John Zimmer: 4 Easy Rhetorical Devices for Any Talk

John Zimmer is a speaker and presentation skills trainer based in Geneva. He is a seven-time European champion of public speaking. John is the editor of Manner of Speaking, a popular blog about public speaking followed by readers worldwide. John is also the co-creator of Rhetoric — The Public Speaking Game™, and a TEDxLausanne speaker in 2014. A speech opener in special One of John’s clients had to speak in a convention for 20 minutes needed help with her opener. John used his coaching skills to pull a moving story from her. Ultimately the speech opened with the words, “It was raining the day I arrived at the hospital” and she continued the story and kept her audience captivated until the end. What rhetorical devices are Rhetorical devices are clever uses of language to make a persuasive argument. As a speaker, the main tool you have is your use of language. 4 Easy Rhetorical Devices for Any Talk Anaphora is the repetition of a word or a phrase at the beginning of successive sentences. An example from Winston Churchill: “We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, …” Epistrophe  is the repetition of a word or a phrase at the end of successive sentences. From Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:  ” … and that government of the people, by the people, for the people” Anadiplosis is beginning a sentence by repeating the last words of the previous sentence. An example from Star Wars’ Yoda: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Tricolon is a series of three words, sentences or clauses. An example from Julius Caesar: “I came, I saw, I conquered” Rhetoric. The Public Speaking Game It’s a board game that John has co-created with Florian Mueck. The game is in its 2nd edition (2015) and the digital version (app) is in progress. Players practice 1-minute speeches and can use rhetoric techniques, including metaphors. Related: Winston Churchill’s Legacy in Rhetoric and...