Rhetoric+for+the+AP+high+school+student

= What is Rhetoric? = Rhetoric is the strategic use of communication. It aims to inform, persuade, entertain or inspire specific audiences in order to reinforce its purpose. Dating back to ancient Greece, rhetoric has been used as a means of understanding and  developing arguments for particular situations.

When speaking or writing, there are three types appeals that are made to the audience with the purpose to persuade:


 * ethos: how an audience perceives an argument through the character and credibility of the speaker.
 * pathos: the use of emotions in an argument to persuade the audience.
 * logos: the use of logic in an argument to persuade audiences

The five canons of rhetoric, used to design an effective argument or speech are:


 * Invention: the process of developing and refining your argument.
 * Arrangement: the method of organizing arguments for the greatest effect.
 * Style: using rhetorical techniques to present your arguments.
 * Memory: the method of memorizing your speech so you don’t rely on notes. This also refers to memorizing other important bits of information and quotes that might become useful in your speech.
 * Delivery: the process of mastering the delivery of your speech using gestures, pronunciation, and tone of voice.

Although rhetoric is most commonly associated with politics and public discourse, it can be applied to literally every topic and every social situation.

//"Rhetoric in the most general sense may perhaps be identified with the energy inherent in communication: the emotional energy that impels the speaker to speak, the physical energy expanded in the utterance, the energy level coded in the message, and the energy experienced by the recipient in decoding the message." //// **George Kennedy:** "A Hoot in the Dark" (1992) //    // (Sources:[]) //