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Definition
The part of an argument where a speaker or writer anticipates and counters opposing view points. This strengthens an argument, because it takes away potential counterarguments. A refutation can be made with evidence or with logic.
Example from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963" By Martin
Luther king Junior
"You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation." |
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Term
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Definition
Repeated use of a word or phrase in a short passage, generally emphasizes a specific idea or point. There are many different kinds of repetition, but beware of unintentionally repeating a word often, as it can make a piece boring. Effectively used repetition does not seem repetitive, as contradicting as that may sound.
"Oh, woeful, oh woeful, woeful, woeful day!
--Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet |
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Term
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Definition
Multiple meanings, but in the context of this course it is generally the effect texts have on their audience. When we study rhetorical strategies, we are looking for the strategies the author uses in order to evoke a particular response form the reader.
Examples of rhetoric are every where, in each and every written piece. A specific example is in "A Presidential candidate", by Mark Twain. He hyperbolizes the wants of the American people, with the intent to exaggerate and lampoon the commonly accepted fact that politicians have dark secrets in their past. |
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Term
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Definition
A Question asked for the effect of asking it, with no response expected. It is seen most often in essays, and also generally signals a shift in the passage.
Example: |
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