Rhetorical Terms Flashcards
Audience
The listener, viewer, or reader of a text
Concession
An acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable
Connotation
Meanings or associations that readers have with can word beyond its dictionary definition
Context
The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text
Counterargument
An opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward
Ethos
Greek for character. Speakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic
Logos
Greek for “embodied thought”. Speakers appeal logos or reason by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, and statistics.
Occasion
The time and place a speech is given or a piece is written
Pathos
Greek for “suffering” or “experience”. Speakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience.
Persona
Greek for “mask”. The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.
Text
Any cultural product that can be “read” meaning not just consumed and comprehended, but investigated. This includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, political cartoons, fine arts, photography, etc.
Polemic
Greek for “hostile”. An aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others
Propaganda
He spread of ideas and information to further a cause
Purpose
The goal the speaker want to achieve
Refutation
A denial of the validity of an opposing argument
Rhetoric
The art of finding ways to persuade an argument.
Rhetorical appeals
Rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling
Rhetorical triangle
A diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in determining a text
SOAPS
A mnemonic device that stands for subject, occasion, audience, purpose, and speaker
Speaker
The person or group who creates a text.
Subject
The topic of a text. What the text is about
