Regardless of what many people believe, the study of Rhetoric is not a new concept. Because of this nearly every rhetorician will give you a different definitions. While every rhetorician may have the same general concept in mind, they will explain their thoughts using different focal terms. These focuses could be on the vernacular, theories, civic focuses , or even something as simple as writing.  During our class brainstorming exercise the two terms I believe encompass rhetoric are “persuasion” and “discourse”.

The goal of every speaker and writer is to persuade their audience into believing what they are telling them. If this does not successfully take place then all of the effort put forth by the writer becomes irrelevant. The techniques and verbiage used to successfully persuade an audience has to be adapted to the specific group and goal that the rhetor is addressing.

This adaptation relies heavily on the specific discourse that the rhetor is focusing on. For example, political discourse is portrayed in nearly every propaganda ad and speech given by any candidate that we watch. The way in which the politician expresses his ideas and beliefs to us is entirely different than the way a teacher would address a classroom full of students, or a pastor would address the members of their congregation.

There are even smaller discourses within the larger ones. I once analyzed a speech given by a politician where his focuses was a group of students who supported his competitor. Shockingly his goal was not to persuade them to support his cause, but to persuade them of their worth. My point being, even within a larger discourse (political) a rhetor has to adjust their approach. This is what give rhetoric its significance and power.