I shall use my words as weapons of persuasion
Blog #2: Cicero Reading
Summary: In an attempt to illustrate persuasive speaking as an art form, Cicero describes that there must be certain divisions of rhetoric present in order to captivate an audience. Amongst these divisions are: Invention, Arrangement, Elocution, Memory, and Delivery. Detailed descriptions of these divisions may be found in Part VII. Furthermore, Cicero spends much time on the usage of these rhetorical devices and their effects on an audience. According to Cicero, a negative or a positive effect may be cast upon an audience after interpreting a persuasive speech.
Response: In the words of ABT Principal Ballerina, Starr Darrien, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it.” As a former Orator, I completely agree with such a statement, and may conclude that much of what Cicero said is true. Persuasion is a tool we use to effectively communicate our ideas to receive a desired effect amongst an audience. Generally, the effect is positive, but occasionally, the effect can be negative as well. For instance, many people did not necessarily agree with Adolf Hitler’s beliefs. However, his mastery of delivery and his ability to evoke fear into his audience resulted in many followers–many of which, who could not foretell the negative impact of their support that led to such a dreadful holocaust. On the other hand, Mary Fisher, Founder of Family AIDS Network, was able to generate a league of support from the Republican Party during the 1992 elections. Throughout her speech, “A Whisper of AIDS”, Mary made many personal references to her family and was able to relate herself to “the lonely gay man sheltering a flickering candle from the cold wind of his family’s rejection.” From watching the Youtube clip, I was able to see what kind of effect Mary was able to draw from her audience; many tears were shed and a standing ovation was given at the end of her speech. With that, Mary was able to raise awareness and funding for HIV and AIDS research. I must credit Mary Fisher for her diction when saying the words “children” and “dying” in the same sentence. Such words cause many emotions to stir.
With that said, I leave you with a clip from my favorite reality show, Dance Moms. (Start clip at 3:40 and end clip at 6:38)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh6sziU1IWc