After reading Herrick’s first chapter of History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction, I further developed my definition of rhetoric. I did not consider the negative potential of rhetorical discourse in my original definition of rhetoric. My original definition primarily focused on the artistic component without elaborating on the role that purpose plays in rhetorical discourse.

Rhetoric comes in many forms. Whether it be a TV ad, political speech, blog, etc., rhetoric must effectively communicate the author’s ideas. While rhetoric is seen in many forms, it is also used for many purposes. My original definition addressed the need to communicate effectively, but I left it at that. If I were going to adjust my definition of rhetoric, it would be to elaborate on purpose. More specifically, I would discuss one of the most common purposes, persuasion. Rhetoric is often used to persuade, and even manipulate the audience. I believe this is important in defining rhetoric because I believe inspiration forms the foundation of rhetorical discourse and few things inspire individuals to succeed more than the desire to persuade.