PERSUASIVE RHETORIC RHETORIC Is the art of communicating

PERSUASIVE RHETORIC

RHETORIC • Is the art of communicating ideas

PERSUASIVE RHETORIC • Consists of reasoned arguments in favor of or against particular beliefs or courses of action

BE PERSUASIVE! • To be effectively persuasive, a work generally has to engage both the mind and the emotions of the audience, making them think that the problem the work deals with is important enough for them to care about how it is resolved. • Also, the writer needs to show that his or her position is rational and has a firm moral basis.

LOGICAL APPEALS • Provide rational arguments to support writers’ claims and are supported with objective evidence.

DEDUCTIVE REASONING • A writer can develop an argument deductively, by beginning with a generalization, or premise, and proceeding to marshal examples and facts that support it.

INDUCTIVE REASONING • Or a writer can begin with examples or facts and proceed to draw a conclusion from them.

EMOTIONAL APPEALS • Are often based on specific examples of suffering or potential threats. • Emotional appeals can also include “loaded language” – language that is rich in connotations and vivid images.

ETHICAL APPEALS • Are based on shared moral values and call forth the audience’s sense of right, justice, and virtue.

PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES • • Elevated Language Rhetorical Questions Repetition Parallelism

Elevated Language • Formal words and phrases can lend a serious tone to a discussion.

Rhetorical Questions • Questions that don’t require answers. • Writers pose rhetorical questions to show that their arguments make the answers obvious.

Repetition • Repeating a point tells the audience that it is especially important; repeating a form of expression tells the audiences that the ideas expressed in the same way are related.

Parallelism • Is a form of repetition. • The writer uses similar grammatical forms or sentence patterns to express ideas of equal importance.

TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PERSUASIVE WRITER: • • • Clearly state the issue and a position. Give an opinion and support it with facts. Take opposing views into account. Use sound logic and effective language. Conclude by summing up reasons or calling for action.

STRATEGIES FOR READING PERSUASIVE RHETORIC • Identify the problem that is addressed and the solution that is proposed. • Analyze the writer’s presentation of his or her argument. What rhetorical tools does the writer use? • Analyze the evidence used to support the argument. What facts support the writer’s opinions?

STRATEGIES FOR READING PERSUASIVE RHETORIC • Consider how the writer appeals to logic, emotions, and ethics of the audience. • Evaluate the credibility of the writer. What motivations lie behind each work?

• Pg. 260 -261 The Language of Literature