Topic: Provide a reaction to what is rhetoric? What part does this play in your academic life?

What is Rhetoric?

The ability to speak eloquently and persuasively has often been described as an art that allows appealing engagement in communication. Often, we have witnessed communicators receive applause from how they drive their communication. Similarly, other people have often been booed, forcing them to cut short their speech. Besides the balancing between verbal and non-verbal aspects, a good communicator will critically read the mood of the audience and strive to meet their expectations. Appealing communication can also be reflected in the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques to communicate to the audience through writing or oral communication.

Often, nonverbal communication will speak louder than the verbal one. The audience will critically evaluate one’s posture, eye contact, and hand movement, among other gestures that help put meaning to the words being communicated. A consideration of all these aspects brings forth rhetoric communication.

Therefore, rhetoric is defined as an art of effective communication, speaking or writing by exploiting the figures of speech and other appealing communication techniques. Aristotle described it as the ability to find the best way to persuade (Covino & Jolliffe, 2014). The three forms of rhetoric, according to Aristotle, are the use of ethos, logos and pathos. Therefore, to be an effective speaker and writer, the three forms of art are key. Ethos describes the character of attaching emotions in communication as a way of persuading the audience. Ethos also shows the ability to demonstrate authority when speaking about a subject. Pathos, on the other hand, is the emotion that a speaker or writer hopes to include in the audience. Pathos also describes the ability to sway the audience through emotions. Logos, on the other hand, is about arguing logically so that the audience can see sense in the subject at hand.

The part it Plays in my academic Life

Rhetoric has been an important aspect of my academic life. As a form of art, rhetoric has helped me to compose successful persuasive writing and presentations. In any class engagement like project presentation, rhetoric has equipped me with skills to speak well, choose my words carefully and considerately as per the subject at hand. Additionally, I believe I am better positioned to critically analyze the audience, know its expectations, and develop a presentation that meets expectations. Besides presentation and speaking, understanding rhetoric has been central to being a better writer. After understanding Aristotle’s understanding of what rhetoric means, I have become a better writer. I have often incorporated ethos, pathos, and logos to draw the attention and interest of anyone reading my work (Rapp, 2011).

Besides improving my ability to speak/ present and write, rhetoric has also helped me understand what persuasive communication means. While reading other people’s writings or listening to any speaker, I can sieve what is good and hence has to be followed and what I find not so appealing. Additionally, rhetoric has also helped me to overcome the deficiencies in my speech and writing. I have become a better reader of scholarly work, especially those literary work that has emotional attachments. Unlike before, I have developed a love for reading, not just with my mind but also with my heart, as that is the best way to understand the emotional value of any literary work.

References

Covino, W., & Jolliffe, D. (2014). What is rhetoric?. ABOUT, 325.

Rapp, C. (2011). Aristotle’s rhetoric. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://stanford.library.sydney.edu.au/archives/win2011/entries/aristotle-rhetoric/