The Infinite Definition of Rhetoric

What is rhetoric? How can it be defined? According to Silva Rhetoricae, "Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. And the art of persuasion. And many other things." Usually when you seek the meaning of a word, the definition is more concrete and finite. So do the lack of limitation, I have created my own definition of rhetoric in addition to Dr. Burton’s. Rhetoric is the act and research of eloquent engagement into conversation. Though both definitions are similar I use the word eloquent in mine to describe the type of effectiveness needed within rhetoric. There are five canons within rhetoric which consist of style, memory, invention, delivery, and arrangement. These canons provide a pattern, or a template so to speak, aiding the writer analytically and generatively.

Invention is researching points of talk and finding words for one's claims. The next step is arrangement, after deciding upon what type of vocabulary will be used, one must add structure and order to their speech. After doing so, the fun begins. One can now express themselves creatively in the style sector. As explained by Dr. Burton, while "invention addresses what is to be said; style addresses how this will be said." The fourth portion is memory, however memory not only pertains to you, but your audience as well. As the speaker, on occasion you are to memorize your speech and present it to others orally. The audience's role in the memory sector is depending upon the choices you make within invention, arrangement, and style. One's choices can cause your speech to be remembered for ions or quickly forgotten. Memory ties us into our final canon, delivery. Delivery refers to how your rhetoric is given and perceived by the audience. It includes gestures, facial expression, and resonance. Burton compares delivering a speech to a performance, and advises rhetorical training. Without practicing one can as Burton puts it, get lost in the forest behind the trees.

Having been in Advanced Strategies in Rhetoric & Research for two weeks, I believe that this website along with our Graff novel will be supplemental to our rhetorical growth. By implementing the ideals and practices into each of our different styles of rhetoric, we can become more efficient, effective, and eloquent speakers and writers. These changes do not happen overnight, but gradually we will begin to see the various patterns rhetoric paves in the world of linguistics. Simple starts would be considering pathos, logos, and ethos. We could begin by defining these Greek terms, learning why they are used, and how to apply them into our speech. By using different strategies of appeal we not only strengthen our claim but we can persuade our audience. Another reason to take Dr. Burton’s webpage into consideration is because if one yearns for better content, one must first learn the methods and means of communication.

To be candid, first viewing the webpage it looked dry and irrelevant. So I figured there would be nothing I could take away from it. However, after reading the introduction, I dived deeper into the makings of rhetoric, I had not only grasped new concepts, but upgraded my knowledge on information previously learned. The new concepts I learned and plan to implement immediately are the five canons of rhetoric. I now know they exist, what they are, and their role within your speech. The information I had expanded on was the persuasive appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos. Though they were introduced to me in middle school, their use and the reason behind them have become more and more evident. On the one hand, I was happy to be able to retain what I had read, but on the other hand, I am still confused as to the branches of oratory. I found them to be unhelpful and more perplexing than necessary. But in all Dr. Burton has truly enriched my world of rhetoric.

Burton, Gideon, Dr. "The Forest of Rhetoric." Silva Rhetoricae:. Brigham Young University, n.d.   Web. 3 Sept. 2015. <http://rhetoric.byu.edu/>.