What is Rhetoric?​

Rhetoric is the act of using language to persuade or convince someone of something. It can also be defined as the study of the ways in which language shapes the world. This art of persuasion and convincing is accomplished through various figures of speech, various visual techniques, etc. Rhetoric is used to help organize groups, create meaning and ideas, as well as coordinate behaviors. Rhetoric is important because it allows writers and/or speakers to communicate effectively and engagingly with their respective audiences. It allows one piece of information to be shared in numerous different ways, which can shape the way it is interpreted and understood by the audience. Rhetoric is all around us on a daily basis. It’s in everyday conversations, books, movies, t.v. shows, news media, magazines, art, and even body language. Rhetoric is involved in people’s everyday life, whether they are conscious of it or not. I learned the most about rhetoric, especially visual rhetoric, last semester in EN11. I learned how to organize my thoughts and ideas into a visual form of media that could appeal to a specific audience of my choosing. It was very interesting to see how different forms of media cater to different groups of people, such as kids, teenagers, middle-aged people, and the elderly, as well as how factors like color, size, alignment, and proximity affect the conversation. Each of these age groups I listed all take in and process information differently, which is why rhetoric is so important to keep in mind when conveying one’s ideas. I also learned last semester about logos, pathos, and ethos and how each of these appeals shape language and communication. Appealing to different emotions, feelings, and logic can change how a writer displays their work, which in turn affects how it is perceived by the reader/watcher. Rheotric is a very important component of language and communication, which is why it should always be considered as part of the writing/design process.