What is Rhetoric?

Jeffrey R. Holland: "However Long and Hard the Road"

After listening to this speech, one might conclude that Elder Holland is a rather appealing speaker. However, one must wonder why? What makes him so pleasing to listen to?

And how does all of this apply to rhetoric?

In fact, what is rhetoric?

According to this guy:



Rhetoric is: "The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion."

Let's take a page from our favorite high-functioning sociopath, eh?

Sherlock

The purpose of this class, then, is to hone our skills as observers, looking for all details and means of persuasion in our writing. We observe texts, looking at them from various angles. We discuss texts, piecing together thoughts and ideas. We deduce things and make assertions and observations about what we read.

And then, we write about it. The more we know, the better we can write.