presentation on literary terms

1. Rhetorical Writing
5 Terms You Should Know

2. Propaganda
Qualified Argument
Refutation
Rhetorical Question
Chiasmus

3. Propaganda
n: ideas or statements that are often false or
exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a
cause, a political leader, a government, etc.

4. Propaganda

5. Ways to Use Propaganda
-Pictures/Posters
Writing
-Can be used in order to
exaggerate a point you
are trying to make in
order to make it seem
more important then it
may be

6. Examples of Propaganda
Effective
Can be used to bend the reader’s thoughts
into a way that makes the author’s
supports seem much more interesting
Example: There is only one way to solve the
economic problem: shut down major
corporations and allow citizens to
equally distribute their wealth.
Propaganda as such must be followed by
some sort of reasoning or support.
Otherwise a reader will not be
convinced or interested by your
argument.
Ineffective
If propaganda is used in the wrong sense, it
could make the author seem unintelligent or
extremely biased towards his/her particular
argument
It can lose the attention of the reader if used
out of context
It can seem out of place in the essay if not
followed by some sort of reasoning

7. Qualified Argument
n: A proven or well supported argument
that is supported with valid and relevant
supports

8. Examples
Effective Ineffective
In having a valid argument, your
reader can relate to your topic and
more fully indulge themselves into
your piece.
Example: World War II was the world’s
most devastating war because the
COW count was over 6 million.
Ineffective arguments show a reader that you
have no idea what you are actually talking about
Example:

10. Refutation
v: the speech act of answering an attack
on your assertions

11. Examples
Effective Ineffective
Refutation can be used in order to
answer reader’s questions or resolve
a doubt that the reader may have
regarding your topic
Example: Some say that the congress
is a useless asset, but I believe it is not
because we need congress for the
development of laws
If an author uses refutation incorrectly,
they will seem biased and arrogant
Example: People say that congress is a
useless asset, but I believe it is not
because congress is good.
WHY!?

12. Rhetorical Question
n: a statement that is formulated as a
question but that is not supposed to be
answered

13. Examples
Effective Ineffective
Can be used in order to make the reader think
about your topic at hand
Example: Why do we as humans do…
This term can also be used to make your reader
more interested or attentive to the topic at hand
Must be used in moderation
otherwise an author maybe seem
confused by their topic
Example:

14. Chiasmus
n:a rhetorical or literary figure in which
words, grammatical constructions, or
concepts are repeated in reverse order,
in the same or a modified form

15. Examples
Effective Ineffective
Can be used to emphasis the
importance of a particular point you
are trying to make
Example: Those with the most mind
are those who mind the most
Chiasmus is also effective for creating
a statement for presenting your
argument
If chiasmus is used to many
times, it makes the author
seem as if they are babbling or
are trying to be poetic in a
sense that the piece becomes
boring
Example: Those with the most
mind are those who mind
most. This goes to show those
who are best are the best at
show….