Tag Archives: rhetoric

Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 321) – Plato

Posted on 22/10/2019 by

“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.” —  Plato Photo courtesy of Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons

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In the footsteps of Aristotle

Posted on 24/07/2018 by

In May 2018, I visited Athen, Greece to speak at a conference. While there, I had the opportunity to visit the Acropolis and see the Parthenon. With the Parthenon as an amazing backdrop, I made a short video on Aristotle’s … Continue reading →

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Rhetorical Devices: Symploce

Posted on 15/07/2018 by

This post is part of a series on rhetoric and rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. Device: Symploce (pronounced sim-plo-see or sim-plo-kee) Origin: From the Greek συμπλοκήν (simplokeen), meaning “interweaving”. In plain English: Repetition of … Continue reading →

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Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 245) – Aristotle

Posted on 14/11/2016 by

“An emotional speaker always makes his audience feel with him, even when there is nothing in his arguments; which is why many speakers try to overwhelm their audience by mere noise.” — Aristotle

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Rhetoric for Persuasive Speaking

Posted on 25/09/2016 by

Dukascopy Bank is a Swiss online bank that provides trading services, particularly in the foreign exchange marketplace. One of its subsidiaries, Dukascopy TV, broadcasts shows about business matters on the Internet. I have been interviewed there a few times, for example … Continue reading →

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Rhetorical Devices: Anastrophe

Posted on 01/09/2016 by

This post is part of a series on rhetoric and rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. Device: Anastrophe Origin: From the Greek ἀναστροφή (anastrophē), meaning “a turning back or about”. In plain English: Changing the … Continue reading →

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Rhetorical Devices: Syllepsis

Posted on 12/08/2016 by

This post is part of a series on rhetoric and rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. Device: Syllepsis Origin: From the Greek σύλληψις (sillipsis) meaning to take together. In plain English: When one word—often a verb—is used … Continue reading →

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Aristotle’s Three Pillars of Rhetoric

Posted on 30/07/2016 by

On 1 June 2016, I announced the launch of a new digital magazine for public speaking professionals: Presentation Guru. I am proud to be one of the co-founders of the site. This post is part of a series designed to share the great content on Presentation … Continue reading →

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The Rhetorical Genius of Muhammad Ali

Posted on 04/06/2016 by

The world has lost a legend. A boxing legend, a sporting legend, a human legend. Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky. Ali gained worldwide attention in 1960 when, at the age … Continue reading →

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Rhetorical Devices: Antithesis

Posted on 06/02/2016 by

This post is part of a series on rhetoric and rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. Device: Antithesis Origin: From the Greek ἀντί (anti) meaning “against” and θέσις (thesis) meaning “position”. In plain English: Contrasting two different … Continue reading →

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Rhetorical Devices: Metaphor

Posted on 09/11/2014 by

This post is part of a series on rhetoric and rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. Device: Metaphor Origin: From the Greek μεταφορά (metaphora), meaning “transfer”. In plain English: Comparing two things (that are often not … Continue reading →

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The Elements of Eloquence

Posted on 22/06/2014 by

Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with my series on rhetorical devices. Figures of rhetoric such as anaphora, epistrophe, epizeuxis and others, when used properly, can set a speech on fire so that it blazes in the memories of … Continue reading →

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