Due to several funding constraints, the Library of Rhetoric will not be fully restored until Summer 2013 or later. If you represent an academic institution of higher learning or an organization for the betterment of effective communication and would like to help fund the restoration of this website, please contact the owner of the domain by emailing libraryofrhetoric(at)gmail(dot)com.
The Library of Rhetoric (LOR) is an online resource for those who teach or study effective communication. All content is organized according to a loose version of Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) so that the various genres of rhetoric can be readily accessible and easily explained. As with any online library, the information cannot reflect all that is available across the world wide web, but our library will seek to provide the most helpful tools for your study.
A Definition of Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of effective communication; a broad term that reflects both the positive and negative features of human influence. Often, rhetoric becomes a loose epithet of condemnation for any speaker whose views are not our own, yet the essence of our quarrel comes from the influence that such a speaker has had or may have on others. Effective communication is nothing more than the ability to connect with an audience and thereby impact the listeners. Examples of this can be found in public debate, pastoral sermons, political speeches, classroom lectures, courtroom defense, musical patterns, poetic lyrics, and a host of rhetorical styles that saturate our environment and serve to shape our views on the world. Unless a person is prevented from interacting with members of even the smallest community, rhetoric is an undeniable aspect of our social development.
The Study of Rhetoric
Any Study of Rhetoric is the analysis of multiple factors that impact the way people think, feel, or act. Such study is far more than casual communication or an exercise in public speaking. Students of rhetoric tend to examine the features of composition, the rhythm of poetry, the lines of oratory, and the calculation of unspoken words. The Library of Rhetoric provides a framework for this concentration.