...Moore−Parker: Critical Thinking, Ninth Edition 5. Persuasion Through Rhetoric: Common Devices and Techniques Text © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2009 Chapter Persuasion Through Rhetoric 5 It’s just the way things are: Images and impressions tend to sell more products than good arguments do. At least some of the images are fun. Common Devices and Techniques W hen the military uses the phrase “self-injurious behavior incidents” regarding detainees at Guantánamo Bay, it means what most of us call “attempted suicides.” In fact, when the word “detainees” is used, it means what most of us call “prisoners.” “Waterboarding” sounds at first like something you’d expect to see young people doing on a California beach, not a torture technique that involves forced simulated drowning. Less remarkable, perhaps, but possibly more relevant for most of us, we’ve heard the term “downsized” used when someone is fired or laid off. “Ethnic cleansing” covers everything from deportation to genocide. What we have to say may be important, but the words we choose to say it with can be equally important. The examples just given are cases of a certain type of linguistic coercion—an attempt to get us to adopt a particular attitude toward a subject that, if described differently, would seem less attractive to us. Words have tremendous persuasive power, or what we have called their rhetorical force or emotive meaning—their power to express and elicit images, feelings, and emotional...
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...Figures of Speech (Stylistic Devices) What are stylistic devices? In literature and writing, a figure of speech (also called stylistic device or rhetorical device) is the use of any of a variety of techniques to give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling. Sometimes a word diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase has a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it. Examples are metaphor, simile, or personification. Stylistic devices often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the word "like" or "as". It takes the form of: * X is (not) like Y * X is (not) as Y * X is (not) similar to Y Examples of simile: * He fights like a lion. * He swims as fast as a fish. * He slithers like a snake. * "My dad was a mechanic by trade when he was in the Army, When he got the tools out, he was like a surgeon." What is a metaphor? Unlike simile, metaphor (from the Greek language: meaning "transfer") is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things not using like or as. In the simplest case, this takes the form: X - is - Y Examples of metaphor: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; (William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2/7) Example: “Henry was a lion on the battlefield”. This...
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...A Preface of Quotations Whoever desires for his writings or himself, what none can reasonably condemn,the favor of mankind, must add grace to strength, and make his thoughts agreeable as well as useful. Many complain of neglect who never tried to attract regard. It cannot be expected that the patrons of science or virtue should be solicitous to discover excellencies which they who possess them shade and disguise. Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that will not condescend to recommend himself by external embellishments must submit to the fate of just sentiments meanly expressed, and be ridiculed and forgotten before he is understood. --Samuel Johnson Men must be taught as if you taught them not; And things unknown propos'd as things forgot. --Alexander Pope Style in painting is the same as in writing, a power over materials, whether words or colors, by which conceptions or sentiments are conveyed. --Sir Joshua Reynolds Whereas, if after some preparatory grounds of speech by their certain forms got into memory, they were led to the praxis thereof in some chosen short book lessoned thoroughly to them, they might then forthwith proceed to learn the substance of good things, and arts in due order, which would bring the whole language quickly into their power. --John Milton Introduction Good writing depends upon more than making a collection of statements worthy of belief, because writing is intended to...
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...Stylistic devices Repetition and Variation |stylistic device |definition |translation |example |effect | |alliteration |recurrence of initial sound |Alliteration |“The fair breeze blew, |to convey auditory images | | | | |the white foam flew.” | | |accumulation |series of expressions (adjectives, cliches, |Anhäufung |“He came, saw, fought and won” |to make the language livelier | | |examples, images) that contribute increasingly to | | | | | |meaning | | | | |anaphora |repetition of first word(s) of line/clause |Anapher |In every town, in every house...
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...ironies as those produced by transposing a Yankee to King Arthur’s Court). It seems clear when retracing the development of Twain’s style through his career that his use of irony—always one of his key rhetorical devices—becomes increasingly heavy- handed the older and the angrier he became. Huck’s “failure” is innocent; that of the con- gregation in “The War-Prayer” is not. Albert Bigelow Paine quotes Twain as writing on New Year’s Eve 1900-01: A GREETING FROM THE NINETEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY I bring you the stately nation named Christendom, returning, bedraggled, besmirched, and dishonored, from pirate raids in Kiao-Chou, Manchuria, South Africa, and the Phil- ippines, with her soul full of meanness, her pocket full of boodle, and her mouth full of pious hypocrisies. Give her soap and a towel, but hide the looking-glass. (Europe xxxiv) Here, only the adjective “stately” tells us that the intended tone is irony, before Twain starts hammering home his point; and it is precisely the behavior of Christendom in the Philippines that would lead, in 1904-5, to the barely disguised fury that makes “The War- Prayer”’s irony so unsubtle. Unsubtle is not the same as ineffective, of course, but insidi- ousness usually serves irony better. It was still Twain’s only appropriate rhetorical device, however, given that irony is inherently dualistic: it says or implies one thing, it means another; it has a stated (often false) meaning, and a silent (true)...
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...cinematic, and Bragg exemplifies an awareness of time. “All Over but the Shoutin'” is a haunting memoir about the struggle of accepting a parent who has abandoned his own flesh and blood. It emphasizes on both personal history and on the historical context in which the events took place. The memoir hooks the reader and peaks their interest, further forcing them into inquiring for more. The author recalls when, as a teenager, he paid a final visit to his dying father. He explained how hard it was visiting him for the first and last time since he left, and how difficult it was to confront his abandonment. Through strong diction and tone, rhetorical devices, and the conflict shown, Bragg displays the theme of being trapped between forgiving and hating his father. Before Bragg allows the reader to fully...
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...Dimensions |Timing | |Students will be able to |Close Reading Quiz--presents students with a short passage from a written text and asks students to mark |Project will be worth 10 points based on thorough |This quiz would ideally assess students' progress| |identify and analyze |the passage, identifying any issues of rhetoric--both logic and style--as discussed in class readings and|identification of rhetorical devices and use of |in rhetorical analysis before the first formal | |rhetorical devices in written |conversations. The quiz then asks students to write three or so paragraphs analyzing how the rhetorical |appropriate vocabulary to define those devices; thorough |essay is due. | |texts. |devices are connected to the text as a whole. |analysis of those devices in relation to the ad as a | | | | |whole; competent grouping of ideas and use of academic | | | | |language. ...
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...The process of analyzing the rhetorical devices employed in websites has opened our eyes to the ubiquity of these devices throughout the websites of media outlets. These outlets, including social media websites like Twitter and news sites like CNN, are where modern day American citizens get their information from. A lot of biased websites, like Fox News and Breitbart, use specific rhetorical appeals on their webpage to evoke reactions in their readers and convince them that certain falsehoods are reality. For example, Breitbart News often uses inflammatory rhetoric to allow the emotional reactions of its readers to outweigh the logical ramifications of the content of the articles. Studying and writing about how these rhetorical devices affect...
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...Rhetorical Devices in Julius Caesar “There’s not a nobler man in Rome than Antony” (Shakespeare 3.2.134). This is a great example to represent the huge effect that Mark Antony’s speech had on the citizens of Rome. In Rome, Italy during 44 B.C., all the citizens of Rome were gathered together for the funeral of Julius Caesar after his tragic death. Characters Brutus and Mark Antony both delivered a speech at this event sharing their thoughts and opinions on Julius Caesar before and after his death. There was a very clear distinction to determine who had the most powerful speech. This character was Mark Antony. Shakespeare’s character Mark Antony delivers as very powerful speech after the death of Julius Caesar to sway the beliefs of the Plebeians in the right direction. Mark Antony had such a huge effect on the crowd by cleverly...
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...PHIL 447 All weeks Quizzes Click Link Below To Buy: http://hwaid.com/shop/phil-447-weeks-quizzes/ WEEK 1: 2016 Points 100/100 Multiple Choice 5 1 Grade Details - All Questions Question 1. Question : (TCOs 2 and 3) In Chapter 1, we learned how to recognize the main issue in a passage. Consider the following example: “The point is that you have to believe what we experience through our senses because our senses are the only tools we have for interacting with the world.” The main issue is whether or not Question 2. Question : (TCOs 2 and 3) In Chapter 1, we learned how to recognize the main issue in a passage. Consider the following example: “If you're going to buy a computer, you might as well sign up for some lessons on how to use the thing too. After all, no computer ever did any work for its owner until the owner found out how to make it work.” The main issue is whether or not Question 3. Question : (TCOs 1 and 2) In Chapter 1, we learned how to recognize the main issue in a passage. Consider the following example: “Most people you find on university faculties are people who are interested in ideas. And the most interesting ideas are usually new ideas. So, most people you find on university faculties are interested in new ideas. Therefore, you are not going to find many conservatives on university faculties, because conservatives are not usually interested in new ideas.” The main issue is whether or not Question...
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...more knowledgeable, specifically in the field of global relations. Einstein’s purpose is to bring light to the rising tensions between the US and China and support that economic interdependence alone can not prevent conflict, but that it is just one of many variables to be considered. Einstein makes an effective argument through strong credibility and logical arguments, but his work lacks emotional appeals and rhetorical devices that ultimately...
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...significant speeches including his most famous one “I Have a Dream”. That speech was his final one but yet the most important speech of all. Even though Martin Luther’s speech was 54 years ago, his meaning still stands today as a “new age” for America. In his speech he uses rhetorical devices, ethos, pathos, and logos to help add meaning to his speech, and he also gives a patriotic tone to highlight the importance of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”...
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...Lack of words of negative/positive connotations (adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs) e. Might be written in the past tense f. Use of technical terms g. Use of the appeal form logos (quotes, studies, statistics) to appear credible h. Clear structure and use of cohesive devices to create structure: http://home.ku.edu.tr/~doregan/Writing/Linkers.html i. | informative articles (like Ritzau, Reuters), summaries, news reports, encyclopaedia,news analysis,background article,manualsabtracts | Directive texts (directive text functions)They are instructive, biased and tell the reader what to think (even if implicitly) They try to appeal to and manipulate the reader’s opinions. | Biased | a. Uses persuasive language like * The imperative mood: e.g. do, don’t do, open, chop, set etc. (bydeform) * Modal verbs: must, must not, should, would, could b. Imagery and figurative language: similes, metaphors c. Rhetorical appeal through: word choice/quotes/references/pictures/diagrams etc. d. Uses pronouns to address/to include/to exclude, e.g., you, we, us, them e. Exclamation marks ! f. Rhetorical questions: “why would I want to scrape around…?”, “were these people crazy?” g. Humour h. Word play i. Verbs that appeal to senses: look, sound, smell, feel and, taste j. Clear structure and use of cohesive devices:...
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...rhetoric of a speech. As we know where rhetoric is concerned we should inevitably deal with literature. In other words rhetoric is like a joint which connect literature with politics and establish a method of analyzing political speeches called polio-linguistic approach. Thus we can consider political discourses as pieces of literature. Literary techniques especially rhetorical devices serve as one of the most distinctive features of the greatest and most influential speeches of all time. There is no shortage of rhetorical devices used in these speeches, but we can prioritize them by count of repetitions in political discourses. In this study first I have represented the necessity of using these types of persuasive skills in political discourses, the methods within which politicians take advantages of these skills and the different sides of a successful speech. Then after a glance through different rhetorical devices, excerpts from four of the greatest speeches in history are provided with the rhetorical devices indicated in them. Finally a quite deep examination of the most important of these rhetorical devices is presented and the conclusion is made through comparing these samples. The primary purpose of every presenter or rhetorician is to grab people`s attention. After that he/ she needs to convey people`s thoughts and beliefs in his/her to desirable direction. This is a hard job and needs a big deal of effort and commitment. In...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of “On the Want of Money” by William Hazlitt Nineteenth-century author William Hazlitt argues in his essay “On the Want of Money” that money is not the root of all evil but an imperative aspect to a content life. To substantiate his beliefs, he uses prompt rhetorical devices and strenuous vocabulary to develop his ethical appeal in addition to a distinct structure to create the sense of a fast-paced situation which helps engage the reader and add a sense of legitimacy to the continuous examples in the essay. Hazlitt’s purpose is to convince readers money will not corrupt your soul, but bring leisure and happiness into your life. Hazlitt engages individuals who believe money is an amoral object by connecting readers to endless examples, questioning reader’s views, and by intertwining money and the real world. Hazlitt’s entire essay is brimming with rhetorical strategies.To present the paragraph he demonstrates the literary device anaphora. Hazlitt states that, “To be in want of it, is to pass through life with little credit or pleasure; it is to live out of the world,” (Hazlitt, 1-4). The use of this rhetorical strategy gives a sense of credibility to the author in a literary standpoint. Not only does Hazlitt’s swift use of strategies portray his intelligence, but also, his use of diction and advanced vocabulary. For...
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