Your response should do the following:
*about 300-500 words
*thoughtful and provoking
*engaged with several other posts (not just the first person!)
*incorporate the text
Monday, June 27, 2011
Rhetoric
Similar to your first blog post, I want you to explore what rhetoric is--how it is defined and used, why it is important to know and understand, how it connects to composing, what it means to you in the class and in the major. Use the reading to ground your post, but also begin to synthesize (this means taking your thinking past a summary) to make connections to the class, to each other, and to yourself as a composer. You can also use this post to explore what rhetoric means today in our society--the ways in which people practice it (often without evening realizing it) and how it might be useful for you once you graduate. 
Your response should do the following:
*about 300-500 words
*thoughtful and provoking
*engaged with several other posts (not just the first person!)
*incorporate the text
Your response should do the following:
*about 300-500 words
*thoughtful and provoking
*engaged with several other posts (not just the first person!)
*incorporate the text
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Because Rhetoric is such an ancient and complex topic, many people have developed their own definitions as times have changed and writing has evolved. Like the ancient philosophers and other people, like Aristotle, mentioned in the text, I too have created my own definition. Rhetoric, to me, is the art or process of writing a persuasive work (discourse) based upon the use of various devices and appeals that help to create and embellish the writing. Rhetorical works also provoke some sort of response from their audience. When I first heard the word rhetoric, I immediately thought of the appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos as well as the use of style. These terms are important for a writer who wants to truthfully persuade or call an audience to do something. Having an understanding of rhetoric is not only important to writers, and aspiring writers (like many of the people in this class), but it is also important for everyone, because has written something in their lifetime. In class we mentioned that everything involves rhetoric. From a speech, to a term paper, and even a text message, rhetoric is all around us. According to the text, over many years “rhetoricians expanded this list to include…all forms of discourse, even conversation, that could be seen as persuasive in intent.” Today, rhetoric even includes knowledge, communication, experience, and even elements of psychology. Since it is now so broad, it is “worthy of our close attention.” Also, because it is so inclusive, rhetoric is important to all composers in the composing process. Appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos will help the composer to develop his/her credibility (avoiding fallacy) and move the audience in some way. For example, if I write a story about my cat that died recently, I would use elements of pathos, which would allow me to receive a feeling from, or connection with my audience. As mentioned in the text, rhetoric, today, has also come to include a wider variety of people, as more and more people have developed a voice, such as women, and other minorities. This point is very important to our class because there are more women than me. Therefore, more women will be voicing their argument or discourse in our class. Rhetoric seems to give everyone a chance to voice whatever discourse he/she may have. This is important for me in my major, EWM, because I would like to learn how to effectively persuade or move my audience when writing.
ReplyDeleteIn the reading, there is no concrete definition of rhetoric, but a collection of perspectives of what rhetoric is to many different philosophers throughout history. Each perspective, in some form or another, address the five components classical rhetoric uses in preparing a persuasive speech. I believe the understanding of each component can be used to dissect rhetoric and how it is created. I agree with Alexander Bain’s perspective of rhetoric and how it involves all forms of cognitive thought. How information is processed is going to affect the discourse of a situation. As the article also mentions, knowledge builds upon itself through observation and experience, which creates reason within rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast to what Bacon writes, I believe rhetoric is a reliable form of knowledge that can be traced back to a rhetorical situation. Whether rhetoric is an exact “mental representation” is debatable but it is a reliable source for getting ideas across to an audience, giving them the opportunity to process the information. Because a piece of text is able to have different interpretations by readers, the collection of ideas leaves room for growth and expansion in a beneficial way. Every English class I have ever taken involves breaking down written works to produce individual interpretations of what the author was trying to convey. Just because it is “a version of the objective truth” does not mean it cannot be used to understand a concept or idea. There is always some form of truth and reason within rhetoric from a writer’s standpoint.
Rhetoric is used everyday from homework assignments and news reports to simple text messages. I agree with Julia in that ethos, pathos, and logos all play a major role in rhetoric. They are all in some way encompassed in a text. Rhetoric is important for any major because the understanding of text and writing can be a contributing factor for any successful member of society. Being an EWM major, it is crucial to understand the concepts regarding rhetoric and the different factors that encompass a text.
There is not one set definition for rhetoric but there are many definitions that philosophers have come up with. To me, Rhetoric is the art of persuading or impressing someone through writing or speaking. I to agree with Julia, rhetoric is a writers process of developing their own language to express themes. Michelle stated that “knowledge builds upon itself through observation and experience, which creates reason within rhetoric”, I notice in life that with each experience I come across my decision/conclusion made on that particular topic is changed each time due to my gained knowledge, which in this case can be credited to my idea of rhetoric. Rhetoric is everywhere. Right when you think there may not be an audience there always will be. After our class discussion I have also learned that rhetoric can be affected by the situation. For example, when I went to choose a class to take over the summer I chose this class, WEPO. Taking the initiative and registering for this class and showing up on the first day is a rhetorical situation. I chose the class not only because I needed it for my major, but because it looked enjoyable. That was a rhetorical situation before I even knew what rhetorical situations were. This also shows some exigence, or the pressing problem. The problem was I needed this course to be able to graduate and complete my major. This relates to Aristotle’s idea of rhetoric, which is "the ability to see the available means of persuasion." He described three main forms of rhetoric: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Ethos is the speaker’s authority or the way the character acts, Logos is basically the reason behind something and pathos is an emotion. I feel like if you want to be a good writer and write clearly you have to understand these three forms. These three types also are the backbone for any type of classical rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteThis introduction provided countless opinions and definitions from multiple sources. I have found I.A. Richard's viewpoint on rhetoric to be a simplified definition. He understands rhetoric, “as the study of communication and understanding." I realize that all language has intent, and that rhetoric is a persuasive communication tool. That is why I find it important to mention, Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. The philosopher Aristotle developed the three persuasive appeals. These three forms of appeal are vital to a well written speech. The rhetor uses logic to reason with their target audience. Emotional appeals are always necessary to the arrangement of a speech. Often the rhetor will choose a common topic so that all three tools appeal to the audience. To me this affirms Aristotle's opinion about people. “Aristotle assumes that people always seek to server their own self-interest and that different people perceive their self-interest differently." Classical rhetoric directly affected the composition of speeches. The process described in the text, begins with invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Due to continual writing and speech revolutions, this system is a mere cornerstone to the study. Aristotle continued to influence composition by pronouncing that speeches have four parts. The structure is as follows; “the introduction, the statement of the issue, the argument, and the conclusion.” This structure of course includes the three persuasive appeals to effectively relay the exigence at hand. To me rhetoric is becoming more and more important to my life and major. Not only is it one of the fundamentals of English and writing, it is present within any communication. I have discovered the power it has in discourse, and how without even realizing it, how often I use this tool. I believe rhetoric, in our current society, has been masked by social networking and communication mediums. Underneath it all, a writer is always influenced by something, whether it is an event, a person, or a controversial topic. Without giving rhetoric its deserved credit we are ignoring our true motivation and purpose of writing. I agree with Michelle, in her discussion about different interpretations and room it leaves for growth. I believe that without dispute on topics we would all exist in a similar fashion. I am glad that people discover their voice and use it to express their opinion.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric is anything that has a purpose, everything in this world; non-living and living. It is crucial to involve rhetoric in your compositions being the fact that every piece of written work has meaning. A great example of rhetoric is even a journal entry. Although it may be only for your eyes to see, it is still considered to be rhetoric because you are addressing a subject. Another example that defines rhetoric, which happens to be my favorite, is the Mona Lisa. Indeed, it may not be in writings but even a simple artwork: painting, or a poster, has a purpose. Something is being addressed to the viewer and or audience. One key thing to keep in mind is, rhetoric is everywhere! In this particular class, I believe rhetoric was a clever way to begin. It illustrates us students that we are not just taking this class as a requirement for our major but because it is necessity to our future career to take it. As I continued reading the “Rhetorical Tradition” article I came across Aristotle’s renowned three words: logos, pathos and ethos. “The classical system assumes that there are three forms of persuasive appeal: to reason (logos), to emotion (pathos), and to the speaker’s authority (ethos). “ These three powerful words are what are critical in a rhetorical situation. I liked the example Julia gave when she was explaining pathos in a rhetorical situation. She said, “If I write a story about my cat that died recently, I would use elements of pathos, which would allow me too receive a feeling from, or connection with my audience.” Rhetoric’s definition has modified over centuries and is known to have multiple definitions. Nowadays, rhetoric has been concerned with political action and the search for knowledge. Aristotle illustrates the important distinction among demonstration, dialect, and rhetoric and the type of knowledge found in each.
ReplyDeleteI learned from the reading that rhetoric is not a new concept, but rather a study that goes back hundreds of years. It began in the classical period when rhetoric was considered for speech only. There were three different type of discourse used. There was legal, political and ceremonial. In those times, the audience was always considered a crowd. Eventually there was a rhetorical process created. It began with the Invention, then arrangement, the style, then memorizing and then delivery. But of course as most things do, rhetoric expanded and began to gain more meanings. In the middle ages, rhetoric was used in creating rules for writing letters and preaching in Christianity. Moving into the Renaissance period, rhetoric was based in writing and in statements but not seen to be part of social situations. Overtime, theorists began to consider private conversations as rhetorical. Now during the Enlightenment period, people began to question the theory of rhetoric and also began to say that it ruined our language. Bacon started to look at the relationship between psychology and rhetoric. He discovered that the two had a lot to do with each other . He believed that it could enhance communication. As we reach the current time period, we are forming different definitions of what rhetoric is all about. Richards defines rhetoric as the study of communication and understanding. I agree with Michelle when she says that there is not concrete definition of rhetoric. Rather, it has evolved over time to how we understand it today. It started off back in the classical period as something only used when speaking, and now we understand that rhetoric is used in pretty much any situation whether it be speaking to a large group or reading something to yourself.
ReplyDelete“By taking a scientific attitude toward the study of language, rhetoric could ally itself with a power that would otherwise remain a dangerous enemy.” This phrase from the reading really spoke to me. I have recently become aware of the impact words said and the tone used can have on a person. Every person you know or will ever know has a different background from one another, and while there might be similarities, the experience and feelings gained from life are all different which ultimately affects responses received. If you think of the article in context to the sentence I quoted, it makes sense as to why the author took time to explain the evolution of rhetoric. Each theorist and theory was built upon its predecessor while keeping the fundamental basic foundation that rhetoric is effective communication. The part on psychology’s presence in rhetoric was pretty fascinating I must say. Communicating in rhetorical situations is all about altering the perspective of at least one other person, which is similar to a mind game. Psychology classes all try to teach you how the mind works and what “makes people tick,” and social psychology teaches you how to harness the understanding for personal gain. Aristotle believed that people always seek to serve their best interest above others; this assumption is similar to what politicians do today. Politicians gain votes and supporters through what they “believe” and put on their platform and say in speeches. But what they are endorsing is what the people want, and giving enough people what they want is what will get them elected. Speeches always follow the same basic outline: “introduction, statement of issue, argument and conclusion.” And in this outline the Rhetor appeals to a logos and pathos to gain or prove an ethos. Shannon said it well by saying that to be a good writer an author needs to understand these three ingredients in speech writing. Rhetoric allowed women writers like Christine de Pizan, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, and countless others so speak of the disadvantages of being a women that a mass majority of women felt but dared not say. It’s through rhetorical situations and rhetoric that allowed minorities to gain the respect and rights they deserved.
ReplyDeleteOverall I think the article summed up the conclusion we developed in class. Rhetoric has many definitions. The passage offers eight definitions of how rhetoric contributes to literature. I think rhetoric is the craft of words to influence an audience. I think my definition is a great foundation for the basis of rhetoric. The paragraph that stood out to me most was the “Psychology and Audience Analysis”. I think it highlights the purpose of why we write- for someone to read it. As writers we must keep in mind the words, instances, anecdotes we share to influence the reader. In class we kind of deliver rhetorical speeches when we have to support our claim that rhetorical situations happens before the rhetoric. As far as how it affects our major, I think EWM is collaboration between text and digital media. As times are advancing, technology, print will be obsolete. Understanding the fundamentals of writing is a milestone needed for communication professionals to be able to redevelop print to digital media. One thing I noticed is that ethos, logos, and pathos was mentioned. All are considered to be elements of rhetoric that are fundamental to word choice and composition development. The article suggests that the logos has more authority because it is based on logic. Aristotle believed that the other two were less important because they were based on subjective personal truths. I can understand that point, but as a self-proclaimed emotional roller coater rider, I believe ethos and pathos are still able to project a position just as effectively. I have studied logical arguments, what makes them valid, and what rational or sound. Basing a persuasive piece on logic will definitely appeal to those who think that way- logically. But in the instance of a murder trial, logical reasoning can prove why a mother killed her child, ethically it could be wrong, but emotionally what circumstances was the mother under to cause her “insanity”. Courtrooms seem to be the best place where the power of ethos, pathos, logos can be displayed. Logos→ Judge. Ethos→ Prosecutor. Pathos→Defender. Who is the audience? The jury. I think Julie may have expressed my idea in ideas but in different words. She also elaborated on how it is within a rhetorical situation, which I greatly appreciated. I think her example can provide another example of rhetorical situation.
ReplyDeletehow during certain time periods components of rhetoric such as arrangement, or style were much more important than its counterparts. Rhetoric is defined as the oratory procedure of sharing knowledge. It was also defined as a way to put language out for others to understand it. The most basic definition was about how rhetoric was communicating language. According to the article, rhetoric is used to persuade, expand knowledge as well as lay down the law and facts. Rhetoric connects with composing when one looks at the five step process that the article laid out for us. The invention is the gathering of the information. Arrangement is then organizing all of the information into an order that makes the most logical sense. Style and arrangement can be seen as the composing stages when you look at rhetoric. They both look at the information at hand and work on organizing and relaying the information into a way that can be absorbed by the audience. Memory and delivery are the other steps in the rhetoric plan but they do not show how it deals with composing the way that arrangement and style do. For me rhetoric will be extremely important for both of my majors. Communications is my first major. It has everything to do with rhetoric. I am a firm believer that communication is one of the most important things we as humans can master. When we know how to communicate effectively, many of the problems we face as a race will dissolve. Much of the turmoil and wars that take place in this era all deal with miscommunications on both parties ends. If we learn the steps of rhetoric, we can effectively get our message across to our audience so that later on there is no miscommunications. One thing in the article that I found interesting is how we deal with rhetoric in the twenty first century. During most of the previous decades, much of what is said about rhetoric is that it was used to expand on knowledge. We in the 21st century believe that much of what is given to us in the news and media is propaganda. The article addresses this perfectly. While looking over my classmates posts I would have to agree with Julia when she states that every writer has their own way of developing rhetoric. This is also illustrated when you (Dr. Kara) stated that by the end of this course you will be able to know us by our writing. We all interpret things differently, meaning that we will relay the message differently. I completely agree with Jasmine’s analogy of the courtroom when trying to describe Pathos, Ethos, and Logos to the masses.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the previous posts in that rhetoric is something that can take on different roles and meanings depending on the circumstances. Upon exploring it, my perception and understanding has been broadened as well as been challenged. The point that was made clear is that rhetoric is essentially everywhere. It’s in the classroom, it’s in a presidential address to the nation, it’s a simple conversation with an old friend. It contributes to the breadth and richness of language and it is uniquely one’s own to do with it what they will. The use of rhetoric is central to communication, much of daily life and the messages we receive from day to day contain rhetoric that maybe even goes unnoticed – but serves a purpose in it’s own way. Moreover, the five stages of composition help in understanding the way in which rhetoric is effectively and indirectly put into action. There is structure behind rhetoric and rhetorical situations, contributing to the way in which we perceive them. A clear understanding of Rhetoric deems itself useful in not only composing but editing as well, which is a concept we’ll cover in the course. To understand the material is to consume the rhetoric – to compose a draft is to give an instance of a rhetorical situation. As a composer, one must adhere to the structural basis of rhetoric to effectively persuade and woo the audience. A work with no structure lacks rhetoric, along with anyone’s desire to partake in it. I see rhetoric in society and in my daily life in the ways in which I communicate with my peers. Daily life consists of rhetorical situations that we address as fitting without even realizing it. The text example we discussed in class outlines this point exactly. Upon graduating college, as an EWM major with the hopes to write professionally, rhetoric will become my pesty (yet loveable) little sibling; I won’t be able to get rid of it, but it will essentially enrich my work and understanding of language.
ReplyDeleteFrom both class discussion and the assigned readings, it is safe to say that rhetoric and rhetorical situations are relative and situational. Rhetoric is found in every piece of writing, regardless of the rhetor or audience’s awareness of it. Whether the author is influenced by the situation he is in or plans to be in, or the audience is influenced by the author or their own personal disposition, rhetoric will be affected by these things in at least one way. Class discussion helped me to realize that rhetoric is everywhere. When it comes down to it, any form of communication, and basically every decision we make, is a force of rhetoric. The use of rhetoric and rhetorical situations are a commonplace in a person’s everyday life and are essential elements for future occupations. As a double major in Psychology, I realized that the use of rhetoric is an extremely important component of being a therapist or psychologist. First, there is exigence, a pressing problem, which causes a client to receive treatment. Also, the rhetorical situation: the office setup, comfort level, openness, genuineness, and overall mood of both the client and the therapist will all have an immense affect on the outcome of the therapy session. As Jasmine stated in her response, Aristotle believed that logos was the most prominent aspect of the logos, pathos, and ethos “trifecta.” I have to agree with Jasmine and the idea that for some, logos does take the lead as the most important of these three, but only in certain situations. The courtroom is an awesome example of how pathos and ethos can play important, and often crucial, roles in a criminal case. As Anne said, the Mona Lisa is a great example of rhetoric. In this particular instance, I think that Leonardo da Vinci was relying more on his emotion (pathos) and the emotion of Mona Lisa to convey rhetoric. Through the readings, class discussion, and blog posts, I think it is safe to say that rhetoric is EVERYWHERE, yet the influence it has on the author and audience is completely situational. The reading is supportive of this idea simply because there were so many different definitions given for one not-so-simple word.
ReplyDeleteI think what I got from this reading is pretty similar to what we discussed in class about rhetorical situations. Rhetoric can have many different purposes and can also be manipulated in various ways as well. What I took from the reading was that rhetoric is constantly changing because time is constantly moving. The essay discusses different periods of time throughout history and how rhetoric played as a discourse based on the situation. For example, during the medieval times, religion played a big and new part to rhetoric (manuals for preaching). Furthermore, it discusses how during the renaissance period women’s literacy increased which effects rhetoric because of the agency women are starting to fight for rather than live up to be a good housewife. Rhetoric in the renaissance period widens because women start to speak publically. Although I don’t think that all rhetoric is always has to be persuasive I do agree with Aristotle when he argues that there is a purpose for everything. I see Aristotle’s view of the author, audience and context as the foundation of rhetoric and as time passes new forms of rhetoric emerge but always has qualities of Aristotle’s basic view of rhetoric. Furthermore, I think that the classical rhetoric the ideas of the five stages for a persuasive speech can still be applied today and be effective. For example, during the invention stage classical rhetoricians believed that logos should be emphasized because if what they were arguing wasn’t rational no one would even bother to listen. I agree with sanchez because rhetoric really can be anything, even if the author doesn’t have a specific audience. When I thought about this I thought graffiti because graffiti doesn’t really have a set audience (people who see it), the author/artist and the audience doesn’t really need to have a relationship for rhetoric to be in play. The simple fact that this piece of art was recognized or even pondered about its purpose makes it rhetoric. I think rhetoric is what we make of it. Although how we communicate and address something has changed since Aristotle’s time I think that rhetoric still has the same purpose which is how an author goes about to address something to an individual or group of individuals.
ReplyDeleteI found this essay’s purpose to be about the evolution of rhetoric and how the theory has expanded profoundly throughout time. Even though it is an ancient idea, the theory of rhetoric has taken on an entire new meaning. Once thought to be a political devise used to persuade an audience of the author’s/orator’s view, today rhetoric takes form in almost all forms of communication, verbal or written. In modern times, rhetoric is used to convey any sort of observation and understanding. It uses all types of mediums. It is important to understand rhetoric because of all the different applications of it. I feel that in order to be a successful writer you need to master the way rhetoric is used. I think that this reading did a great job of giving a way to organize a speech through invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Rhetoric is constantly used and with Editing, Writing, and Media, it is important to be able to manipulate things with rhetoric to obtain the best results.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the reading was a quote that says, “The right method of cultivating memory, then might give one access to the remote, transcendent realms of knowledge”. I find perspectives to be the most interesting thing in every aspect of life. This quote stresses the importance of rhetoric to me because it talks about an individual’s memory and how it can create some kind of literary product. When composing something, the right sort of rhetoric is needed because you’re goal is to persuade/change as many people as possible. You want people to be able to clearly see your perspective. I think that once mastered, rhetoric can be a great resource for writing with some sort of purpose. I love how Olivia stated, “Every person you know or will ever know has a different background from one another, and while there might be similarities, the experience and feelings gained from life are all different which ultimately affects responses received.” Perspectives are a huge factor in criticism and I’m hoping that through this class and EWM as a major I will be able to convey a message somewhere, somehow that speaks to people from all different walks of life and manages to inspire them in some way.
Caroline’s comment, “The use of rhetoric is central to communication, much of daily life and the messages we receive from day to day contain rhetoric that maybe even goes unnoticed – but serves a purpose in it’s own way”, is a great example of how the theory of rhetoric has really changed. In the 21st century we have more technology than ever before and our world is constantly changing and evolving at a faster pace. It makes perfect sense that changes in communication would also happen. In today’s world it is impossible to ignore the importance of rhetoric in all aspects of creativity.
Today in class, now technically yesterday, I attempted to define a rhetorical situation by drawing a sort of family tree chart. The top of the chart is the author, or rhetor, which is also where the rhetoric starts. From ‘author’ branches ‘exigence’ and ‘audience’, two things that the rhetor needs as part of the situation. ‘Exigence’ is then further broken down into needing a ‘purpose’ and ‘constraints’. This leaves the audience to be introduced to these branches of the situation tree and to provide their own responses, opinions, and answers. From the class discussion I was able to sort through my sort of understanding of the Bitzer passage and create this flow chart that really does flow and make sense to me. Rhetoric is important to know and understand, because even after hundreds of years, it has proven itself to be the most basic component of everything that we say and write but still the most important starting point. The starting point being the writer’s purpose and in most cases, the author’s point to be persuaded. With that being said, I agree with Jasmine where she said, “understanding the fundamentals of writing is a milestone needed for communication professionals to be able to redevelop print to digital media”. Or even to say that understanding the fundamentals of writing is a milestone for communication in general.
ReplyDeleteThere was a line from “The Rhetorical Tradition” that made me think that Political Science majors should also take this course- “Rhetoric has always been concerned with political action and the search for knowledge”. Not only was rhetoric founded in ancient Greece with these ideals, but also it still relates to them to this day. For myself as a writer, understanding rhetoric has helped me appreciate my own writing, whether it is a paper for a non-major class or my own journal where I am the only audience. The idea that all discourse has a purpose is inspiring. For this class and for my EWM major, it definitely has put me in a mindset that even though all works have a purpose, that they still need that extra bit of persuasion to give it the official rhetoric stamp.
From the get-go the reading lets us know that rhetoric is forever growing in its definition. It doesn’t have just one specific description. I think that this is something that can be proven by our class discussion on rhetorical situation. Many of the class members were on the fence about multiple topics within the realm of rhetoric, proving that in rhetoric, there is no black and white, right and wrong. Rhetoric is an “and/both,” as oppose to an “either/or” kind of topic. In its journey through definitions, rhetoric has been manipulated by discourse and vice versa. The different realities that rhetoric has seen in its lifetime are described in this reading. These realities are chronologically listed as the historical development of rhetoric: Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, Nineteenth Century, and the Modern/Postmodern periods. These periods make up the Rhetorical Tradition. It’s interesting how Vatz argues that Bitzer leaves no responsibility to the rhetor, while, proven by this reading’s descriptions of history, the rhetor is the one constantly shaping and defining rhetoric as a whole. With power like this, the rhetor has the knowledge to react effectively when in a rhetorical situation. This is important because our reactions, as rhetors (yes, we are all rhetoricians), is what shapes discourse. Discourse being the reality we live in, the way we define rhetoric defines our lives. This makes rhetoric extremely important to know and understand. In understanding rhetoric, we understand how to define our reality. In saying this, I don’t mean that using rhetoric to define reality means that we create reality, for “defining” and “creating” have a fine line of separation between them. This is how rhetoric’s importance in composing comes to light. The many aspects of rhetoric are to what we refer when composing. Without these many definitions and references, we would have repetitive trial and errors in the constant attempts of connecting to an audience. Without rhetoric, there is no composition. That being said, using rhetoric is this class and in the major of EWM is a given. From start to finish any work composed as a student in this class will be a production of rhetoric. To make good grades in the courses I take as an EWM major, I must keep in mind that my work is not effective if not governed by rhetoric in the discourse. Sydney said that she is, “Hoping that through this class and EWM as a major I will be able to convey a message somewhere, somehow that speaks to people from all different walks of life and manages to inspire them in some way.” Her expression of rhetoric’s importance in the conveyance of a message got me thinking… Can a writer’s desire to evoke feeling in an audience be grounds for purpose in a rhetorical situation?
ReplyDeleteWe can consider Rhetoric, after reading the article “The Rhetoric Tradition”, as a mean to persuade someone. These articles so far have discussed Rhetoric as having persuasive powers, or in Bitzer’s words, “altering reality.” It seems to me that Rhetoric is more than just situations surrounding the writing, but is also the art of interpretation, or the intent of the literature. Early on, this idea of Rhetoric is still obvious, but instead of on paper, it was done through speeches. This seems to be the true form of Rhetoric, the beginning of an integral part of literature in which the responses to words are calculated and predicted to benefit the speaker. This loosely means that Rhetoric is a way of manipulating people, of conveying a message that will invoke a response or emotion the reader/listener doesn’t exactly see coming or mean to feel at all. Through this, it is important to recognize Rhetoric to avoid being taken advantage of or manipulated in any way and understand the true convictions of the artist. It is also important to recognize, understand and utilize rhetoric to write better pieces of work. This is interesting because being ignorant to rhetoric is what allows it to be so successful and influential. Authors and speech givers understand their Rhetoric situation appealing to the masses and saying what wants to be heard instead of what needs to be said. Many of my peers have agreed with the persuasive importance of Rhetoric, including Julia in regards to ethos, pathos, and logos, and Jessica who states that she agrees with “Aristotle when he argues that there is a purpose for everything. I see Aristotle’s view of the author, audience and context as the foundation of rhetoric and as time passes new forms of rhetoric emerge but always has qualities of Aristotle’s basic view of rhetoric.” These ideas are essential to the overall idea of Rhetoric, and like Aristotle and Jessica, it is the “purpose for everything” making it a very viable component in writing and art in general. Understanding this will hopefully propel my works to a new level of understanding and skill.
ReplyDeleteWhat I got from this reading is basically boils down to rhetoric being constantly evolving. The term dates back to ancient years however throughout different periods of time in history the definition has taken on a variety of different meanings. According to the text, Rhetoric is defined a number of different ways. It means the practice of oratory, the study of strategies of effective oratory, the use of language and a variety of other meanings. After reading this article and the class discussion I have taken Rhetoric to mean language and how we use it in various situations. I believe that this definition ties in best with all the meanings that the term has been given throughout the years. When rhetoric was first introduced in ancient classical and medieval time rhetoric was defined as the art of persuasive speaking or speaking in general. In the renaissance era private conversations and the use of rhetoric was being used by women and so on. I think the various definitions in this text can give us the summation that rhetoric is constantly changing, therefore has classmate Michelle stated earlier, there really is no concrete definition. In today’s age rhetoric comes in the form of social media and networking. People are now using sites like Twitter, Facebook, and You Tube to get their views across and to persuade others. Ten years from now rhetoric will probably be used in some different type arena. I feel that rhetoric is everywhere we use it every day sometimes without even realizing it. I this constant use of it in so many different forms makes it a hard term to define and its lack of consistency in its use. I am using it as write this blog post. I will later use it at work when I am talking and writing emails to different staff members. I will use it sending a text message. But in all these various forms of communication there is purpose, audience, and the hopes of someone reading it.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric has many definitions as it is a complex discipline with a long history. In the middle ages, rhetoric was used in creating rules for writing letters and preaching Christianity. During the enlightenment period, people questioned rhetoric theory and some believed it ruined language. In the Renaissance Period, there was in increase in women's literacy which had an effect on rhetoric because women started to fight for their rights. Now, the definition of rhetoric extends far and wide and can include knowledge, communication, experience, and psychology. The five components of classical rhetoric for preparing a persuasive speech are invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Rhetoric is the study of the relation between language and knowledge. Aristotle defines it as the ability to see the means of persuasion.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric is important in the study of literature, my major, because it gives insight to the connection between language and knowledge. By studying rhetoric, one can learn how to communicate successfully and how to present a persuasive argument that will best reach the audience. Although the definition has changed over time, rhetoric has always been an important part of language and communication. Studying rhetoric will help one to compose their own works and can also serve as a tool for analysis of others' works. As a literature major major, the study of rhetoric helps me better understand the connection between language and literature in other time periods.
I agree with Dgirl4sho that most rhetoric in today's society comes in the form of social media and networking. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, and You Tube are new forms of social media people use to communicate and persuade others. The definition of rhetoric is constantly evolving and in ten or twenty years there will probably be some new form of communication we may include in our definition of rhetoric.
Because rhetoric is a practice that observes writing in its surroundings, it can be applied to any form of writing. While it's not usually invoked directly in some forms, it nevertheless surrounds every form of exchange.
ReplyDeleteThis is really no less true outside the written forms. I was thinking of this in terms of music -- audience becomes obvious, but the rest is there too. Composers write with intent -- whether that intent was to sell their music, or to entertain, or to make an artistic/political/social statement. The thing that strikes me as the strongest parallel is the idea of a 'tradition.' Music is deeply rooted in tradition -- how performances are done, how music is structured, what should (and shouldn't) be done during a performance by the audience, and so on.
I think it's also interesting that the musical tradition reflects similar changes as the rhetorical tradition. Perhaps this is where the two traditions intersect with society. Musicians can record on their laptops and post it on the internet -- just as a writer can post to a blog. Writers now work not only with text, but with visual media; one of my favorite composers still hand-writes his scores, so he can make them into (playable) pictures.
I don't know how to answer the question 'how will I use rhetoric when I graduate' - mostly because there's no way to avoid using it then, or now. I think the best way to answer the question is something along the lines of 'I can improve my rhetorical skills for specific situations -- academic, musical, etc.' while I'm in college, and keep that knowledge and ability to adapt within the construct of rhetoric in the future.
Society too will continue to change rhetoric -- although just as we'll never know whether writing or the rhetorical situation comes first, I think we will not know which came first, society or the ways in which rhetoric addresses that society. What is clear is that both will continue to grow and change with technology and the amount of knowledge of the world that we as humans have.
According to the text, rhetoric has multiple meanings which tend to overlap but they are centered around language and knowledge, and the affect of both on people. The ancient rhetoricians used rhetoric for what it promised in various types of speeches, i.e., forensic, deliberative, and epideitic, persuasion. Rhetoric is an important concept to know and understand because it is “the art of persuasive speaking” which is a powerful tool, in and of itself, that we participate in on a daily basis. The use of language, written or oral, creates meaning which connects with persuasion to assist in discovering knowledge. Rhetoric is connected to composing in that we write with the intention of presenting information that will be used to influence an audience—that audience being self, one person, or a group of people. I think that rhetoric is important in this class and my major because as Olivia states, “rhetoric is effective communication,” and the ability to communicate effectively, or not, can have a substantial impact on assignments completed (a grade of an “A” or a “C”) and completing my degree. The text is basically a history rhetoric from the classical to the 20th century rhetoricians and how each group defined and rearranged certain elemens of rhetoric—adding or removing those that were important to each at the time of their existence. We still use many of the elements of classical rhetoric today, such as the appeals, logos (reasoning), pathos (emotion), and ethos (authority) as well as the persuaive process (invention, arrangement, style, delivery, and sometimes memory). Rhetoric in the 21st century is used in many ways but still functions to persuade and communicate; although it is being used in different meduims. Web logs, or blogs, social networking sites, emails, even flyers or posters contain elements of rhetoric because they all stem from a rhetorical situation.
ReplyDelete