Some rhetorical questions don’t really have an answer, at least not a clear and concise one. Rather, they’re meant to start conversations, spur debate, prompt contemplation, or illustrate someone’s current state of mind. For example: Show
A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in which a question is asked for a reason other than to get an answer—most commonly, it's asked to make a persuasive point. For example, if a person asks, "How many times do I have to tell you not to eat my dessert?" he or she does not want to know the exact number of times the request will need to be repeated. Rather, the speaker's goal is to emphasize his or her growing frustration and—ideally—change the dessert-thief's behavior. Some additional key details about rhetorical questions:
How to Pronounce Rhetorical QuestionHere's how to pronounce rhetorical question: reh-tor-ih-kuhl kwes-chun Rhetorical Questions and PunctuationA question is rhetorical if and only if its goal is to produce an effect on the listener, rather than to obtain information. In other words, a rhetorical question is not what we might call a "true" question in search of an answer. For this reason, many sources argue that rhetorical questions do not need to end in a traditional question mark. In the late 1500's, English printer Henry Denham actually designed a special question mark for rhetorical questions, which he referred to as a "percontation point." It looked like this: ⸮ (Here's a wikipedia article about Denham's percontation point and other forms of "irony punctuation.") Though the percontation point has fallen out of use, modern writers do sometimes substitute a traditional question mark with a period or exclamation point after a rhetorical question. There is a lively debate as to whether this alternative punctuation is grammatically correct. Here are some guidelines to follow:
Rhetorical Questions vs. HypophoraRhetorical questions are easy to confuse with hypophora, a similar but fundamentally different figure of speech in which a speaker poses a question and then immediately answers it. Hypophora is frequently used in persuasive speaking because the speaker can pose and answer a question that the audience is likely to be wondering about, thereby making the thought processes of the speaker and the audience seem more aligned. For example, here is an example of hypophora used in a speech by Dwight Eisenhower:
While Eisenhower asked this question without expecting an answer from his audience, this is an example of hypophora because he answered his own question. In a rhetorical question, by contrast, the answer would be implied in the question—to pose a rhetorical question, Eisenhower might have said instead, "When the enemy struck, who in their right mind would have done nothing to retaliate?" Rhetorical Questions vs. AporiaRhetorical questions are also related to a figure of speech called aporia. Aporia is an expression of doubt that may be real, or which may be feigned for rhetorical effect. These expressions of doubt may or may not be made through the form of a question. When they are made through the form of a question, those questions are sometimes rhetorical. Aporia and Rhetorical QuestionsWhen someone is pretending doubt for rhetorical effect, and uses a question as part of that expression of doubt, then the question is rhetorical. For example, consider this quotation from an oration by the ancient Greek orator Demosthenes:
The questions Demosthenes poses are examples of both aporia and rhetorical question, because Demosthenes is feigning doubt (by posing rhetorical questions) in order to cast insulting aspersions on the character of the person he's addressing. Aporia Without Rhetorical QuestionsIf the expression of doubt is earnest, however, then the question is not rhetorical. An example of aporia that is not also a rhetorical question comes from the most famous excerpt of Shakespeare's Hamlet:
While Hamlet asks this question without expecting an answer (he's alone when he asks it), he's not asking in order to persuade or make a point. It's a legitimate expression of doubt, which leads Hamlet into a philosophical debate about whether one should face the expected miseries of life or kill oneself and face the possible unknown terrors of death. It's therefore not a rhetorical question, because Hamlet asks the question as an opening to actually seek an answer to the question he is obsessing over. Rhetorical Question ExamplesRhetorical Question Examples in LiteratureRhetorical questions are particularly common in plays, appearing frequently in both spoken dialogue between characters, and in monologues or soliloquies, where they allow the playwright to reveal a character's inner life. Rhetorical Questions in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice:In his speech from Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Shylock uses rhetorical questions to point out the indisputable similarities between Jews and Christians, in such a way that any listener would find him impossible to contradict:
Rhetorical questions in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:In this soliloquy from Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet poses a series of rhetorical questions as she struggles to grasp the difficult truth—that her beloved Romeo is a member of the Montague family:
Rhetorical Question Examples in Political SpeechesRhetorical questions often "challenge" the listener to contradict what the speaker is saying. If the speaker frames the rhetorical question well, it gives the impression that his or her view is true and that it would be foolish, or even impossible, to contradict the speaker's argument. In other words, rhetorical questions are great for speeches. Rhetorical Questions in Ronald Reagan's 1980 Republican National Convention Acceptance Address:In this speech, Reagan uses a series of rhetorical questions—referred to as "stacked" rhetorical questions—to criticize the presidency of his predecessor and running opponent, Jimmy Carter:
Rhetorical Questions in Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic National Convention Speech:In this portion of her speech, Clinton argues that her opponent Donald Trump is not temperamentally fit to become president:
Rhetorical Question Examples in Song LyricsLove has left even the best musicians of our time feeling lost, searching for meaning, and—as you might expect—full of rhetorical questions. Musicians such as Tina Turner, Jean Knight, and Stevie Wonder have all released hits structured around rhetorical questions, which allow them to powerfully express the joy, the pain, and the mystery of L-O-V-E. Rhetorical Questions in "What's Love Got to do with It" by Tina TurnerWhat's love got to do, got to do with it Rhetorical Questions in "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean KnightNow because you wear all those fancy clothes (oh yeah) Mr. Big Stuff Rhetorical Questions in "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie WonderIsn't she lovely Stevie Wonder wrote "Isn't She Lovely" to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha. The title is a perfect example of a rhetorical question, because Wonder isn't seeking a second opinion here. Instead, the question is meant to convey the love and amazement he feels towards his daughter. Why Do Writers Use Rhetorical Questions?Authors, playwrights, speech writers and musicians use rhetorical questions for a variety of reasons:
The examples included in this guide to rhetorical questions have largely pointed to the persuasive power of rhetorical questions, and covered the way that they are used in arguments, both real and fictional. However, poets also frequently use rhetorical questions for their lyrical, expressive qualities. Take the poem below, "Danse Russe (Russian Dance)" by William Carlos Williams:
The rhetorical question that concludes this poem has the effect of challenging the reader to doubt Williams' happiness—daring the listener to question this intimate, eccentric portrait of the poet's private world. By ending the poem in this way, Williams maintains a delicate balance. Throughout the poem, he draws the reader in and confides secrets of his interior life, but the question at the end is an almost defiant statement that he does not require the reader's approval. Rather, the reader—like the mirror—is simply there to witness his happy solitude. What is the effect of rhetoric in poetry?The second way rhetoric relates to poetry its category of persuasive devices used to convince, teach, impress, or goad the listener. When we become aware of being worked on, rhetoric is what we call the sense of influence.
What is the effect of the rhetorical technique?Rhetorical devices evoke an emotional response in the audience through use of language, but that is not their primary purpose. Rather, by doing so, they seek to make a position or argument more compelling than it would otherwise be.
Is a rhetorical question a poetic technique?Rhetorical questions are a type of figurative language—they are questions that have another layer of meaning on top of their literal meaning. Because rhetorical questions challenge the listener, raise doubt, and help emphasize ideas, they appear often in songs and speeches, as well as in literature.
What purpose do rhetorical questions serve in writing?In literature, rhetorical questions are used to persuade, or convince, a reader or to make a reader think about an author's message.
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