Rhetoric, it has been around since before ancient Greece and it is one of the most important components of literature and communication, yet many people have no understanding of it, or even what it is. This may be due to the fact that rhetoric has deep and complicated concepts with so many different perspectives to look at it, or because it is in essence actually so simple. Creating a concrete definition of rhetoric would be extremely difficult because of the many different meanings it has behind it. But when it comes down to it, in its simplest form rhetoric is how and why we communicate our ideas/believes/etc., whether it be through writing, speaking, or a combination of the two. Rhetoric works its way into our lives effortlessly, embodying
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And wherever there is ‘meaning,’ there is ‘persuasion…” (Caroll 47).
“Rhetoric is only used in English class or when writing essays,” this idea is falsely believed by many. Whether or not you still go to English class and whether or not you still are writing essays academically has nothing to do with rhetoric usage. Rhetoric is used all the time in everyday life as well. Rhetoric usage is not simply trying to impress your professors by trying to use large vocabulary and clever diction. Unless you are literally rambling on about something that has no purpose or meaning whatsoever, then you are constantly using rhetoric. Context plays a very important role in the functionality, understanding and use of rhetoric as well. Context is essentially the situation in which a specific form of rhetoric is used. In other words, it is how you speak/write dependent on what your purpose is and who your audience is. This is the reason that complex literature is not written the same way a child book is written, and the reason you speak and act with varying levels of respect depending on who is being addressed. If the rhetoric being used was not situationally contextual, there could be consequences, such as, you could be …show more content…
So how can understanding rhetoric personally help me develop as a writer? Having a solid understanding of rhetoric not only helps with curating your writing with your specific audience in mind, but it also helps with knowing what you personally are trying to get out of writing whatever it is you are writing. Understanding and applying rhetoric to your everyday life, not just your academic life, creates a version of you with higher writing skills, stronger vocabulary, as well as increased ability to persuade your audience. Having a good understanding of rhetoric also gives you the ability to more easily understanding complex texts with increased depth, while actually being able to connect with them, rather than just knowing what the author is trying to say. This doesn’t just help with being able to understanding the meaning of books or essay prompts, but also makes you a kinder and more understanding person in general by making you actually think about a person backgrounds and the reasons for their actions before making assumptions and acting on
And wherever there is ‘meaning,’ there is ‘persuasion…” (Caroll 47).
“Rhetoric is only used in English class or when writing essays,” this idea is falsely believed by many. Whether or not you still go to English class and whether or not you still are writing essays academically has nothing to do with rhetoric usage. Rhetoric is used all the time in everyday life as well. Rhetoric usage is not simply trying to impress your professors by trying to use large vocabulary and clever diction. Unless you are literally rambling on about something that has no purpose or meaning whatsoever, then you are constantly using rhetoric. Context plays a very important role in the functionality, understanding and use of rhetoric as well. Context is essentially the situation in which a specific form of rhetoric is used. In other words, it is how you speak/write dependent on what your purpose is and who your audience is. This is the reason that complex literature is not written the same way a child book is written, and the reason you speak and act with varying levels of respect depending on who is being addressed. If the rhetoric being used was not situationally contextual, there could be consequences, such as, you could be …show more content…
So how can understanding rhetoric personally help me develop as a writer? Having a solid understanding of rhetoric not only helps with curating your writing with your specific audience in mind, but it also helps with knowing what you personally are trying to get out of writing whatever it is you are writing. Understanding and applying rhetoric to your everyday life, not just your academic life, creates a version of you with higher writing skills, stronger vocabulary, as well as increased ability to persuade your audience. Having a good understanding of rhetoric also gives you the ability to more easily understanding complex texts with increased depth, while actually being able to connect with them, rather than just knowing what the author is trying to say. This doesn’t just help with being able to understanding the meaning of books or essay prompts, but also makes you a kinder and more understanding person in general by making you actually think about a person backgrounds and the reasons for their actions before making assumptions and acting on