To me, rhetoric is the art of communicating your thoughts and ideas. It is composed of the individual’s idea, temperament, and style. The ideas are the foundation of the individual’s rhetorical discourse. I believe every rhetorical statement must begin with an idea or viewpoint that inspires its author in one way or another. An inspirational idea is key to the creation of rhetorical discourse because without an inspired author the discourse is not rhetorical. Next comes temperament. Much like how an inspirational idea is the factor that forms the basis of the rhetorical statement, the author’s temperament is the factor that uses the inspiration to develop a certain stance on the topic. Finally, rhetoric requires the author’s style. After the author develops a stance on a topic, the individual’s style is used to turn this stance into the discourse that is communicated to the audience.

Rhetorical Traditions I is the third class I have enrolled in while pursuing my minor in Writing and Rhetoric. While all three classes have made contributions to my perception of rhetoric, the class discussions and research I conducted while enrolled in the first class, Appalachian Rhetoric, made the largest contribution to how I define rhetoric. Major Iddings, the professor of Appalachia Rhetoric, aimed to help me gain a better understanding of the rhetorical history of Appalachia. However, before he could accomplish this goal, he needed to introduce me to the significance of rhetoric. His introduction promptly inspired me to dig deeper into role rhetoric plays in my everyday life. After a little digging, I adopted the definition of rhetoric that I have today.