英语修辞学Ss27handouts1

1 English Rhetoric Chapter 1 The definition of Rhetoric n 1 a The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively b A treatise or book discussing this art 2 Skill in using language effectively and persuasively 3 a A style of speaking or writing especially the language of a particular subject fiery political rhetoric b Language that is elaborate pretentious insincere or intellectually vacuous His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric 4 Verbal communication discourse The free online dictionary Some more Definitions of Rhetoric Plato Rhetoric is the art of winning the soul by discourse Aristotle Rhetoric is the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion Cicero Rhetoric is one great art comprised of five lesser arts inventio dispositio elocutio memoria and pronunciatio Rhetoric is speech designed to persuade Quintillian Rhetoric is the art of speaking well Francis Bacon Rhetoric is the application of reason to imagination for the better moving of the will George Campbell Rhetoric is that art or talent by which discourse is adapted to its end The four ends of discourse are to enlighten the understanding please the imagination move the passion and influence the will A Richards Rhetoric is the study of misunderstandings and their remedies Kenneth Burke Rhetoric is rooted in an essential function of language itself a function that is wholly realistic and continually born anew the use of language as a symbolic means of inducing cooperation in beings that by nature respond to symbols Wherever there is persuasion there is rhetoric and wherever there is rhetoric there is meaning Richard Weaver Rhetoric is that which creates an informed appetition for the good 2 Erika Lindemann Rhetoric is a form of reasoning about probabilities based on Assumptions people share as members of a community Andrea Lunsford Rhetoric is the art practice and study of human communication Francis Christensen Grammar maps out the possible rhetoric narrows the possible down to the desirable or effective The key question for rhetoric is how to know what is desirable Sonja and Karen Foss Rhetoric is an action human beings perform when they use symbols for the purpose of communicating with one another and it is a perspective humans take that involves focusing on symbolic processes Reading 1 The following is an excerpt from Erich Segal s novel Man Woman and Child which tells about how Shiela the wife was shocked when Robert her husband confessed that he once had an affair with another woman Can you find any figures of speech in this piece Does it reach the goal of communication If so what makes it effective and expressive H husband W wife And for the convenience of analysis the conversation is numbered 1 H Honey I gotta talk to you 2 W Sure Is something wrong 3 H Well sort of Yes 4 W Bob something in your voice scares me Have I done anything 5 H No It s me I ve done it Shiela remember when you were pregnant with Paula 6 W Yes 7 H I had to fly to Europe Montpellier to give that paper 8 W And 9 H I had an affair 10 W No This is some terrible joke Isn t it 11 H No It s true I I m sorry 12 W Who 13 H Nobody Nobody special 14 W Who Robert 3 15 H Her her name was Nicole Guirin She was a doctor 16 W And how long did it last 17 H Two three days 18 W Two days or three days I want to know 19 H Three days Does all this matter 20 W Everything matters I thought our marriage was based on total honesty Why didn t you ever tell me 21 H I was waiting for the right moment 22 W And ten years later was the right moment No doubt you thought it would be easier On whom 23 H I didn t want to hurt you Shiela If it s any consolation that s the only time 24 W No it isn t any consolation Once is more than never 25 H Shiela that was so long ago I had to tell you now because I mean She s dead 26 W For God s sake Bob why are you telling me all this 27 H Shiela I am telling you because she had a child 28 W And we have two so what 29 H He s mine The boy is mine 30 W Oh no it can t be true 31 H Yes it is true I didn t know about him Shiela Please believe me 32 W Why Why should I believe anything you tell me now 33 H Shiela listen 34 W No I ve heard enough Bob why d you have to tell me Why 35 H Because I don t know what to do And because I somehow thought you d help 36 W You can t know how it hurts I trusted you I trusted 37 H Please honey I ll do anything to make it right 38 W You can t 39 H You don t mean that you want to split 40 W Robert I don t have any strength right now For anything You could do me a big favor 41 H Anything W Sleep in your study please 4 Reading 2 Rhetorical principles for arranging one s data in writing The first principle is obvious before remarkable i e to put one s basic points before the more innovative or novel material This is like bridge building creating a stable progression from what is more solidly established to what is new The second is presentation before refutation In using this scheme the writer should present or review the argument he or she intends to discount before proceeding to the actual refutation A principle somewhat related to the second is explanation before complication supplying the reader with necessary basic information on a topic or issue before offering more complicated discussion of the topic or issue Solvable before unsolvable is the fourth principle under our discussion When one has to describe in a paper a series of problems some of which have apparent solutions while others do not they should not be listed in random order instead they should be presented according to their degree of apparent solvability Such an arrangement would best fit the notion of bridge building allowing the writer to establish more solvable problems as relatively more stable bases from which to proceed to the discussion of less solvable problems The fifth principle similar to the second is called appreciation before criticism This principle not to be confused with the standard rhetorical advice to establish common ground with one s opposition applies to the arrangement of placing positive aspects of his or her critique before negative aspects The sixth arrangement scheme is literal before symbolic which a writer can employ when writing analytic or interpretive essays According to this strategy when a paper includes both literal and symbolic interpretations as of a line or image from a poem for example literal observations generally proceeds the symbolic counterparts of those observations for the symbolic interpretation in some respect arises from literal one Principle 7 is rule before exceptions which is to advise a writer to place ideas or examples that constitute or support what is generally or typically the case before looking at those that deviate Stating exceptions before rules is obviously possible but doing so requires a better skill of arrangement and presentation so as to put the cart before 5 the horse This point applies to the previous principles as well Adapted from Identifying and Teaching Rhetorical Plans for Arrangement by Joanne M Podis and Leonard A Podis Exercise One I Fill in each blank with a suitable word 1 Rhetoric involves practicing the most means or strategies for informing persuading an audience All writing technical or business writing is Deciding what to write to write it how best to your reader s attention and how to or persuade your reader requires creativity imagination Every field of study requires the skills writing courses teach