RHETORIC 101. The rhetoric of today 9fs8T4 “Totally Like Whatever” by Taylor Mali.

RHETORIC 101

The rhetoric of today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKyIw9fs8T4

“Totally Like Whatever” by Taylor Mali

Rhetoric =The manipulation of

language for an intended effect

Political Speeches Love letters

Text messages Memoirs

Literature Poetry

Song lyrics Lectures Pamphlets

Comic Books Protest signs

Bumper Stickers

Rhetorical question

“How many times are you going to make the same mistake before you get it through your thick skull?!?”

ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE VOICE

• “Mistakes were made…”

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

• Metaphor, simile, personification, etc.

• Personification: Giving a non-human entity human characteristics.

• 2 Pac’s gun is personified into a girlfriend: “I'm waitin’ by the phone. This is true love; I could feel it/A lot of women in my bed but you the realest”

–2 Pac “96 Bonnie and Clyde”

REPETITON/ANAPHORA• Anaphora: Repeating a phrase at the beginning of each clause.

• Every little step I take, you will be thereEvery little step I make, we'll be togetherEvery little step I take, you will be thereEvery little step I make, we'll be together –Bobby Brown “Every Little Step”

ANTIMETABOLE/CHIASMUS

• Antimetabole: Repetition of words in successive clauses but transposed in grammatical order

• “The rhythm is the bass and the bass is the treble” --Warren G

• Chiasmus: Transposed grammar only

• “He knowingly led and we followed blindly“ (adverb/verb; verb/adverb)

HYPERBOLE &UNDERSTATMENT

ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS

Ethical, emotional, and logical arguments.

JUXTAPOSITION

• Definition: the placement of two things side by side.

ANTITHETICAL JUXTAPOSITION

• Antithesis: the exact opposite

• Antithetical Juxtaposition: polar opposites, side by side

IRONIC JUXTAPOSITION

ANALOGY

SYNTAX

Which one sounds best? Why?

Times like these sure try men’s souls.

How trying it is (for men’s souls) in these times.

These are trying times for the souls of men.

Soul-wise, these are trying times.

These are the times that try men’s souls!

SYNTAX & PUNCTUATION

• Consider the effect of the construction/punctuation:

“On a foggy morning another of the Russians is buried;

almost every day one of them dies” –All Quiet on the Western Front

SYNTAX/PUNCTUATION ANALYSIS TIPS

• Consider the cadence: the rhythm or balance.

• Does it sound lyrical, flowery, ornate?

• Does it sound terse, choppy, or monotone?

• Look for patterns

• Consider sentence length and type

• Consider punctuation choice and placement

• Consider how all of these effects work in concert!

DON’T JUST IDENTIFY THE RHETORIC; ANALYZE

IT!