I was way off.....

Before the readings I had a vague definition of rhetoric. Basically, I thought it was just the way one writes or speaks. I had heard the saying, "that is mere rhetoric," but, to be honest, I did not really understand what it meant. The reading assignments enlightened me on the many extensive definitions of rhetoric and the fact that there is argument over its true meaning.
I think Aristotle had a good basis for rhetoric when he divided speech into logos, which Silva Rhetoricae defined as "logical content," and lexis, which is "style and delivery." This helped to fill me in that rhetorics is about the form or style of what is said or written that adds to the overall meaning that the author or speaker is trying to say.
After reading Herrick's detailed analysis on the art of rhetoric, I realized how large a role rhetoric plays in everyday life, and how important this tool can be for more than just authors and speakers. From this description, I realized that rhetoric is a tool of persuasion that can be used by everyone from politicians and attorneys, to artists, and even dancers. I was especially interested in what Herrick said about how doctors use rhetorics often to persuade patients and other doctors about controversial medical procedures or the effectiveness of a debated medication. At first I thought rhetorics would never pertain to me if I were to become a doctor, but here I was proved wrong!
What really stood out to me was how rhetorics can be very powerful. If one is able to master the "art of rhetoric," then one could possibly shape the beliefs and actions of others. Depending on who masters it, rhetoric could be used for good or evil. After learning this, I was confused as to why so many have argued that learning rhetorics is useless.
After the readings, I have changed my definition of rhetorics to the way one uses symbols, style, and knowledge in order to communicate persuasively their ideas to a specific audience. By using rhetoric, one is able to effectively make their private thoughts public, and perhaps create change in society. This is still a fairly vague definition, as opposed to Herrick's, but I feel like it hits the main points of rhetoric.

Also, I have finally chosen a title for my blog: Che Stress! This is a saying (translation: What Stress!) from a calender featuring a popular Italian comic called Mafalda. It is about a girl, Malfalda, that stresses about everything. My parents bought me this calender when they were in Italy last September because I am always stressing about something. I'm sure being stressed out will be a common theme in many of my blogs. If not, I will do my best to find a more creative title!