Monthly Archives: January 2008

Eutrepismus

Posted on January 6, 2008 | Leave a comment

Eutrepismus (eu-tre-pis’-mus): Numbering and ordering the parts under consideration. A figure of division, and of ordering.

Talk about rhetoric often attempts to denigrate rhetoric. This is deeply ironic. That is, talk about rhetoric that advances a judgment of rhetoric is itself a rhetorical act! For example, we’ve all probably heard these two put-downs (or variations): (1) Stop the rhetoric and get to the reality; and (2) That’s just a lot of rhetoric.

Let’s take a closer look at the first put-down . . .

Post your own eutrepismus on the “Comments” page!

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Posted in eutrepismus

Tagged elocutio, eutrepismus, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, rhetoric, The Daily Trope

Acrostic

Posted on January 5, 2008 | Leave a comment

Acrostic: When the first letters of successive lines are arranged either in alphabetical order (= abecedarian) or in such a way as to spell a word.

Too many ideas are floated in public without appropriate forethought.

Reckless assertion-making makes the future even more uncertain.

Useless information fogs and obscures the rhetorical landscape.

Time and time again I waste time rummaging for facts in the media clutter.

How many crazy, nutty, silly ways can

truth

be moved from the

center

to the

margin?

Post your own acrostic on the “Comments” page!

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Posted in acrostic

Tagged abecedarian, acrostic, elocutio, figures of speech, Gorgias's Weblog, rhetoric, The Daily Trope

Antitheton

Posted on January 4, 2008 | Leave a comment

Antitheton (an-tith’-e-ton): A proof or composition constructed of contraries. Antitheton is closely related to and sometimes confused with the figure of speech that juxtaposes opposing terms, antithesis. However, it is more properly considered a figure of thought (=Topic of Invention: Contraries [a topic of invention in which one considers opposite or incompatible things that are of the same kind (if they are of different kinds, the topic of similarity / difference is more appropriate). Because contraries occur in pairs and exclude one another, they are useful in arguments because one can establish one’s case indirectly, proving one’s own assertion by discrediting the contrary]).

While noteworthy acts of great courage may shorten one’s life to a sweet unregretful end, noteworthy acts of great cowardice may lengthen one’s life to a bitter regretful end.