The Art of Rhetoric
If you look “art” up in the dictionary, it has many different meanings. Because the word “art” has so many definitions, it makes sense that art can be found everywhere. Everyday when we wake up, we see art all around us-in movies, books, magazines, and stories. The more intellectual people recognize this art and pick it apart, discovering the rhetoric within the language.
Examples of Rhetoric from Movies:
- Hyperbole; “You should’ve gone to China, you know, ’cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.” -Juno
- Rhetorical Question; “We call this a battle but what are we fighting for?” -Step Up 2: The Streets
- Antimetabole; “The true losers in life are not those that try and fail, but those that fail to try.” -Popstar
- Parallelism; “Every dad is entitled to one hideous shirt and one horrible sweater.” -Cheaper By the Dozen 2
- Anaphora; “I’ll give you the shoulder, I’ll give you the hug. I’ll feed you, I’ll clothe you if you need it.” -Madea’s Family Reunion
Rhetoric is everywhere in our world, just like art. There are many different types of both, found in many different places. No matter what your definition of “art” is, next time you see some, dig deeper and try to find the rhetoric within the language.
