Rhetorical Analysis Notes PDF

What is rhetoric? Rhetoric is the way an author persuades an audience through language. Especially the use of figures of speech(rhetorical devices) Rhetorical Devices(noun) -: Anything a speaker uses to construct meaning. Using a rhetorical device may help the speaker establish a persuasive appeal....

What is rhetoric? Rhetoric is the way an author persuades an audience through language. Especially the use of figures of speech(rhetorical devices) Rhetorical Devices(noun) -: Anything a speaker uses to construct meaning. Using a rhetorical device may help the speaker establish a persuasive appeal. Anything being used specifically to persuade an audience is a rhetorical device. Metaphor -: a figure of speech that implicitly compares two unrelated things, not using like or as Example: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” Simile - Comparison of two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ Example: “until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” Personification -: the attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman Example: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You can say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Hyperbole: An exaggeration used to emphasize a particular point or argument Example: “But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it -- those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination.” Call to Action: When an author asks/tells the reader what action they want the reader to take Example: “ I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister….” Repetition: The action of repeating something that has already been said or written. This can be the repetition of a word or phrase, or the repetition of an idea. Example: “I have a dream that my four little children will [...] I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia [...] I have a dream today!” Personal Anecdote: a short, real-life story about an event or person that happened to the speaker or writer. It has to have relevance to the topic. Example: “And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me!” Alliteration: the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Example: "Somewhere at this very moment a child is being born in America. Let it be our cause to give that child a happy home, a healthy family, and a hopeful future." Imagery: Using vivid and descriptive language to create sensory experiences for the reader appealing to the five senses Example: “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” Overstatement: the action of expressing or stating something too strongly; exaggeration. Example: "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear." Oxymoron: Placing two opposing words together Example: “Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!” Red herring: a clue or piece of information that is, or is intended to be, misleading or distracting. Example: Red herrings are all over the place in Harry Potter In The Prisoner of Azkaban. The plot initially surrounds the threat posed by Sirius Black, who has escaped from Azkaban and is coming to kill Harry. Everything about him, right down to his name, makes him appear to be a villain. It turns out, though, that Sirius Black is not coming after Harry at all – he is trying to get into Hogwarts so that he can protect Harry from Peter Pettigrew, who has been hiding in plain sight all along. Ethos: An appeal that relies on the speaker’s credibility and trustworthiness. Usually accompanied by first person pronouns – “I” or “me” Example: “But just let me say this last word. Regardless of what happens I’m going to continue this fight. I’m going to campaign up and down America until we drive the crooks and the Communists and those that defend them out of Washington.” Pathos: An appeal that relies on influencing the audience’s emotions. Powerful stories, examples, or descriptions that include inspirational moments or sad/unbearable situations Example: “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.” Logos: An appeal that relies on logic, evidence, and reason. This can include facts or statistics, dates and times of events, logical statements that the audience can relate to through reason and past experience, and incorporates “evidence” that is (or appears to be) backed up by research Example: “And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. ​ All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.” Four aspects to look for in argumentative texts: 1.​ Thesis statement - This is the statement in a text that explains the main argument or main idea of the text. This is not always at the beginning of the text. 2.​ Purpose - The author’s primary reason for writing. This is not simply to persuade, inform, or entertain. This can be any verb. 3.​ Audience - The audience is who the author is speaking to. This can affect the tone of the text. This should be specific. Think: age range, ethnicity, gender, occupation, etc 4.​ Claim/Message - The claim (or message) is the idea that the author wants to get across. This can be explicitly stated or inferred. Steps to analyze argumentative texts: Step 1: Identify the audience - Remember to be as specific as you can. Think about: age, gender, race, occupation, location, etc. This may be stated explicitly or you will have to infer. Step 2: Identify the purpose - After you read, identify the author’s purpose in writing. Remember to stay away from simply: informing, persuading, and entertaining. Pick a more specific verb that encompasses the text. Step 3: Identify the claim/message - Identify the author’s claim. The claim is the main idea that the author is trying to get across and convince the reader to believe. In doing this, you will also find the thesis of the text. Step 4: Find the rhetorical devices - As, and after, you read, you will need to identify the rhetorical devices the author uses that make their argument stronger, or weaker. There may be a lot, there may not be. Step 5: Match to the appeals - After you have found the rhetorical devices you will then match each one to a rhetorical appeal. You will need to explain how it fits into each rhetorical appeal. Step 6: Determine the effectiveness - After finding all of the aspects in the previous steps, you will make an informed decision on the effectiveness of the text. Did it get its message across? Were the rhetorical devices effective at showing appeals? Was the thesis accomplished?