Unit 1- Essential Question Reflection

How do speakers & writers use Rhetorical devices to communicate their ideas?


From Unit 1, I have learned a lot about how rhetors use rhetorical devices to communicate their ideas. There are so many rhetorical devices such as diction, syntax, arrangement, imagery, comparison/contrast, and plenty more. In using devices such as these, rhetors can greater enforce their point to their audience and make their work more effective. For example, Tim O'Brien uses diction such as "cooze" and other unfamiliar phrases and slang in "How to Tell a True War Story" to better express his point and emphasize the things he is saying or implying. Another example is the way O'Brien uses arrangement. He incorporates a pattern of short stories followed by informational paragraphs that explain how all the stories are true. This pattern continues throughout the piece to emphasize the fact that all the stories are true, and also his point that there is never any real truth in war stories. In these specific ways, as well as countless others, speakers & writers use Rhetorical devices to communicate their ideas.