Blog 12/4: Rhetoric

The definition of rhetoric from our vocab list is “the art of effective expression.” This is a great definition because it is simple and straightforward. In contrast, the Silva Rhetoricae website that we looked at for the first rhetoric post was complicated and wordy. The audience for that webpage is most likely English scholars due to the specialized vocabulary used, making it difficult for most people to comprehend. However, the complex definition from Silva Rhetoricae has not prevented me from developing my own definition of the word. I have learned the definition of rhetoric through my experiences in English 1900.

            The aspect of this class that was most helpful to understanding rhetoric was They Say, I Say. Although Graff never gave an explicit definition of rhetoric, each chapter contributed to it. His thesis is developing effective an argument is essential for rhetoric. Arguments are conversations. They are not as one-sided as many people may believe. Where there is an “I say,” there must be a “they say.” Just including the opinions of the author prevents the piece of writing or speech from entering the conversation. It is more interesting to incorporate multiple points of view and it makes a wider impact. In a similar way, entertaining objections and naysayers’ opinions adds credibility to an argument. It shows that the author’s statements are strong enough to stand up against other valid arguments. The audience will respond positively when the author uses this technique. Graff also emphasized knowing one’s audience. The goal of communication is to transmit a message from one person to another, so in order for it to be effective the speaker must know who his or her audience is. Otherwise, the message will lose its impact and may be ignored altogether. A final piece of rhetoric from Graff’s book is using transitions effectively. Transitions unite ideas into a cohesive unit. Without them, a piece of writing does not flow and therefore loses some impact. Graff has taught me that rhetoric incorporates all of these elements, and that it is not difficult to learn how to bring them together. With practice, anyone can become skilled in communication. After all, not everyone is an English scholar who benefits from sources like Silva Rhetoricae.

            Besides They Say, I Say, Fight Club was another major piece of this class and added further to my definition of rhetoric. I was able to put the tips from Graff’s book into action during these debates. Although I struggled with voicing my arguments in the beginning, by the end of the semester I was comfortable with participating in a debate. Rhetoric was used verbally in this exercise. Effective verbal expression is just as important as written expression.

            As for the writing side of rhetoric, the blog posts allowed me to use rhetorical skills in my writing. Like Graff emphasizes, commenting on classmates’ posts made the blog a conversation. We disagreed, offered criticism, and gave positive feedback, much like how we do in class in Fight Club. Even though it is not verbal communication, it accomplishes the same goal of exchanging ideas from person to person.

            All of the exercises in English 1900 have brought to light a new definition of rhetoric—my personal definition (although it is not as concise as the vocabulary definition). Rhetoric is impactful written or spoken communication that conveys a message and in turn accomplishes a goal.