Rhetorically Speaking

• Author: Faith Dianne Pincus
• Profession: Attorney and former Federal Law Clerk
• Pages: 67-72

67

CHAPTER FIVE

Rhetorically Speaking

Rhetorical techniques have been around since the days of the Ancient

Greeks. If they were good enough for Aristotle and Socrates, they’re good

enough for you.

These techniques are persuasive tools that are useful in the same way

as pausing and can have an enormous impact on your audience during a

presentation. What’s more, they’re easy—anyone can learn them and use

them. Let’s start with the basics:

Similes and Metaphors

As you probably remember from elementary school, similes compare one

thing to another by using the term “like” or “as.” Metaphors compare one

thing to another as well but without the “like” or “as.” You don’t need to

recall the difference as long as you use both.

Almost every cliché you’ve ever heard is either a simile or a metaphor.

A few examples:

•

Similes—“Tough as leather.” “Clear as a bell.” “Hard as nails.” “Dry

as a bone.” “Old as the hills.” That sort of thing.

•

Metaphors—“Judges are bilingual; they speak Plaintiff and Defen-

dant.” “He has a heart of gold.” “Too much of the world is run on

the theory that you don’t need road manners if you are a five-ton

truck.” Quotes that are metaphors (many good ones are):

• “Get someone else to blow your horn and the sound will carry

twice as far.” (Often attributed to Will Rogers.)

• “Each day is a scroll: Do not write anything upon it that you

do not want remembered.” (B. ibn Pachav, eleventh century)

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