a classroom?
    • Will it be posted online?
  • What is the purpose of this paper/speech?
    • Am I trying to convince my audience to do something?
    • Am I trying to educate my audience?
    • Is it a paper for just one or for more people to read?

Identifying a Rhetorical Situation

Here's how you start to make a rhetorical choice.

  • How should I start this text/speech?
    • Would using jokes work with my audience?
    • Would a quote work best?
  • What should my tone of voice be?
    • Should I be loud and assertive?
    • Should I present facts over emotion?

Rhetorical Analysis

After identifying the rhetorical situation and making some rhetorical choices, you could conduct a rhetorical analysis.

A rhetorical analysis is an essay where you identify and break down each element of rhetoric within that writing and examine if those elements were useful in persuading the audience.

A rhetorical analysis aims to explain the what, how, and why those rhetorical choices will affect the audience.

You will probably have to write or have already written a rhetorical analysis essay. An essay might be the standard for rhetorical analysis, but it isn't the only method. A rhetorical analysis could be presented on a video, a podcast, or in some other writing format besides an essay. Whatever the mode being used in a rhetorical analysis, here's how you can analyze it for any rhetoric that might be used:

  1. Identify the rhetorical situation. Remember, this is the context!

  2. Identify the choices made by the writer. You can start by asking yourself how the writer is addressing the audience. Do they use facts? Are they emotional? What is the tone?

  3. Identify what the effects of those choices are. Why is the person making these choices with this audience?

After you've looked at these three things, you can determine if the communication from the writer was effective. For example, if you listen to a politician giving a speech, you'll know that the rhetorical situation is a crowd of potential voters.

Pay attention to their choices, such as the types of words used or the tone of voice. Then you can ask yourself if those choices will be effective for the target audience.

Types of Rhetoric

When looking at the choices the writer makes when addressing their audience, you will look for the rhetorical devices they use.

A rhetorical device is a particular method of rhetoric.

A writer can use figurative or metaphorical speech, repetitions, or tone of voice among other things to influence the audience.

A rhetorical device will come in several different forms. Three common types of rhetoric used are pathos, logos, and ethos, but there are others. These are all deliberate techniques used to convey a specific audience message.

Each kind of rhetoric aims to appeal to the audience in a fundamentally different way.

Pathos

Pathos appeals to the empathy of a reader. Using pathos might get a reader to feel certain emotions like fear, anger, or sadness. Stories that utilize pathos can be personal experiences such as memoirs or testimonials. Using photos is a rhetorical device that is effective for evoking empathy. These devices are meant to appeal to the human side of a story. Stories about refugees or animal shelters often rely heavily on this tactic. It's not a bad thing, but you can use it negatively.

Logos

This type of rhetoric is used for logical arguments and appeals to an audience's reason. In this scenario, you're trying to persuade someone with statistics and data. Logos might include charts and graphs to display information. Providing a heavily fact-based article is used to persuade people that their argument is strong. This type of rhetoric also tries to appeal to common sense or prove a point.

Rhetoric, Logos Rhetoric Charts, StudySmarterFig. 3 - Logos appeals to logic

Ethos

Ethos shows the credibility of the writer. For example, a writer might show their area of expertise by mentioning their degrees, employment history, any publications they've written, or hands-on experience. This information helps convey that they are qualified to talk about a topic.

After finishing my master's degree in Environmental Science, I became more and more passionate about water rights and activism. After working on a toxic spill site for five years, I've realized that it's not just a contamination problem; it's a human rights problem and we all have a responsibility to do something about it.

The writer is using their degree in Environmental Science to show that they have the credentials to give an opinion about this issue. Presenting information that makes you more credible is a form of rhetoric that convinces people to trust you more easily.1

Think about ways you use this in everyday life. Say you need to write a resume for a job. You might list classes you've taken or any experience you've had to convince the employer that your credentials fit the bill. You can find ways to use each type of rhetoric daily.

Other Types of Rhetoric and Rhetorical Devices

There are many other types of rhetoric, but kairos, simile, and hyperbole are some of the popular ones that can be used.

Kairos

This type of rhetoric means that the writer must consider the timing. A writer should consider when and in what context they will deliver information. A writer should also consider the appropriateness of the information. Is it the right time to deliver that particular message? For example, you could save a juicy tidbit of a story for the end of an article or use appropriate comedic timing in your speech.

Simile

A simile is an extremely common rhetorical device, and for a good reason. It draws a simple comparison between two unrelated things using "like" or "as". Using a simile emphasizes something, making a subject interesting and descriptive.

His excitement was like a dog wanting to go for a walk.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses an exaggerated claim or story to get a reaction from the audience.

This rhetoric device is another popular one because it strongly emphasizes something. Hyperbole can add a shock factor to a piece of writing that draws in the audience, but it is not meant to be taken literally.

My computer is older than a dinosaur.

Different types of rhetoric motivate everyone differently. It's important to understand what kind of rhetoric will inspire your audience.

Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Question

Another popular rhetorical device is the rhetorical question. A rhetorical question is a type of question that is usually a persuasive tool to get a reaction, but not an answer, from the audience.

Since rhetoric is used to persuade someone to do something, what can you persuade someone to do by asking a rhetorical question? This type of question is asked to prove a point, not to get an answer; asking a rhetorical question might spark a discussion. The critical point here is that the answer to the question is implied.

A rhetorical question draws attention to something.

Here's an example.

Don't you love when everyone is late for your party you spent hours planning?

The opposite is true in this case, but it was asked to point out that it's annoying when people show up late.

Examples of Rhetoric

Rhetoric surrounds every day. When you open a book, click on a news article, or turn on the TV, rhetoric is there.

Every day, dozens of people become homeless. They are people just like you and me, and they need your help. Submit your donations online to help make a difference for even just one person!

What types of rhetoric do you see in this ad? Does it make you sad or make you want to help someone? Notice the phrasing. Saying that they are just like you appeals to that human connection and empathy. This is Pathos rhetoric.

You might have heard something like this.

"I would never ruin this country, but your other candidate will! Trust me!"

This type of quote from a politician is designed to convince people that they should be scared of something happening. This is an example of how pathos can be used another way – invoking fear to get people to act.

Understanding rhetoric isn't just important for things you may write in the future. It's also important because it allows you to recognize when rhetoric is being used on you. Next time you read a book or article online, see if you can notice some of the rhetoric used for you, the target audience. Did they achieve their goal?

Rhetoric - Key Takeaways

  • Rhetoric is the choice a communicator makes to persuade the intended audience.
  • Types of rhetoric include pathos, logos, and ethos. These are rhetorical devices.
  • A rhetorical question draws attention to something.
  • A rhetorical situation is the circumstances surrounding an event, issue, and audience.
  • A rhetorical analysis identifies the rhetorical situation, the choices made by the writer, and the effects of those choices.

1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Aristotle's Rhetoric. 2002.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetoric

Rhetoric is any choice a communicator makes in an attempt to persuade the intended audience. 

A rhetorical analysis is where you identify the rhetorical situation, the choices made by the writer, and the effects of those choices.

An example of rhetoric is when a politician invokes certain emotions like fear in order to get their supporters to take action. Another example is when an ad about pets for adoption uses sad photos to make people want to care for or adopt the animals. 

Rhetorical devices are tools that are used to persuade an audience. Types of devices include pathos, logos, and ethos.

Rhetorical devices are important because they are useful tools that can persuade an audience to take some type of action.

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

What is the function of an action verb?

Sara opened the fridge.Is this an example of a transitive or intransitive action verb?

Isaac smiled.Is this an example of a transitive or intransitive action verb?

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