Eloquence, Knowledge, and Concessions

ARCS Ch. 6, The Rhetorical Tradition - Augustine

 

This quote from the Augustine reading in Ancient Rhetorics struck me the most from the readings. “And still, although our teacher is necessarily the spokesman of great subjects, he need not necessarily always speak in grand style, but in subdued manner when something ought to be done and we are speaking to those who ought to do it, although they do not with to, then the matter which is an important one, should be stated in the grand style, and in a manner adapted to move their hearts” (471). The topic of eloquence was discussed a lot during this section and I think that it’s easy to forget that eloquence doesn’t always mean speaking grandly but rather in a way which fits the situation, and that quote perfectly summed it up for me. For me, when I watch someone speaking whether it be a politician, a motivational speaker, or a peer that I’m having a conversation with I can appreciate what they are saying more when their tone or approach changes as the subject or the aim or seriousness of the subject shifts. Sometimes I forget that motivational speakers use rhetoric heavily in their talks, I forgot that in order for a motivational speaker to be effective in helping someone in some way, they must first be able to convince the person that their advice is good, sound advice. If they were to speak in a grand style all the time, in my opinion, would become less relatable.

The idea of being relatable ties into the reading from Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students such that ethos plays a strong part in ones ability to persuade someone or make their point. Credibility is obviously a key part in a speaker’s success, but credibility doesn’t always have to be established with formal approaches. I thought that the example of Ta-Nehisis Coates invented ethos is a great example of building credibility by knowing how to speak to the audience in a way that was specific to them. He used words like anyway, a lotta, and hell but at no point during reading it did I think he was uneducated or uninformed. He spoke eloquently while also being relatable.  From reading or listening to other people’s speeches and even looking back at my own personal experiences I can see how eloquence is gained through being knowledgeable and is apparent. I’m a much more put together speaker and writer when I have covered all my bases and have done my research, it gives me a sense of confidence. I don’t have to rely on a grand style of speaking to make myself appear to know what I am talking about. Another important part of Coates speech was the concession that he made the comment “it’s quite possible that I have this backwards…I first encountered French fries amongst black folks” (151. By making concessions not only does the speaker make themself appear to be “honest and trustworthy” (151) but also it shows that they are open-minded. For me, I am much more open to what someone has to say when the person speaking is also open to other points of views.