Figurative language

Like connotative language, figurative language (metaphor and simile) can be an effective persuasive tool. Although metaphor can't prove a case logically, figurative language can be convincing in its power of suggestion. When Kennedy said that "the torch has been passed to a new generation," he spoke metaphorically—the torch of liberty being a symbol of values that each generation must protect. Figurative language usually appeals to our senses, makes us see an image or picture that illustrates meaning. The phrase "nuclear winter" conjures an image of a cold, barren earth after nuclear war. Opponents of wasteful government spending talk of Congress "picking the taxpayers' pockets." Advocates of an economic policy want to "make America stand tall again." According to the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," and though that may be an exaggeration, language presenting a visual image can be especially persuasive.

Description and narration

We saw in Chapters 2 and 3 that description and narration can be effective methods of expressing experience and of conveying information. Well-written description and narration use concrete language to evoke the texture of life, and, because they depend on the writer's choice of detail, they can be slanted for positive or negative effect. Read the real-estate ads in your newspaper, for instance. Can you find any that mention warped floors, sagging rafters, poor insulation? Opponents of abortion, likewise, confront us with grisly descriptions of the operation's aftermath, and the pro-choice camp tells stories of pregnant teenagers and back-alley butchery. Description and narration appeal directly to our sense of the ways things are, or should be, and thus can be powerful means of swaying opinion.

Tone and style

Finally, the way we use persuasive language reveals our attitude toward our subject and our audience and will affect our results. Choosing an appropriate style and tone means putting ourselves in our reader's shoes, asking what the audience will or won't accept.

Our tone may be serious and straightforward, the no-nonsense approach: "It's time we face facts and raise taxes. Otherwise, we'll drown in this sea of debt." We may be sarcastic or mocking, criticizing a position with ridicule: "Maybe our Congressmen know something, we don't, but judging from their past performance, I doubt it." We may employ an upbeat or optimistic voice, hoping to instill confidence in the reader: "Let's get behind this fund drive—and make our neighborhood the great place it really deserves to be!" Or we may use a dark or menacing tone, trying to arouse the audience's fear or concern: "There's something wrong at City Hall. Something very wrong. The mayor says he's innocent of the bribery charges, but the mayor may not be telling us the truth." Likewise, the style we choose to achieve an appropriate tone or mood may range from the simple, plain, and understated to the flowery and ornate, though it is usually best to avoid overwriting.

Persuasion, like argument, is intended to win consent or agreement — to bridge the gap between opposing sides. It makes sense, then, to temper your strategies, your choices of language, content, and style, to appeal to your audience, not to drive a wedge between you. Consider possible common ground—shared feelings or beliefs—and build your persuasive case with these in mind. Address your readers with respect; let them know that although you may not agree with them, you value their right to hold contrary opinions. And, as always, write with common sense. Even though persuasion can move beyond pure rationality, don't abandon it completely. Your emotional or ethical appeals must seem true and valid, despite their highly charged language.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 820