Blog 2 Jan. 23

In “Rhetoric is Synonymous With Empty Speech, Roberts-Miller explains the difference between rhetoric in the professional. In the first paragraph, Roberts-Miller shows the reader how different professions can define rhetoric differently. The authors audience is for anyone who is interested in the different definitions of the word rhetoric. Roberts-Miller implies that people who study the subject of rhetoric interpret the word differently than those who do not. The author says that professionals always believe that rhetoric can be incorporated in any sentence while non-professionals think it is added words to make a sentence more elaborate. Professionals think that even the simple sentences have rhetoric in their own unique way. Towards the end of the reading, Roberts-Miller includes how Aristotle argues that rhetoric teaches you “how to approach political, ethical, and legal problems, how to come up with an argument when you can’t be certain you are right”. Finally the author finishes the text by stating that rhetoric is uniquely present in every sentence short or long, and simple or detailed.

In the text “The Rhetorical Situation”, Bitzer attempts to explain the ultimate dilemma with the word rhetoric. In the text Bitzer is the one who is writing to his audience. Bitzer’s primary audience most likely consists of young adults who know about rhetoric and eager to learn more about the confusing word. Throughout the text Bitzer implies that rhetoric is the ability to persuade in literature and speaking. He argues that the rhetorical discourse or “persuasive communication” in writing and speaking, helps create rhetorical situations. He later says that these rhetorical situations yield a “fitting” response. For example on page 10 Bitzer uses Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to explain a fitting response. He states ” Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was a most fitting response to the relevant features of the historical context which invited its existence and gave it rhetorical significance”. Bitzer’s purpose of writing “The Rhetorical Situation” was to show the progression of how rhetorical situations yield a fitting response. In conclusion the author supports his idea that rhetoric is situational by explaining that rhetoric is not just the art of persuasive literature and speaking.