Rhetorical Strategies

1
Rhetorical Strategies

• If Rhetoric
• and Strategy
• Then Rhetorical Strategy

Effective or skillful use of language
A careful plan or method
The careful planning of language to achieve a
desired effect on the audience (e.g. convince,
persuade, create emotion)
2
The Big Three

• Three strategies are found in all rhetoric
• Diction
• Syntax
• Tone
• These strategies are found in ALL speech and
  writing the trick is to figure out how and why
  they are used.

3
An Important Note

• Diction, syntax,
  and tone work
  together to form rhetoric.
  They do not act
  separately, but
  rather as
  interlocking
  pieces of the
  whole.
  

Diction
Rhetoric
Syntax
Tone
4
Diction

• Definition word choice
• Formal Diction Informal Diction
• These are people with whom Ive Shes like, my
  best friend
• formed a strong genial bond. ever.

5
Syntax

• Definition the arrangement of words in a
  sentence
• The clock struck eight. She As the clock
  struck eight she waited. Nobody came. gazed
  longingly at the door, but nobody came.

6
Tone

• Definition the speakers attitude toward the
  subject or audience
• Humorous tone Passionate tone
  Disinterested Tone

This is boring.
But theyll never take our freedom!
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So, where do we go from there?

• There are many other rhetorical strategies, but
  its good to think of diction, syntax, and tone
  as umbrella terms.
• The other rhetorical terms
  will mostly fall under one
  of those three umbrellas

8
WARNING!!!!

• The following list of rhetorical strategies is
  not all inclusive!!!
• What does that mean? It means that you already
  know a lot of terms not included
  here...repetition (syntax), imagery (diction),
  passionate (tone), etc
• This list is focused on expanding and refining
  your knowledge not repeating what you already know

9
Juxtaposition

• Definition placement of two things closely
  together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts
• We live in a world of love and of hate.

Umbrella Term Syntax
10
Allusion

• Definition a brief reference to a person, event,
  or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art
  (hint allusions must refer to common knowledge
  different from a reference)
• Shes as crazy as Britney Spears. I am no
  Judas.

Umbrella Term Diction
11
Paradox

• Definition a statement that seems contradictory
  but is nevertheless true.
• We will continue to fight for peace.

Umbrella Term Diction
12
Oxymoron

• Definition a paradoxical juxtaposition of words
  that seem to contradict one another
• Jumbo shrimp honest lawyer (note this is a
  joke)

Umbrella Term Syntax
13
Parallelism

• Definition similarity in structure of a pair or
  series of related words, phrases, or clauses
• "Let every nation know, whether
• it wishes us well or ill, that we
• shall pay any price, bear any
• burden, meet any hardship,
• support any friend, oppose
• any foe to assure the survival
• and the success of liberty.
• - John F. Kennedys Inaugural Address

Umbrella Term Syntax
14
Understatement

• Definition deliberately expresses an idea as
  less important than it actually is, either for
  ironic emphasis or for politeness and tact
• It isn't very serious. I have
• this tiny little tumor on the brain.
• - J.D. Salinger,
• The Catcher in the Rye

Umbrella Term Diction
15
Effusive

• Definition excessive demonstration of emotions
  bubbly or gushy emotions
• OMG! The sky is so blue and
• I am so happy. Today is such
• a great day! It just makes me
• want to jump up and down and
• throw my hands in the air!
• Weeeeeee!!!
• - Random Effusive
• Teenage Girl

Umbrella Term Tone
16
Hypophora

• Definition raising one or more questions and
  then proceeding to answer them, usually at length
• "Since we have come so far, whom
  shall be rash enough to set limits on our
  future progress? Who shall say that since
  we have gone so far, we can go no farther?
  Who shall say that the American dream is
  ended? For myself, I believe that all we have
  done upon this continent is but a prelude to
  a future in which we shall become not only a
  bigger people but also a wiser people, a
  better people, an even greater people."
• - Adlai Stevenson (Politician)
• 1953 Stump Speech

Umbrella Term Syntax
17
Rhetorical Question

• Definition a question posed for rhetorical
  effect rather than for the purpose of getting an
  answer
• Why are you so stupid? Are you trying
  to fail this class?

Umbrella Term Syntax
18
Metaphor/Simile

• Definition compares one thing to another in
  order to explain by comparison. Similes use
  like or as metaphors do not.
• Simile Youre as cold as ice
  Metaphor No man is an island.
• - Foreigner (song) - John
  Donne

Umbrella Term Diction
19
Epigraph

• Definition phrase, quote, or poem that is set at
  the beginning of a document or text
• Epigraph to Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
• Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
• Some say the world will end in fire,
• Some say in ice.
• From what Ive tasted of desire
• I hold with those who favor fire.
• But if it had to perish twice,
• I think I know enough of hate
• To say that for destruction ice
• Is also great
• And would suffice.

Umbrella Term Syntax
20
Alliteration

• Definition repetition of the same sound
  beginning several words in a sequence
• Step forward, Tin Man. You dare to
• Come to me for a heart do you? You
• clinking, clanking, clattering collection
• of caliginous junk And you,
• Scarecrow, have the effrontery to ask
• for a brain! You billowing bale of
• bovine fodder!"
• - delivered by the "Wizard of Oz"
• from the movie The Wizard of Oz

Umbrella Term Diction
21
Hyperbole

• Definition use of overstatement for rhetorical
  effect

Umbrella Term Diction
22
Insolent

• Definition boldly rude or disrespectful
• You act like a teenager, so why
  dont you
  get a curfew?!?
• - Insolent teenager to her
  mother

Umbrella Term Tone
23
Sarcastic

• Definition using mocking, contemptuous, or
  ironic language to mark scorn or insult
• I really love homework. Theres nothing
• I would rather do than stay up until 2 in
• the morning finishing Calculus work.
• - Sarcastic statement attributable
  
  
  to many Calculus students

Umbrella Term Tone
24
Asyndeton

• Definition omission of conjunctions between
  coordinate phrases, clauses, or words
• I came, I saw, I conquered. We
  shall pay any price, bear any - Julius Caesar
  burden, meet any hardship, support
  any foe to assure the survival and the
  success of liberty.
• - John F. Kennedy,
  Inaugural Address

Umbrella Term Syntax
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Antithesis

• Definition opposition, or contrast of ideas or
  words in a balanced or parallel construction
  (hint juxtaposition parallelism antithesis)

"The world will little note, nor long remember,
what we say here, but it can never forget what
they did here. - Abraham Lincoln,
Gettysburg Address (delivered by
Jeff Daniels)
Thats one small step for man, one giant leap
for mankind. Neil Armstrong,
Apollo 11 Moon
Landing Speech
Umbrella Term Syntax
26
Laudatory

• Definition expressing praise
• Inception was the best movie of the summer due
  to its dazzling special effects, intellectual
  screenplay, and its tour de force performances.
• - Any intelligent movie critic giving
  Inception its much deserved praise

Umbrella Term Tone
27
Apostrophe

• Definition an address or invocation to something
  inanimate (i.e. talking directly to it)
• Oh you cruel streets of Manhattan! How I detest
  you!

Umbrella Term Diction
28
Didactic

• Definition morally instructive (i.e. teaching in
  a preachy way)
• So the AP student that never did his homework
  learned in the end that procrastination is the
  route to failure.
• - AP teacher didactically instructing his
  students in the pitfalls of procrastination

Umbrella Term Tone
29
Chiasmus/Antimetabole

• Definition repetition of words in reverse order
• One should eat to live
• not live to eat.
• You can weather change, but
• you cant change the weather.
• Ask not what your country can do for you
  
• ask what you can do for your country.
• - JFK, Inaugural Address

Stupid weather!
Sad Pluto ?
Ill get through this.
Umbrella Term Syntax
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Anaphora

• Definition repetition of a word or phrase at the
  beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or
  lines
• We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in
• France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
• we shall fight with growing confidence and
• growing strength in the air, we shall defend our
• Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight
• on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing
• grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the
• streets, we shall fight on the hills we shall
  never
• surrender.
• - Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister)
• Speech to the House of Commons
• June 4, 1940

Umbrella Term Syntax
31
Epistrophe

• Definition the repetition of a phrase at the end
  of successive sentences
• If women are healthy and educated,
  their families will flourish. If women are
  free from violence, their families will
  flourish. If women have a chance to
  worktheir families will flourish.
• - Hillary Clinton
• Womens Rights are Human
  Rights September 5,
  1995

Umbrella Term Syntax
32
Melancholy

• Definition sober thoughtfulness and sadness
• Dear Diary,
• My life is such a trial. I feel as if
• there are dark clouds obscuring
• my heart.
• - Emo teenagers
• melancholic journal
• entry

Umbrella Term Tone
33
Polysyndeton

• Definition the use of a conjunction between each
  word, phrase, or clause in a series (structural
  opposite of asyndeton, but the effect is often
  the same enumeration or building up)
• "Oh, my piglets, we are the origins of
• war -- not history's forces, nor the times,
• nor justice, nor the lack of it, nor causes,
• nor religions, nor ideas, nor kinds of
• government -- nor any other thing. We
• are the killers."
• - delivered by Katherine Hepburn
• (from the movie The Lion in Winter)

Umbrella Term Syntax
34
Periodic/Loose Sentence

• Definition In a periodic sentence, the main
  clause is at the end. In a loose sentence, the
  main clause is at the beginning.
• Loose sentence Periodic Sentence
• The child ran, frenzied and Looking as
  if she were being
• ignoring all hazards, as if being
  chased by demons, ignoring all
• chased by demons. hazards, the child
  ran.

Umbrella Term Syntax
35
Patronizing

• Definition offensively condescending
• Of course you dont know what love is, youre
  just a teenager.
• - Patronizing parent

Umbrella Term Tone
36
Connotation/Denotation

• Definition Connotation is the implied meaning of
  a word or phrase. Denotation is the dictionary
  definition.
• Skinny vs. Slender Thrifty vs.
  Cheap

Umbrella Term Diction
37
Litotes

• Definition ironic understatement (achieved by
  saying the opposite of the opposite of what is
  meant)
• Theyre not bad dancers. Theyre no ordinary
  family.

Umbrella Term Diction
38
Ellipses

• Definition a mark or series of marks that
  usually indicate the intentional omission of a
  word or phrase from the original textcan also be
  used to indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished
  thought, or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing
  off into silence

Umbrella Term Syntax
39
Pedantic

• Definition ostentatious or showy in ones
  learning
• You really should read
• War and Peace its
• vital to your edification.

Umbrella Term Tone
40
Extended Metaphor

• Definition a metaphor that extends throughout a
  piece of literature (note a particularly
  inventive extended metaphor is sometimes called a
  conceit)

Umbrella Term Diction
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Irony

• Definition the contrast between what it stated
  explicitly and what is meant. The intended
  meaning is frequently the opposite of what is
  stated. Often suggests light sarcasm
• Most Alanis Morissettes Ironic isnt ironic
• Thats ironic.
• Escalators
• at the gym?
• Really?

Umbrella Term Diction
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Zeugma

• Definition where a word, usually a verb or
  adjective, is applied to two or more nouns
  without being repeated. Usually has a comic
  effect.
• The thief took my wallet He carried a
  strobe light and the
• and the 5th avenue bus. responsibility for the
  lives of his men.
• - Tim OBrien The Things They Carried

Umbrella Term Syntax
43
Obsequious

• Definition blindly obedient and dutiful
• I so need to have an iPhone. Its not
• even worth it to have any other phone.
• Anybody whos worth texting has an
• iPhone.

Umbrella Term Tone
44
Euphemism

• Definition mild or less negative usage for a
  harsh or blunt term

Umbrella Term Diction
45
Nostalgic

• Definition characterized by bittersweet longing
  for things in the past

I remember the golden days of my youth, enjoying
cotton candy at the state fair with my family
Umbrella Term Tone
46
Anecdote

• Definition a short often amusing account of an
  incident, especially a personal or biographical
  one
• During the 1957 World Series, Yankees
• catcher Yogi Berra noticed that Hank Aaron
  grasped the bat the wrong way. Turn it
• around, he said, so you can see the
• trademark. But Hank kept his eye on the
• pitchers mound Didnt come up here to
• read. Came here to hit.
• - Little Brown Book of Anecdotes

Umbrella Term Diction
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Disdainful

• Definition scornful showing contempt
• I cant believe you liked Scott
• Pilgrim vs. the World. Only
• immature 10 year old gamers
• would like that movie.
• - Disdainful critic

Umbrella Term Tone
48
Colloquial

• Definition informal and conversational. Often
  marked by the use of slang.
• OMG! U nd me r so prfct 2gethr
• letz b bf nd gfLOL jk p

I don't care idc
I don't know idk
I hate you ihy -or- ilt/3u -or- -143
I love you ily -or- ilt3u -or- 143
In my humble/honest opinion imho
In my opinion imo
Just kidding -or- Joking jk
Laughing out loud lol
Umbrella Term Tone