What is rhetoric to you? When you hear the word rhetoric, what's the first thing that comes to mind? When do you use rhetoric?
If you have no idea what rhetoric is, that's fine. Take a guess.
Try to think about under what circumstances you've heard/seen rhetoric used. Is rhetoric something to be trusted? To be feared? To be mastered?
Emotional Branding
14 years ago
As a communications major I hear the word rhetoric a lot but I'm not one hundred percent I know what it means. Seeing as how it is something that is constantly discussed in my communications class I'm going to have to say it is a way of effectively communicating with other people. In my communications class yesterday we discussed pathos and other terms associated with rhetoric and how it can be used when giving speeches. I think rhetoric is something to be mastered. We live in such a diverse country that we need to be able to master the art of communicating with people of all different cultures and we need to understand what is the proper way of communicating with others that we encounter in our lives. What are appropriate ways to get your point across our to fully understand the people you are talking to. I don't think communication is something to fear so therefore I don't believe that rhetoric is something to be feared. Everyone should learn the art of communicating with other people.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't very much that comes to mind when I hear the word rhetoric. I really have no idea what rhetoric is or means. I've heard the word before but not very much before this class. I would assume that it is a type of speech or writing.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric, does not necessarily mean anything to me, it's not a word I use. I don't really understand it quite yet, and because of that I don't exactly know if it should be trusted or not. Once I get a good understanding of what rhetoric is then I can decide if it is trusted or feared. There is a master level for anything, I'm sure it could be mastered by practicing and learning enough.
ReplyDeleteWHEN I HEAR OR SEE THE WORD RHETORIC I THINK TO MYSELF,"WHAT DOES THIS WORD MEAN?". IT COULD MEAN A WAY OF WRITING, A CERTAIN STYLE, FORMAT OR EVEN TOPIC. IF I COULD TAKE A GUESS I WOULD THINK ITS A WAY OF WRITING AND IF THAT IS THE CASE I THINK THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE MASTERED BECAUSE WRITING IS A VERY VERSATILE THING. IT EXPRESSES EMOTIONS,HELPS PEOPLE VISUALIZE THINGS, AS WELL AS HELPS PEOPLE LEARN. THE ONLY REASON ONE SHOULD FEAR RHETORIC IS IF HE/SHE HASN'T MASTERED IT AND IN THAT CASE THEY REALY SHOULDNT FEAR IT BECAUSE ITS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE LEARNED.
ReplyDeleteI think rhetoric is anyway that people can relay a message on to an audience, whether it be through text, TV, or music. I first think of text and it being used to display a message on to an audience.I think that you use rhetoric all throughout every day and most the time don't even know it. To me it shouldn't be feared but also shouldn't be trusted. Some forms of rhetoric can be very manipulative and motivate people to do things that they otherwise wouldn't want to do. I think their can be a lot of lies within rhetoric and most people don't pay enough attention to it to realize this. So I believe people should just be aware of the affects of some rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteI actually got scared when I saw my english classes name was that. I have no idea really what rhetoric mean. I know I probably have used rhetoric before but I have no idea when
ReplyDeleteI have. I think that rhetoric is something that you can probably master once you can fully understand what it actually means. I feel that rhetoric is something that involves certain word usage or a type of style a language is used to present something.
To me rhetoric is the sense of flow and fit of ones expressions whether it be through writing or something different such as art. I think professionals in their respective sports are masters of rhetoric where it is applied. To me rhetoric is not something to be feared, and may be trusted, but without absolute certainty.
ReplyDeleteThe word rhetoric really does not mean anything to me yet. This is the first time I have heard the word. I'm guessing it is a concept widely used in English writing. I use rhetoric in all communication such as in talking and in writing. It sounds like a word that might be used in politics or as a trait someone might have. I would say rhetoric is something that is mastered and is a good quality to have. It is something that is taught and can be improved on.
ReplyDeleteTo me, my personal definition of rhetoric is always changing. I suppose, it's something too big for me to define in one sweeping generalization. I see rhetoric in everything: the layout of places, television, politics, what I decide to wear in the morning. It seems that everything is put forth with some intention to persuade or to alter thinking. Just thinking about how this classroom is laid out. As the teacher, I can see all of your computers to make sure you're not on facebook. What does this say about the power structure of the classroom? But at the same time, when we sit at the tables, we're all sitting together in a circle (or square.) So it seems like this is promoting a totally different classroom dynamic. My (very scattered) point here is that rhetorical decisions were made in designing this room, and these decisions are not unlike those we make in our writing.
ReplyDeleteTo me, rhetoric is when one produces an argument, through written words or speech, and provides valid support to back up that claim or argument. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word rhetoric is a political debate, although it can occur in many more instances than this. I believe we use rhetoric quite often. We use it in speech with those around us, when making decisions, and many other times. I personally use rhetoric most often when trying to convince my parents to let me do something. I think rhetoric is very broad and is seen in many circumstances. I believe it is a good thing to master because it can help us talk to others and when we need to provide a valid argument.
ReplyDeleteI am not totally sure what rhetoric is. I have heard the term used when talking about writing in previous english classes but have never been sure about the real definition of the word. If i were to take a guess I would say that rhetoric is a pattern that is seen in many things other than just writing. I think it is something that is followed by many forms of media, such as music, writing, reading. I believe that rhetoric can be misleading when used by things like the media to persuade you or try to make you do what they want you to do or buy what they want you to buy. I also believe that rhetoric is the tool often used by media to tap into what is familiar to our minds process in order to help with they attempt at persuasion.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric to me is just an evaluation process of writing. In my opinion, rhetoric is how to describe a certain type of writing and how the formation of words are depicted into paragraph form. Basically I have only heard the word rhetoric through marketing materials, in the way large companies break down advertisements into very fine detail. Taking an analysis of everything they put into their advertisement, from the font, the color of each individual piece of clothing and print. Rhetoric has different variations of form, in the way different industries like to promote and explain their own companies. Rhetoric to me is something that everyone must eventually be able to understand and comprehend. To be fearful of rhetoric is just because it is unknown to someone does not mean it should be frightening. Mastering a form of writing and describing is something everyone should be able and willing to do, but to be excellent at it is something that takes practice like everything else.
ReplyDeleteHaving never heard the word rhetoric before I have no idea what it means. There isn't much that comes to mind when i hear that word. But i would assume that it has something do to do with a writing style.
ReplyDeleteWhen i think of the word rhetoric the first thing that comes to my mind is nothing. I know that i have heard the word before but i can not remember what it actually stands for. if i had to guess what it means i would guess its a type of style of some sort that is more serious. i think that when something is rhetoric it is something to be truested but i could be totally wrong.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric to me is something I should know and be able to explain, but honestly I have no idea what it means. If i had to guess I would say it was a type or style of writing, but I am not really sure. When I hear the word rhetoric, the first thing that comes to mind is having to write for an English class and use rhetoric in the paper. I think you use rhetoric probably every day and just don't realize it unless it's pointed out to you, or if you have to use it for an English assignment. Again, that is just another guess. I've probably seen rhetoric used in books, newspaper articles, movies, magazines, etc., but just never noticed. I would think rhetoric is something to be trusted and mastered because we are going to learn about it in class and it is was the topic of this question.
ReplyDeleteIm not to sure as to what rhetoric means, it sounds like a fancy english term for reiterate or something. If i had to guess what it means i would say its a form of writing that someone has done repeatedly or in the same for as the original, sort of like copying. Im sure, thats completely wrong and I have no idea what I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the purpose of rhetoric is. I would assume rhetoric is a way to express the English language. I am not sure exactly what it does though. It reminds me slightly of the different tenses you would find in a foreign language such as preterit, imperfect, etc. I think it is used in places such as the media, speaking, and reading. I don't believe that the rhetoric should be feared. I think it is a skill that can only improve your writing the more you master it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of the word rhetoric, I think of the way a message is communicated through various language devices. Once mastered, rhetoric is the most valuable asset in writing. You can convey a message with whatever tone you choose.
ReplyDeleteOften you hear about rhetoric in the context of a speech. The way in which a speech is written and delivered ultimately determines how the audience will perceive the message. The purpose of a speech, many times, is to persuade the audience to think as the speaker thinks, which is only accomplished with a firm grasp of rhetoric.
I think rhetoric is something not to be trusted. Used properly, it can manipulate the audience into thinking like the author, and can leave little room for personal opinion. As the author, however, mastering rhetoric is something to be valued for the same reasons.
When I hear the word rhetoric I think of a writing style. To me, rhetoric is the way you use your writing to communicate with the reader. You can use different kinds of rhetoric to build credibility in your writing. I know that there are three different types of rhetoric writing. I began to take English 151 winter quarter but I dropped it. We went over different aspects of rhetoric like pathos, ethos and logos but they're still little hazy. I know that rhetoric is used on us everyday in life. Pretty much all advertising that we come into contact with is some form of rhetoric writing. Rhetoric is something that definitely needs to be understood and learned in today's world. People need to know how to properly and effectively express themselves so that others can fully understand what they are trying to say.
ReplyDeleteI honestly have no idea what Rhetoric actually means. Although if I had to take a guess, I think that it is what writing consist of and how to go about writing something. When I first hear the Word Rhetoric the first thing that comes to mind is a writing style. I am not sure exactly what it has to do with writing all I know is that it is a major role in writing and in order to be a good writer rhetoric is very important. I don't think I have ever heard the word Rhetoric and I think that it is something that should not be feared but mastered.
ReplyDeleteI think Rhetoric is the way you present yourself in what you write or how you speak. I think it is important to use it well because without it, the english language would be boring. Nobody would be able to express themselves in the appropriate way that fits them if rhetoric we weren't encouraged to take note of rhetoric.
ReplyDelete