
Rhetoric: the language of persuasion • Everything we read this year will be analyzed using rhetorical terms (in addition to literary terms). • Rhetoric is not focused on “what happened” or the plot. Rhetoric focuses on how the story/poem/text was put together. We examine structure. • Our motto: method reinforces meaning and manipulates the reader.
What methods lead to meaning? These are our rhetorical devices: (think Rhetoric IS SWAG…) • Imagery • Sentence Structure (syntax)— • Word choice (diction) • Author’s Attitude (tone) • Grammar—for example: the use of commas, semicolons, pronouns, conjunctions (AND/BUT), sentence types etc. • The author uses devices to manipulate the reader to do/feel something by appealing to their morality, emotions or mind.