Persuasive Essay: What Has More Rhetoral Power

Persuasive Essay

Which has more rhetorical power, the spoken or the written word?

Is it true that the use of utterances and linguistic functions in verbal communication, wherein the comprehensive communicative act, comprise more rhetorical power than the written word? Why people generally prefer face-to-face interaction to discuss significant issues rather than using electronic media at our fingertips? “Why do people meet in debating chambers to make rules and reach political positions when they could surely more easily handle the complexity of the issues and the large amount of relevant data by exchanging documents and be done with it?” (Furniss, 2004, P. 1) This article will help you in deciding if the spoken word has more rhetorical power

These devices can be applied more effectively by verbal communication. Firstly, face-to-face communication allows speaker to show his persistence, determination, establishing trust and constitute a strong emotional bond on audiences. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is an accurate masterpiece of rhetorical devices. In his speech, he quotes from the Constitution of the United States and builds up his own credibility, refers to the religious and patriotic documents by drawing attention on emotional values of many people. Additionally, he makes some rhythmic repetitions, which enriches the power of his words such as “Let freedom ring from”, “One hundred years later” and “Now is the time”. These strong traditions of verbal communication support political leaders in public speaking.“Anyone who has heard the speeches of Martin Luther King, such as are still available in recorded form will recognize the rhetorical features that lay behind such powerful words.” (Furniss, 2004, P. 88) Speakers who use paralinguistic features and rhetorical devices appropriately can give the message without isolating at the time of oral argument, while understanding the reactions of audiences and leading the

This may partially be true, but many speeches and speakers’ actions are remembered from the history because speaker makes a connection between himself and audiences. “The unique thing about public speaking is not the content or even the style of the words; it is the fact that the words are spoken in the company of others in a common, shared space.” (Crick, XX) In todays world it may be easier to send a text message or e-mail but oral communication can not reduced its importance because face-to-face interaction and participation in conversation create dramatic moments that allow remembering the speech. Making connections with people while speaking is the responsibility of the speaker. If the speaker sends right signals by using persuasion techniques of oral communication, he accomplishes to make influences on the large mass of people and being remembered. Additionally, “You could write hundreds of pages of briefs and you are still never absolute sure that the judges is focused on exactly what you want him to focus on in that brief.” (Bright, 1986, 36) A speaker can change the direction of conversations just by looking at the audiences’ facial expressions, but writing is open to any discussion and misunderstandings. Maybe a written word is more memorable, but it does not matter being persuasive and being remembered if the message is