Transcript Devices Speakers Use to Persuade

Rhetorical Devices
Rhetoric:
• the art of effective or persuasive
speaking, especially the use of figures of
speech and other techniques.
used in a sentence: “The
general hoped
his rhetoric would stir his soldiers
into action.”
Rhetorical Question
The speaker asks a question to which
the answer is already known or implied.
This builds support from the listener.
“How much longer must our people
endure this
injustice?”
Repetition
Repetition adds emphasis and rhythm
I have a dream. . .
I have a dream. . .
I have a dream. . .
“There is no mistake; there has been no
mistake; and there shall be no mistake.”
Exaggeration (Hyperbole)
Used for emphasis
“ I
think this is the most extraordinary
collection of human talent, of human
knowledge, that has ever been gathered at
the White House--with the possible exception
of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
(President John F. Kennedy at a White House dinner honoring 49
Nobel Prize winners,1962)
I
have a million things to do.
Understatement
When a speaker wants to make a fact
seem less significant. (This often
sounds sarcastic.)
“I have to have this operation. It isn’t
very serious. I have this tiny little tumor
on the brain.” Catcher in the Rye
 “I know a little about running a
company”.
Bill Gates

Negation
Repeated use of words using the
negative for emphasis.
"We are not a country that rewards
hard work and perseverance with debt
and worry. We've never been a country
that lets major challenges go unsolved
and unaddressed. That is not who we
are. And that is not who we have to be.”
Obama
Parallelism
Uses the same grammatical form for a
series of equal or related ideas.
"Let
every nation know, whether it wishes us well or
ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet
any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to
assure the survival and the success of liberty.” John
F. Kennedy
“Today's
students can put dope in their veins or
hope in their brains. If they can
conceive it and believe it, they can
achieve it.” Jesse Jackson
Contrast
A language device used to point out
differences between similar ideas or
situations.
"Every
man has a right to utter what he
thinks truth, and every other man has a right
to knock him down for it.”
Samuel Johnson
"Evil

men fear authority;
good men cherish it.”
Reversals--Another example of contrast
(chiasmus)

Making a sentence memorable by
reversing the order of two clauses.
“When the going gets tough, the tough
get going.”
 “Ask not what your country can do for

you; ask what you can do for your
country.”
Allusion
A reference to a historical or literary
person or event.
“When
the architects of our republic wrote the
magnificent words of the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence, they were signing a
promissory note to which every American was to
fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes,
black men as well as white men, would be
guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of "Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Alliteration
The repetition of initial sounds of
words.
"Have you forgotten you're facing the
single finest fighting force ever
assembled."
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor is an implied comparison of unlike things
without like or as. Metaphors can be extended or
repeated throughout a paragraph of comparison.
“All
the world’s a stage, and all the men
and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many
parts.”
(Shakespeare’s As You
Like It)
Rhyme
Makes two or more words memorable
through their ending sound.
 “There
time.”
is no crime worth hard
Shawshank Redemption
Imagery
Vivid and descriptive language
appealing to human senses to deepen
the reader's understanding of the work.
•“Grief stricken, I saw
a million floating
butterflies coming
to life from the
wreckage of the
Twin Towers.”
Vary Length and Types of
Sentences (syntax)
Varying the kinds of sentences you use can
make your speech lively and help maintain
listener interest.
“Lincoln. A woman in a cage. Medford. One idiotic subject
chained, and one in a close stall for seventeen years. Pepperell.
One often doubly chained, hand and foot; another violent;
several peaceable now. Brookfield. One man caged,
comfortable. Granville. One often closely confined; now losing
the use of his limbs from want of exercise. Charlemont. One
man caged. Savoy. One man caged. Lenox. Two in the jail,
against whose unfit condition there the jailer protests.” Dorothea
Dix 1843 to Massachusetts Legislature
Irony
The use of words to convey the opposite of
their literal meaning; a statement or situation
where the meaning is contradicted by the
appearance or presentation of the idea.
• “She is as polite as a shark.”
• “My grave is like to be my wedding
bed.”
•"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here!
This is the War Room.”
Classical Rhetorical Appeals
Aristotle, the Greek Philosopher who is
often referred to as the father of
persuasion— discussed three rhetorical
appeals--Ethos,
Pathos, and
Logos.
Ethos

Speaker Credibility. The character or
emotions of the speaker are expressed in the
attempt to persuade an audience. The speaker
is believable; he/she




Cites sources
Dresses ‘the part’
Has the background or expertise necessary to
speak on the topic.
Ethics of the speaker
• Humble not arrogant
• Honest
• Believable
Pathos (appeal to the heart)
• The speaker persuades through
emotion (joy, outrage, excitement, etc.)
• The speaker may use an emotional
story.
• The speaker uses details and imagery
to stir up the emotions.
Logos
 Speaker
appealing to the
audience’s mind: to persuade
you intellectually.
 Logic, Facts, Statistics, Evidence,
Explanations, Definitions.
Devices that Motivate
Listeners
Dissonance
The speaker first creates a discomfort within
the audience, and then resolves it by offering
a solution.
 We are all guilty of losing our patience,
and we need to realize that the increase
in anxiety is harmful to our health and
the health of those around us. However,
there is a solution. . .
Needs
Relating to basic needs

Because many students have food
allergies, it is a necessity that there are
dietary options for school lunch.
Negative Motivation
Points out a negative outcome.
If you don’t work hard, you will fail this
class.
 If you don’t pick up your room, you will
not get your allowance.

Positive Motivation
Points out a positive outcome.
If you work hard, you will find that your
college courses are more manageable,
leaving you with more time for friends
and fun.
 If you clean your room, you’ll be allowed
to go to a movie, and I’ll spring for your
pizza.
