The Definition of Rhetoric Over the course of centuries, millennia even, rhetoric has been defined in many ways. Some consider it an art form, some consider it a science. While many would confine it to describing the means of persuasion, some would unlimit its meaning to encompass the emotional value of all communication. According to Kenneth Burke, it’s a fundamental aspect of language that uses symbols, for that is what people respond to. George Kennedy takes a slightly different approach, claiming that rhetoric is an energy that flows through all parts of communication. These two definitions in particular are valuable to look at as they consider a higher level conceptualization of the nature of language as it’s used by people. Rhetoric
