Rhetoric, the art of persuasiveness, is weaved into the English language like a yarn in a scarf. Every conversation, essay, argument, post, or discussion is built around rhetoric as its skeleton.
As both authors highlight in their works, rhetoric is a prime vein in the body that is the ever-changing vernacular of society. The articles detailed that rhetoric can be broken down into four facets: logos, ethos, pathos, kairos. Logos, the appeal to reason, is used in discussing logic-based arguments. Egos revolves around the credibility of the speaker and pathos is centered around the emotion of the argument being made. Kairos, the least known of the group, relates to the correct (or incorrect) timing at which the speaker uses certain phrases or working. These four rhetorical devices are employed in unison to craft an argument in its most flattering light.
As Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing “It’s [rhetoric] way of thinking about how we talk.” This statement surmises the thirty-page graphic into a near-rudimentary definition. However, despite its primitive nature, the quote is accurate because in utilizing rhetoric’s four primary functions the speaker designs their argument in such a manner that, if done effectively, sways the listeners towards the speaker’s side of the argument. Rhetoric is the lifeline to any discussion or debate because it both catches and keeps the listener’s attention- with which without the subject matter would fall on deaf ears and every word would be lost.
Rhetoric is at the core of language and is the mating ground for intellectually stimulating conversations. Through its use ideas bloom and language flourishes, creating a more dense and ever-changing lexicon for generations to come.
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