Quotes About Rhetoric

The rhetoric is the first step, it coarsens attitudes

the rulers were, in serious senses, whether willingly or unwillingly, the prisoners of their own rhetoric; they played games of power according to rules which suited them, but they could not break those rules or the whole game would be thrown away. Throwing

The United States tried, by depressing the clutch of diplomacy and downshifting the gearshift lever of rhetoric, to remain neutral, but it became increasingly obvious that the nation was going to get into a war, especially since it was almost 1812.

You can't tell the politicians from the magicians, if you know what I mean," and he flicked an imaginary cigar and flexed his eyebrows.

Word inflation . . . Bigger and better. Good greater greatest totally great. Hyperbolic and hyperbolicker. Like grade-inflation.

Look for a candidate who can do to the electorate what corporations are learning to do, so Government—or, better, Big Government, Big Brother, Intrusive Government—becomes the image against which this candidate defines himself. Though

What I was thinking is is this maybe a textbook case of Johnny-Gentle-type-find-an-enemy-for-a-divided-nation-to-come-together-by-blaming-and-hating theory in action?

Not even the masters of the high/low rhetorical register go higher more panoramically or lower more exuberantly than Wallace—not Joyce, not Bellow, not Amis.

Words, words, words.

Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear

But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man….

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.

A good speech should be like a woman's skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.

If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.

He spoke with more eloquence than wisdom.

He mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.

can best be described as one of these orators who, before they get up, do not know what they are going to say, when they are speaking do not know what they are saying, and when they have sat down, do not know what they have said

If Hitler invaded Hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons.

Churchill used words for different purposes: to argue for moral and political causes, to advocate courses of action in the social, national and international spheres, and to tell the story of his own life and that of Britain and its place in the world.

I have seen despicable rhetoricians beloved by the most famous orators, and persons who knew nothing of war live in familiarity with great generals. But

Glaucon, the son of Ariston, had conceived such an ardour to gain the headship of the state that nothing could hinder him but he must deliver a course of public speeches, though he had not yet reached the age of twenty. His friends and relatives tried in vain to stop him making himself ridiculous and being dragged down from the bema. Socrates, who took a kindly interest in the youth for the sake of Charmides the son of Glaucon, and of Plato, alone succeeded in restraining him.

When liberals finally grasped the strength of popular feeling about the family, they cried to appropriate the rhetoric and symbolism of family values for their own purposes.

Our swords shall play the orators for us.

Thought is the fountain of speech.