” … I’ll tear you to pieces with my bare hands. Or vicious rhetoric.”
- Topher Grace in “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton”
Sometimes, those of us lacking the physical capabilities to destroy someone have to turn to something else. Words. Because we use them so well that we can silence an entire crowd. Because we use them in a way that captivates people. Because we use words so large and obscure that people forget what the topic of discussion was.
Enter rhetoric!
Unless you’ve taken a class on Rhetorical Theory or have read a book on the subject (come on - who doesn’t want to read about rhetoric in their free time?), it’s possible that rhetoric is a mysterious but fascinating word that you kind-of-sort-of think you know the meaning of.
And enter Silva Rhetoricae, a website dedicated to explaining rhetoric to the common person. I was directed to this link a while ago when I was new to the world of rhetoric. There is a ton of information on here, some that I could care less about, honestly. But it’s organized in such a way that I can easily pick and choose what you want to read about without getting sidetracked or lost in the website.
So the next time you need to tear someone to pieces … consider the power of words that you probably already possess. Consider rhetoric and win the day!
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Jenn said:
I LOVED that line in “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton”. Take me now, Topher!
May 19, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Someone said:
That is awesome… Rhetoric such a FUN weapon!
May 19, 2008 @ 9:50 pm
leafless said:
Reading this reminds me of a sharp-witted friend, who has fantastic rhetorical skills. People have pretty much stopped arguing with him.
May 21, 2008 @ 7:07 pm