Forth, and Fear No Darkness

The speech that King Théoden gives before the Rohirrim charge into battle in the third movie/fifth book of the…

Exordium & Peroration

The second part of rhetoric is arrangement. It is a commonplace for a story to have a beginning, middle, and end. In any piece of persuasive writing this should be applied. Arrangement allows you to maximize the strong arguments, minimize the weak arguments, and glide to your conclusion.

Lorelei, the ‘Mother God’

On a Thursday afternoon, I was approached by a fellow college student as I was taking a study break. She wanted to…

Kanye’s Struggle to Start

Kanye West is undoubtedly one of the most controversial figures in pop culture today. Whether you agree with his politics, his personal opinions, or are a fan of his music or clothing, he knows how to get attention. In 2015, MTV honored Mr. West with the Vanguard award at the VMA’s…

Moving Peroration

As I read the prompt, “Share and analyze a specific exordium or peroration — why is it strong or why did it move you?” I did not even have to think of an answer. I instantly thought of the film, “A Time to Kill” with Matthew McConaughey. The specific part of the film that showcased the perfect…

The Five Canons of Rhetoric

The five canons of rhetoric are invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Invention is finding ways to persuade your audience; arrangement is putting together the structure for your argument; style is the way a speaker presents the argument they are making to stir the…

“…” Means Trouble

Which of the rhetorical canons is most important? Delivery. Anyone who’s even tried to attempt standup comedy will tell you that delivery is the most important part of a speech.

Everyone knows the main problem with text messages and online correspondence is the lack of…

Diagnosis: Igniting a Sense of Action

Of the six parts of speech, I believe the exordium is the most important since it is the introduction. It should grab the attention of the audience with a personal story or startling statistic and leave them wanting to learn more or take action.

Delivery: The Primary Canon of Rhetoric

For those who don’t know, rhetoric and its practices are characterized by five main canons…

Memory: The Most Important Canon of Rhetoric

The 5 canons of rhetoric are essential when trying to get your message across to an audience. However, I would argue that memory is the most important canon for any good speech. Invention, style, arrangement, and delivery all have solid cases, but…