English 103 - Rhetoric

Rhetoric is all around us. Everywhere we look, people and businesses are using language in inventive ways to persuade us to see something in a particular way.  Groups will invent catchy phrases that draw the eye and ensure people remember their message. Any1 "Got Milk?"

Walking around campus, rhetoric is shown everywhere we look.  On the walls in your dorm are posted advertisements for all sorts of events, from sports to movie nights, often times offering deals written in colorful ways in order to entice you into going to the events.

Also on campus, there are many stations where fraternities and sororities have set themselves up, advertising to the next generation of potential members.  Everyone has seen the "would Jesus go greek?" posters, and often times that is enough to appeal to the human imagination, drawing people in to learn more and possibly sign-up, thus completing the messages intended purpose.

Movie trailers and posters are another example.  Choice clips from a movie are used in the trailer to maximize the intrique and desire to see the movie. Posters will include phrases to do the same thing. An excellent example is the poster for the recent Harry Potter movie