Hammer Your Point Away
Hammer Your Point Away
As a young girl, I used to get scared whenever I was asked to write an essay, a story or a letter. My mind would get blank, and my hand would not go beyond ‘Once there was a king’. Then, I came across the ‘Rhetorical Devices’ which could be applied to any writing.
The rhetorical devices are four – Ethos, Logos, Pathos and Kairos. The first Rhetorical device Ethos is related to the writer. It is concerned with WHO is writing and what he/she is since the writing carries value by the writer and affects the content. For instance, if the writing of an immature writer reflects imperfections, it fails to hold the reader’s attention. In contrast, the writing of an expert easily attracts the attention of people. Consequently, when one is not an expert and still a student, he/she can borrow the Ethos of other experts by adequate references. Another way of building up one’s Ethos is by sounding confident in writing. Finally, writing which is well organized, few grammatical and spelling mistakes create good Ethos. Developing one’s special style in writing also creates Ethos.
The second Rhetorical device Logos is related to the content – WHY. The word logos is derived from the word Logic, which means reasoning. Our speech or writing will have value if the reasons provided are logical and well organized. For example, while talking about Tortoise and Rabbit, one could say, “A tortoise cannot win the race with rabbit because it moves slower than the rabbit.” Although the above sentence is rational, it doesn’t provide concrete logical information. Logical statistics added to the sentence makes it clear and fathomable – “Tortoise walks 0.2 miles per hour, whereas a rabbit runs 25 miles per hour. Therefore, the Tortoise cannot defeat the Rabbit in a race,”
The third Rhetoric device is Pathos – for WHOM? Pathos is about the reader. When we write an essay or a letter, we need to keep in mind the person who reads it. Our language and style should change accordingly. Ex: When we write a letter to our friends, the words used are informal, and short words like ‘u’, ‘ur’, etc., are used. In addition, they are addressed informally Hi, Yo!, Baby! And so on. If the letter is addressed to the principal or a teacher formal words are used, following the rules of letter writing, spelling the words entirely. At the same time, with the principals and teachers, a distance is maintained and personal experiences are not disclosed. In contrast, our innate feelings are shared with our friends. Further, in general writing, ‘Pathos’ refers to adding emotions to the write-up and taking sides. For example:
The Rabbit ridiculed the Tortoise that it was the slowest animal in the world and challenged it for a race. The Tortoise was insulted and accepted the challenge. The Tortoise won the race, but it was aware that it could not have won the race if the Rabbit had not slept. It could not enjoy the victory. It walked to the Rabbit and said, “My friend, everyone has his own strengths and weaknesses. One should not mock others shortcomings. I might be the winner of this race, but you are the fastest runner. This trophy belongs to you!” Rabbit felt ashamed and repented its actions. Both became friends and lived happily ever after sharing this story with their children.
The fourth rhetorical element is Kairos – TIME. Kairos is related to when you make a speech or write an article. The write-up should consider the time factor. Let us get back to the Tortoise and the rabbit story. It is not appropriate to introduce a lion character to reconcile the Tortoise and Rabbit after they have reconciled. However, the lion, as the king of the forest, could be introduced to appreciate Tortoise’ forbearing and indulgent manner. Thus, Kairos tells us when to present what depending on the situation.
Including Ethos, Logos, Pathos and Kairos in your writing to hammer your point away. Add Ethos by building up YOUR character, confidence and by having the knowledge of the experts in the field you are talking about. Add Logos by WHY you are talking, giving reasons and statistics, Pathos by considering WHOM you are speaking to and how it affects them and Kairos to know WHAT to present WHEN. These four Rhetoric tools make your writing effective.