While I enjoy the challenge and fun of speechwriting, I’ve no formal understanding of the rhetorical devices to persuade or inspire. I’m set out to correct that in 2021: learn a few rhetorical devices, and more importantly, weave them into my language.
John Rimmer has a series on rhetoric he began on his website, which I’m going to lean on & start my learning from.
Antanagoge (pronounced an-tana-goji) is the first cab off the ranks, which in plain English means to turn a negative into positive (or vice versa?).
An example is the proverb, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Another: “My car is old and ugly, but it is reliable and runs great.”
While remembering the names of rhetorical devices is hard work, it will make my life easier when I’m working with other speechwriters.
Am I doing this right?