The first part of the essay about "What is Rhetoric" discusses how broad of a term rhetoric is. Rhetoric is not just simply conveying one's ideas or beliefs, but also is is how the overall message of rhetor is delivered to the audience. Rhetoric's 3 main goals are to persuade, to please, and to move. The 5 rhetorical cannons(arrangement, memory, delivery, style, and invention) also implement a very important role in the way the rhetor's message is viewed by the audience. Rhetoric is also a very abstract concept because it can be achieved not just through a written document or oral speech, but also through a painting or statue or other kind of art form.
I think that this article clearly depicts what rhetoric is and explain it complexities. Rhetoric does no just have one definition, but is comprised of many different elements and achieves many different goal(most importantly, the 3 main goals mentioned in the above paragraph. I gained a better understanding of the ways in which rhetoric is used as well as the purposed behind it.
The major figures in rhetoric date back to the Athenian and Greek times. Some of the famous rhetors are Plato, Socrates, and Gorgias. These legendary historical figures paved the way for rhetoric as well as established ground rules and concepts which have become universal elements of rhetoric. The roots of rhetoric lie within this ancient culture.
articles written by Covino and Jolliffe
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In my blog entry I too discussed all the rhetorical cannons and how the term "rhetoric" is a broad word with many different ways to describe it. I agree that rhetoric this article sets up a good depiction of what rhetoric truly is. I also never thought of rhetoric as being used in art like a painting or statue?
ReplyDeleteRhetoric and all of the possible definitions that it has is a key element of this article. I agree that the roots of rhetoric lie in the ancient Greek culture. These ground rules set by the Athenians have made their way to society today. Do you think they will ever change?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Whitney that rhetoric is a very broad term and the article definitely gives us many examples of rhetoric like she said, a written word, an oral speech, or an artist's view of a painting. The main points of rhetoric are the move, to persuade, and to please and that was expressed in the article very clearly and its also what i pick up on too while reading.
ReplyDeleteI didn't however think of rhetoric as a painting, so that is pretty interesting, and after thinking about it, i do agree with that. Rhetoric can be so many different things because a painting can definitely cause emotion and move someone.
I completely agree that the term rhetoric is very broad, I think that because with each of the classes I take and learn about rhetoric I take something different out of it, i don't think that any of it is wrong, I just think there is more then one way to look at it. To persuade is the most consistent and dominant definition that i have taken from readings and teachers, and this post.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that there will ever be a more narrow defnintion?
Rhetoric is very broad. What it is, how it is used, and what it becomes depends on the way the rhetor interprets and chooses to utilize its various tools. It depends on too many things to be pinned down to one definition. I think you covered what the article spoke of very well.
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