Impossibly good looks: A pragma-ontological approach to unearthing the latent rhetorical structure of anti-ageing advertising discourse

Author(s): George Rossolatos / Language(s): English Issue: 2-3/2018

This paper aims at unearthing the appeals, the argumentative schemes and the modes of rhetorical configuration that make up the rhetorical structure of the anti-ageing skin care product category’s print advertising discourse. To this end, the pragma-ontological approach is put forward as an offshoot of the pragma-dialectical perspective in rhetorical analysis and criticism. The pragma-ontological approach adds interpretative depth to the overt argumentation structure of anti-ageing products’ ads on the grounds of fundamental ontology/existential phenomenology. The analysis points to three levels where the ads’ arguments function: an overt level and two covert ones. On the overt level the ads function against the background of mixed ethos/pathos/ logos appeals that buttress an argumentation scheme from values.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF KEYWORDS IN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CORPORATE PRESS RELEASES FROM EUROPEAN COMPANIES: INSIGHTS INTO DISCURSIVE PRACTICES

Author(s): Hanna Teresa Skorczynska Sznajder / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

This study provides insights into discursive practices through a comparative study of keywords in English-language press releases from British, Spanish and Polish energy companies. Even though corporate press releases have been extensively researched, there is a lack of cross-cultural and corpus-based studies in this field. In the present research three corpora of approximately 120,000 words each, containing English-language press releases from British, Spanish and Polish energy companies, were used. The keywords were identified with the Wmatrix tool (Rayson 2009) and the reference corpus consisted of business periodical articles. The analysis of corpus keywords usually provides insights that would be difficult to gain by means of manual analyses of texts or qualitative approaches. The results obtained in this study show notable differences between the corpora with regard to the keywords identified. The use of more general meaning keywords by British companies or more technical keywords by Polish companies suggest that lexical choices might be indicative of different discursive practices used to reach stakeholders and the general public.

Ununevad distsipliinid: sõnakunst kui mõttkunst. Filosoofia valdkondade poeetika ja retoorika sünnist Kreekas jaedaspikestmisest mujalgi

Author(s): Janika Päll / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 1-2/2021

The article discusses the emergence and development of poetics and rhetoric as a complementary pair of disciplines bound to the arts of speech, with a particular focus on antiquity and on the theory defining poetry and prose and their relationship. It emphasizes the often unrecognized role of Gorgias’ “Encomium of Helen” in the formation of Plato’s and Aristotle’s views on “poiesis” and their studies of the effect of words used artistically. Ever since Gorgias, arts theories keep emphasizing the same moments – change of opinions, incitement and alleviation of passions –when describing how the heard word can affect one’s soul, despite the differences in genres and contexts, whether observed in poetry, politics, science, or magic. The article points out the tendency, begun by Gorgias, to approach different word-based ’arts’ in a complementary way, highlighting separately Aristotle’s theory and the practice of liberal arts in medieval education and the rediscovery of classical rhetoric in the early modern period. Plato-inspired criticism of rhetoric and poetry (particularly tragedy) is contrasted with Aristotle’s pragmatic approach underlining the role of logic (which became central in the Middle Ages), as well as by emphasising the importance of the sublime and divine in poetry and prose (Cicero, Horace, Longinus) and by justification of rhetoric as a means of moral education, based on Isocrates and reappearing not only in Cicero and Horace but also in Plutarch, let alone the relevant 17th-century writings from the Academia Gustaviana (Tartu) and the Reval Gymnasium (Tallinn), as well as in the treatises, inspired by Cicero and Horace, written by Karl Morgenstern, founder of Classical Philology at the Imperial University of Tartu. In addition, some possibilities are pointed out which are opened up by Aristotle’s “Rhetoric” and the treatise “On literary composition” by Dionysius of Halicarnassus for studying the relationships between poetry and prose (in particular for considering lyric poetry and ’free verse’).

Специфіка імпровізаційних розділів в італійській оперній арії da capo доби бароко

Author(s): Susanna Valeriyivna Chakhoyan / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 3/2021

Purpose of the Article. The main attention in the article is focused on the peculiarities of improvisation methods that were used in the third part and in the Cadenzas of aria da capo in baroque Italy. The characteristic features of vocal improvisation space in opera atr of Italian baroque have been explored and defined. In particular, the specificity of baroque ornamental improvisation in the aria's third part has been defined; the differences between baroque and renaissance improvisation have been clarified; the essence of the theory of affects (feelings, emotions) as an aesthetic and philosophical context of vocal art's existence in the baroque era has been defined; the peculiarities of an existing connection between the theory of effects and the main principles of the rhetoric of that time have been clarified; we have also found out how the rhetoric of the baroque era affected the disposition of Cadenzas in the context of musical structure's dramaturgy; the historical circumstances in which the genre discussed (that is, aria da capo) was formed have been described. Мethodology. We have used in our study as research tools the following methods: a comparative method (for comparing of improvisation stylistics of the renaissance and of the baroque era; of the Venice and Neapolitan operatic schools); a historical and stylistic method (for featuring of the historical context of the emergence and performing of arias da capo and of their Cadenzas and for characterizing of the essencial features of the epoch analyzed); an analytical and descriptive method (for the analysis of particular elements of improvisation in arias da capo, of the key principles of the theory of effects and their connection to baroque improvisation). Scientific novelty. The topic of the article is connected to the largely unexplored nowadays realm of music artists that, however, needs careful analysis and a systematic approach. The up-to-date research results in the sphere of vocal improvisation of the baroque era are presented and analyzed in the article. Conclusions. Improvisation in the space of aria da capo is a multidimentional, controversial, and ambiguous sphere of baroque vocal art. It cannot confine itself only by the sphere of performance but also deserves music scholars' regard.

Usporedba retoričkih karakteristika rimokatoličkih i protestantskih propovijedi

Author(s): Gabrijela Kišiček,Natalija Žanpera / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 3/2021

Rhetorical skills are important for preachers because the word of God is spread by speech. From the beginning of Christianity and Saint Augustine, it has been emphasized that eloquence can help preachers reach the faithful. The paper analyses and compares sermons of the two largest Christian faiths: Roman-Catholic and Protestant, to determine whether there are significant rhetorical differences between their preachers. Descriptive rhetorical analysis of sermons was conducted, which included the structure, style (choice of words and figures), and speech delivery (use of nonverbal and prosodic signs during sermons). The analysis showed that there are certain rhetorical differences between preachers, but they are conditioned more by the rhetorical skills of an individual preacher than religious affiliation.

Interruption as a reflection of speaker’s identity in the 2020 US presidential debates

Author(s): Alexey A. Tymbay / Language(s): English Issue: 92/2021

The article establishes the role of interruption as a key communicative strategy which defined the character of the 2020 US presidential debates. It is posited that the participants of the debates, namely Donald Trump and Joseph Biden, realized how effective certain types of linguistic behavior could be and deliberately used specific communicative tactics to achieve better results and win the voters’ support. Some of the strategies that the participants resorted to were merely situational; however, most of the strategies identified in the research had a recurrent nature representing the debating styles of the politicians. It is also assumed in the study that repeated breaches of a normal turn–taking process such as systemic interruptions have the potential to modify the public perception of the politician’s communicative styles, which are seen in the paper as inherent components of the politicians’ identities.

Analiza verbalne komunikacije i usporedba pobjedničkih govora posljednja tri predsjednika Republike Hrvatske

Author(s): Stana Odak Krasić,Valentina Pavlović / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 12/2021

Public speaking of statesmen has always been the focus of analysis and a topic of discussion for the experts, citizens and the media, especially when it comes to public communication of the highest state officials. Modern oratory and public communication theories are in the state of constant change and new technologies are rapidly leading this discipline towards novelties but, at the same time, they keep reminding us to uphold standards and usual practices. An analysis of verbal communication of heads of state is often the main core of research in which authors seek to detect deviations from and adherence to standards in the speeches but also, they try to compare the same speeches using comparative analysis by which they try to identify the distinctions and similarities. The topic of this research is an analysis of verbal communication of the winning speeches of the last three presidents of the Republic of Croatia and in this research, the main goal is to compare and analyze the content of the speeches. The paper concludes that each of the speeches has its flaws and imperfections but also that each speaker demonstrates advantages and each one of them implemented skills and knowledge into their speech.

Grafička stapanja i grafostopljenice

Author(s): Nikola Košćak / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 2/2016

The paper presents an overview of the figures which are based on graphic blending, ie. graphic blends. The overview is partly based on the rhetoric of Heinrich F. Plett, particularly on his use of general operations which divide the field of figures (addition, subtraction, permutation, substitution and equivalence) and his understanding of graphemic figures. Graphic blends are illustrated by examples from different discourse types and genres – from journalistic and advertising discourse to logos etc. The described research area falls within the field of graphostylistics, stylistic discipline that focuses on stylogenetic and figurative aspects of writing in language messages.

“İNSAN BİR SÖZLE ÜŞÜR”: SÖZÜN VE SÖZ SÖYLEMENİN TÜRK DÜNYASI ATASÖZLERİNE YANSIYAN TÜRK HALK DÜŞÜNCESİ

Author(s): Fatma Tekin / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 38/2022

The aim of this study is to determine and interpret the knowledge of the nature of the word, its semantic features and how it should be used, that is, how it should be spoken in the traditional worldview of Turks, with the help of sample texts, based on the samples of proverbs. The material of this study consists of 200 proverbs obtained from the transferring and examining studies about the proverbs of Turkish communities. In the examinations carried out, it has been observed that the "word" in proverbs involves philosophical, rhetorical and social dimensions. In this respect, on the basis of two sources, which are heart (emotion) and mind (knowledge), and according to its meaning, content and effect on the addressee, words are divided into six as precious words, true/right words, nice/sweet words, bad/vulgar words, lies and empty/meaningless words. The effect of the word on the life of the individual and society is quite high, positive or negative. Suggestion of proverbs to the individual and society about how the sayings should be expressed is that they should be worded concisely, on the spot and on time. As it can be understood from the determinations and comments made in the study, proverbs are important language assets that form the essence of the traditional world view and folk philosophy of the Turks. It reflects the socio-cultural values and the system of norms in relation to the word in folk thought. Proverbs have an instructive and guiding function in terms of explaining the nature of the word and teaching the individual and society how to speak. The prominent place of the word in proverbs shows the importance given to human relations and communication in the view of individual-individual, individual-society in the thought systems of Turks since the ancient times.

Sophistry, Rhetoric and Politics

Author(s): Lina Vidauskytė / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2022

The article aims to shed light on the connection between rhetoric and politics, and its dissemination in the sophistic and philosophical tradition. The argumentation is based on the conceptions of two contemporary philosophers Barbara Cassin and Hans Blumenberg, who appear as the protagonists of positions according to which rhetoric takes up a significant place in political life. Since Plato, the sophists were treated as other pre-Socratics, as demagogs, who do not hold the truth but spread a false opinion. The philosophers share a conviction that speech immediately expresses reality, and they also prohibited following the way of non-Being (Parmenides). The sophists (Gorgias, Protagoras) shared the position that speech expresses only itself, but not reality. Two opposite (but related) ways of thinking are best seen in M. Heidegger’s and H. Arendt’s philosophies. Keeping in mind the main theme, Blumenberg’s philosophical position includes logos as the mean of distancing, the art of politics is determined by the ability to delay decisions and soften conflicts by rhetorical means, while Cassins’ logology is understood as the ontology.

Играта на думи като форма на аргументация

Author(s): Jana Palikarska / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2007

LA RHÉTORIQUE PUBLICITAIRE

Author(s): Ioana Bud / Language(s): French Issue: 1/2022

The speed with which the world has evolved has caused a series of changes at the social level, but not only. Advertising is an integral part of social life and, today, influences more than we think, people's conception of certain aspects of daily life. Being, at the beginning, a means of representation of a product or an event, it has become, today, an instrument of persuasion, having several goals. In essence, advertising includes all the modalities through which a product can be promoted, and subsequently, purchased. Through this article, we propose to analyze the rhetoric of advertising expression, the types of texts in advertising, as well as the techniques most used in the translation of slogans and the difficulties that arise through this process.

Grieķu un latviešu leksisko elementu secība Tetraevaņģēlijā

Author(s): Dens Dimiņš / Language(s): Latvian Issue: 13/2022

This diachronic and contrastive study briefly outlines the trends of the ordering of lexical items in Greek Koine and Latvian, focusing on the four Gospels of the New Testament and four translations thereof into Latvian, spanning the 18th–21st century. The language of the Bible has had a lasting influence on the formation of the Latvian literary language. The word order in Latvian and Greek is relatively free, however, it is possible to note certain trends, to wit, 1) at the level of certain parts of speech where there are words with a fixed position, either postpositives or prepositives; 2) placement of words in Noun Phrases; as well as 3) the ordering of constituents within the clause where the order depends on the information status, i.e., on whether it is presupposed or asserted, and on the presence of particular syntactic constructions. In terms of word order, it appears that the oldest Latvian translation of the Bible is closer to the Koine original, albeit at times it also shows some German influence.

Kvintilijanovi principi odgoja i obrazovanja rimskih govornika

Author(s): Tamara Mazur / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 6/2022

Social values, as well as the state of society at a certain time, are optimally reflected in the contents and methods of education of new generations. When it comes to Roman education, Marcus Fabius Quintilian belongs to those who placed the social ideal at the center of education and subordinated everything else to it. In the 1st centuryA. D., he distinguished himself asa teacher of rhetoric and by theorizing about the education of orators and, also, by giving examples for practice. He accepted the task that was somehow imposed on him - to write a work based on many years of experience - how to raise a perfect orator. The Institutio Oratoria is a completely preserved work that determines the stages and methods of mastering the art of oratory from the earliest age of a child. As far as it is known, it is the only preserved systematic ancient pedagogical reflection. This paperwork tries to concisely present the principles that Quintilian considered fundamental in education, which resulted in a perfect Roman orator. The presentation of principles was done by analyzing historical sources and comparing them with contemporary pedagogical concepts.

Formation of Rhetorical Competence in University Applicants as a Necessary Factor for Successful Professional Activity

Author(s): Аlla Kurinna,Liubomyra Iliichuk,Olena Mamicheva,Tetiana Nesterenko,Iryna Romanova,Yuliia Pinchuk / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2022

The article covers the issue of formation of rhetorical competence of higher education students: neuropsychological aspect. It is investigated that a university teacher must not only have a thorough knowledge of his subject, but also should have a high level of rhetorical competence. The meaning of the concepts: "competence", "rhetorical competence", "pedagogical rhetoric", "neurolinguistics" is clarified. The contribution of scientists who proposed a neurolinguistic approach in the study of speech disorders has been studied. A review of articles was made by domestic and foreign researchers on the formation of rhetorical competence of higher education seekers through the prism of the neuropsychological aspect. The components of rhetorical activity of students-psychologists are investigated. It is noted that educational training is a powerful tool for the formation of rhetorical competence of higher education students. Some aspects of training by psychologists are highlighted. It is emphasized that psychologists should have a good understanding of neurolinguistic programming. It has been studied that for successful speech behavior a teacher should use both verbal and nonverbal means of communication. It has been found that damage to the left hemisphere of the brain leads to aphasia. Apraxia has been found to be a disorder of the motor analyzer. It has been studied that children with dyslexia have phonological disorders. It has been proven that neurolinguistic knowledge helps teachers to choose strategies for teaching a foreign language to students. The essence of the suggestive technique is clarified. The requirements for a teacher who works on a suggestive method are considered. It is emphasized that the use of the suggestive method in teaching students helps the teacher to eliminate traumatic factors: fear, incommunicability, rigidity. It is proved that the suggestive method is connected with the formation of communicative competence in students.

Телевизијски интервјуи Иве Андрића

Author(s): Vuk M. Đorđević / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2019

The topic Interviews of Ivo Andric on the electronic media is challenging because through this analysis we reach new forms and insufficiently explored work of the writer’s personality and his critical view of the world and the media. From the research aspect this topic is significant because the interviews on electronic media, and the paper explores only television interviews, uncover now facts important for the understanding and interpretation of Andric’s work and persona. They show how the writer had wisely distanced himself from the impassioned Yugoslav daily politics and primitivism and remained a gentlemen in comparison to his contemporaries – not just as a great writer, but also through his relationship with the media.

Aegadeülene heitlus I

Author(s): Tõnis Parksepp / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 4/2023

The inspiration for this article came from Jüri Talvet’s observation that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s „Faust” and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald’s „Kalevipoeg” show some remarkable similarities in their philosophical structure and plot. This article therefore aims to compare these two masterpieces by using Harold Bloom’s and Paul de Man’s understanding of tropes. While allusion and intertextuality studies typically focus on a limited number of similarities between two texts, Bloom’s anxiety of influence theory helps to apprehend both texts as a whole. This objective is achievable with two constraints. Firstly, making such a comparison requires us to widen our understanding of tropes. In this analysis, tropes do not signify limited transfers of meaning (from one word to another), but the full transformation of a text’s meaning. The background to this article lies in the hypothesis that large chunks of ¬„Kalevipoeg” can be read as tropes that are derived from the verses of „Faust”. ¬Secondly, this kind of analysis cannot focus on the style, genre or semantic nuances of both works, but only on the general picture: the stories and their protagonists. The anxiety of influence theory shows that the change of meaning from one work to another can be described by means of two kinds of tropes: limiting and repeating ones. In this article, the limiting tropes of irony, metonymy and metaphor can be used to depict the change of meaning from „Faust” to „Kalevipoeg”. The story of an intellectual who makes a pact with the devil, seeks absolute love and wishes to accomplish godly deeds becomes a story of a mythically strong hero who has no choice, never finds true love and achieves predestined greatness. According to Bloom, this is only half of the comparison. In a follow-up article, I will show how the repeating tropes of synecdoche, hyperbole and metalepsis can be used to demonstrate that the fate of these different protagonists is in fact somewhat similar.

Aegadeülene heitlus II

Author(s): Tõnis Parksepp / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 5/2023

This article is a sequel to “Struggle over the ages I: Reading Kreutzwald’s “Kalevipoeg” as opposite in meaning to Goethe’s “Faust”” (Parksepp 2023). The pair of articles aims to exemplify how Harold Bloom’s and Paul de Man’s complementary views on rhetoric and tropes help to reveal the differences and similarities between Goethe’s and Kreutz¬wald’s masterpieces. The objective of the first article was to describe how, according to the anxiety of influence theory, the limiting tropes of irony, metonymy and metaphor can be used to depict the change in meaning from “Faust” to “Kalevipoeg”, whereas this article shows how the Bloomian recurring tropes of synecdoche, hyperbole and metalepsis define ways in which the Estonian national epic recreates the meaning of Goethe’s grand tragedy. Underneath all the stylistic and genre conventions lies a story of two opposite protagonists with a similar fate. Both Faust and Kalevipoeg commit crimes, although the full tragedy of Gretchen is reduced to a synecdoche: an episode where Kalevipoeg meets an island maiden whose death he causes by accident. Both protagonists get help from the devil or hell, but Mephistopheles’ and Faust’s imaginative paper money finds a hyperbolical counterpart in the later work: Kalevipoeg defeats the devil and brings real treasures out from the underworld. However, a Bloomian metaleptic reversal of history occurs in the final episodes of both works. The salvation of Faust raises questions; one could argue that it is an example of Aristotle’s deus ex machina method, where the fate of Faust’s soul does not follow from the plot. By comparison, the final scene of “Kalevipoeg” seems more logical. Although the deceased national hero is briefly cheered in heaven, he is still sent to hell as a gatekeeper. Even on a white horse his disabled body is a gruesome reminder of his blood guilt. His wrongdoings and evil deeds are not forgotten as in “Faust”, where the protagonist is saved from hell due to his eternal drive. Even the prophetic final lines of “Kalevipoeg” include a warning taboo: with the return of the mighty Estonian hero, evil will also be set free. Therefore, on a rhetorical level, it can be argued that the end of “Kalevipoeg” is more refined and fulfils the Bloomian trope-reversing trope of metalepsis. Rhetorically, the ending of “Kalevipoeg” can be read as an original to the closing scene of “Faust”, where the interrogation of good and evil (the hero and the devil bound together at hell’s gate) is replaced with an idea of good always prevailing over evil (an all-powerful heaven with Mater Gloriosa just waiting for Faust). Of course, this is only one point of view, but it shows how Bloomian ideas can be used methodically to analyse great works of literature. It also raises the objectively unanswerable question of why great works of literature survive over the ages.

Oralność i retoryka świętych ksiąg. Na przykładzie tatarskiego tefsiru – pierwszego przekładu Koranu na język słowiański (polski)

Author(s): Joanna Kulwicka-Kamińska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2022

The article presents, on the basis of a sixteenth-century translation of the Qur’an into Polish, the interpenetration of two planes in revealed books: the rhetorical and the persuasive one. In this context, the article points out the realisation of the directives of classical Arabic rhetoric, including the semantic principle, the principle of clear expression and the principle of sophisticated style. It also indicates the original orality of the Qur’an and the persuasiveness of its message achieved, among other things, by addressing the recipient, the establishment of the us vs. them opposition, the occurrence of evaluative and directive vocabulary, the introduction of colloquial speech, and the use of intensifiers of content. The collected material also demonstrates the complex relation between the scripturalisation of a language and the translation of a sacred text ( the Qur’an ) into Polish.

„… chroń mnie panie od pogardy, przed nienawiścią strzeż mnie boże”. Kiedy słowa wyrażają pogardę

Author(s): Alicja Gałczyńska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 43 (48)/2023

The article is devoted to the concept of contempt, understood as a feeling of disrespect and aversion and a sense of superiority towards someone towards whom our contempt is directed. It is an emotion of a social nature, winding up a spiral of hatred. Contempt presupposes the speaker’s superiority, who considers himself superior to the person/group of people he is speaking to. I treat the rhetoric of contempt as an element of verbal aggression, which is sometimes expressed through various linguistic means. Here I would like to show how words change their meaning and start to express contempt and hatred towards another human being. Referring to the determinants of hate speech indicated by Michał Głowiński (ruthlessness of reason, objectification of the „hero” of the statement, dichotomy of values, conspiracy view of reality, arbitrariness of assessments and depersonalized sender), I indicate why the use of the term LGBT ideology is such an immoral way of using language. Language analyses focus on statements from public discourse – they were taken primarily from Internet portals and social media.