Effective rhetoric shows an audience the speaker's point of view.
Rhetoric is defined as the art of persuasion in speaking and writing. Successful use of rhetoric can sway an audience to agree with the opinion of the author or speaker. When creating a presentation for a group, infusing rhetoric allows the speaker to hopefully impress their ideas upon the audience and convince them of their argument.
Rhetorical Presentation
A rhetorical presentation is either a speech, debate or informative presentation where a speaker or speakers attempt to convince an audience that their point of view on a topic is correct. Rhetorical presentations are seen nearly anywhere from political debates to class lectures and even church sermons. With the point of rhetoric being to persuade an audience, the first step for any rhetor is to analyze her audience and determine what type of rhetorical tool will work best for them. While an orator can use many rhetorical tools, some of the most common include repetition, association, humor and metaphor.
Repetition
When compiling your presentation, remember one of the primary rules of rhetoric - repetition. By continually repeating the key points of your presentation, you can impress their importance upon your audience. The more that your listeners hear you repeat primary aspects, they will remember those concepts. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech is an example of repetition in action. Each time Dr. King emphatically states "I have a dream," he keys his audience in to his hopes and dreams for his country in the fight against segregation and racism.
Association
Association in the rhetorical sense is the art of connecting your key points to alternate ideas or concepts. A famous example of this rhetorical tool is seen in John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address. Throughout this oration, Kennedy continually links his beliefs and plans for the country to God thus creating the idea that his hopes for America are part of a greater plan. In using association in such a way, Kennedy was essentially telling his audience that his beliefs for the country were valid as they were backed by God's teachings and principles. In this way, association can help sway an audience to view a point in another light by connecting it to another concept.
Humor
Humor is a rhetorical tool that is used to lighten the mood of a crowd or make an audience feel more comfortable and connect with a speaker. By showing a side of humility with humor, a speaker can become more appealing to an audience by letting his or her guard down to show their personality. When humor is introduced, listeners can open their minds to view the speaker's opinion with a different view. Humor is a tougher rhetorical tool to use effectively and does require practice.
Metaphor
Metaphors can help an audience think of a concept in a different way by connecting it to an unrelated object. An example of a metaphor is seen in the phrase, "My heart is an anchor and sinks deeply." This metaphor is connecting the feelings in a person's heart to the heavy weight of a sinking anchor. While the two ideas are unrelated, a listener gets a distinct impression of how the speaker is feeling with this metaphor.
