Reupholstered Rhetoric

When first assigned the task of defining rhetoric I was beyond lost on where to begin. I have always heard the term used in other English courses and Oral Communication classes, but they never gave the definition. Teachers used the word matter-of-factly and expected the definition to be already known of understood. However, I never had a clear definition of rhetoric. Through research I was able to locate its origin, but I could not find a concrete definition. We were all guided to the Silva Rhetoricae website where Dr. Burton gave us nearly a million and one definitions of rhetoric and its many uses. Upon revisiting the site and thinking over the course, I can truly say I know what rhetoric is and the likes of "good" rhetoric. Aiding me in this process are are Graff novel and Dr. Burton's website.

According to Silva Rhetoricae, "Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. And the art of persuasion. And many other things." Again leading to me to my conclusion that the definition of rhetoric is infinite. Its lacks limitations and its uses are endless. The definition I shaped from reading Dr. Burton's webpage and our Graff novel is "Rhetoric is the act and research of eloquent engagement into conversation." The only true difference in our definitions is that I used the word eloquent. I used the word eloquent in mine to describe the type of effectiveness needed within rhetoric. I also used the word eloquent because in our English course we were to assemble into our pods and create a definition. My definition of eloquent speech was "Effectively, concisely, and harmoniously communicating points of talk or topics of interest to an audience which includes peers, evaluators, educators, and those within your community." However, I added a new word to my rhetoric definition because rhetoric is not only for conversations. Rhetoric is also used when speaking to an audience. My new definition is "Rhetoric is the act and research of eloquent engagement into conversation and speech." Though my definition is still greatly similar to Dr. Burton's, I feel my definition is more concrete and finite.

Having been in Advanced Strategies in Rhetoric & Research for five months, I believe that this website along with our Graff novel was supplemental to our rhetorical growth. By implementing the ideals and practices into each of our individual and unique styles of rhetoric, we have become more efficient, effective, and eloquent speakers and writers. These changes did not happen overnight, but gradually we began to see the various patterns rhetoric paves in the world of linguistics. Simple starts were in our earlier years when using pathos, logos, and ethos. We defined these Greek terms, learned why they are used, and applied them to our speech. Coming full circle we have used each of these in our advocacy research papers and our multimedia projects. Using these different strategies of appeal we not only strengthened our claim but we showed our audience why it maters and why they should care. Another reason to take a second look at Dr. Burton’s webpage is because if one yearns for better content, one must first learn the methods and means of communication. Just remember not to get lost in the forest behind the trees.