Lit Lounge 1 - Warren Chapman

Summary
In the essay “Rhetoric Is Synonymous With Empty Speech”, we are informed about how
rhetoric is interpreted and can be used. The writer, Patricia Roberts-Miller, is a professor at the
University of Texas at Austin, where she is in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. Her goal
was to describe how rhetoric can be used to help persuade your audience to her readers. She also
describes the power that rhetoric has and the two ways it can be looked at. She gives
explanations of how rhetoric is used to add complexity to a sentence. Such as “The cat is on the
mat”, versus “The elegant feline languishes mournfully on the expensive carpet, waiting
impatiently for what he sees as his lazy servants to open a can of salmon”. She also explains that
some people have moral issues with rhetoric, as it is not “Edenic”. The people who practice
Edenic writing believe that the flowery fancy alternative of rhetoric hides the truth. Compared to
a straightforward sentence used in Edenic writing, which exposes the truth. It is believe she has
multiple genres of an informative essay and a how-to instruction. She lays out how Greek
philosopher Aristotle and Athenian philosopher Plato used rhetoric. This helps the audience
understand how and when to use this tool. For example, Aristotle never prompted or discouraged
rhetoric, he just advised his audience to use rhetoric as, “the ability in any particular case to see
the available means of persuasion.” Patricia Roberts-Miller’s primary point in this essay is to
educate the reader. She wants her audience to understand the power of rhetoric, and more
importantly how to use rhetoric.

Reaction
After reading this article, I had one question in mind. Why can’t a speech use rhetoric to
spread the truth? When performing a speech Plato has a set of rules that he uses to get his point
across. In the text, it says, “Plato’s point seems to be that speech-making isn’t a very useful skill
because making speeches to large groups is not very effective for getting to the truth.” Later on,
the text also says, “if you want to find out what’s true, argue with another individual. Do not
make a speech.” I found this fact the most insightful because when I think of speeches like “I
Have A Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and “A More Perfect Union” by President Barack
Obama. These speeches were spreading the truth to any man or woman with functioning ears and
a open heart. These speeches outlined facts of the past and hopes for the future. A brighter future
where all could be included. Maybe in Plato’s era, speaking in front of an Athenian jury made up
of potential “hundreds of people” was a lot. There maybe was an educational barrier so you had
to dumb down your rhetoric so that you could reach your peers. Today though, you can give an
argumentative persuasive speech, that pushes the boundaries of society. So respectfully I have to
disagree with Plato, I think an argument supported by a speech can be done to reach millions in
seconds and change the world.
 One realization I made while reading, is that rhetoric is that your rhetoric is put on
display every day. Based on the reading I think rhetoric refers to all communication. I thought
prior to this reading, it was just ethos, logos, pathos. Also that it was limited to just writing.
Rhetoric refers to far more than that, it has to do with timing and complexity. If you learn how to
master the timing and complexity of your rhetoric, you will make better arguments and become a
better writer. The reading specifically defines rhetoric as Edenic, a “straightforward model of
how communication should work”. Or that rhetoric is something that you add to your message
such as a metaphor and “that decorates and obscures communication.” You can see how rhetoric
is like a swiss army knife and can be used in all situations. I also learned that people who
believed in Edenic writing are referring to the garden of Eden from the Bible. Where things
before were simple and clear. People seem to think that “using simple, plain, and rhetoric-free
language” will “return us to Eden.” I would say when I was younger I agreed that a
straightforward and short path of writing was the best way to go. It makes writing much simpler
and easier to comprehend for me, but I found it extremely interesting that my shortcut in writing
is being used as an attempt to bring back Eden. It also interests me that they are attempting to
bring back the past with language. This got me thinking, why would anyone choose language
specifically to bring back a moment in time. I drew the conclusion that Language is culture. They
do not physically want to drag Eden back or grow the plants that were in Eden now. They want
to bring the life of simplicity back from where it started, Eden.

This reading expanded my knowledge of writing by showing me there are different ways
to use rhetoric. There are many different interpretations of what is the “right way” to use
rhetoric, but you and the writer have to make your own style. You must determine what you find
to be your rhetoric. Just do not let the rhetoric of your writing take over your paper so that the
reader can no longer see the point.