Introduction: Teacher Professional Development: Design Thinking for Schools
This has been written by Autodesk Tinkercad as a resource to support school leaders, teacher leaders, and other teacher trainers in facilitating professional development for K12 educators.
- Describe the design thinking process and explain how it relates to what you know about teaching and learning.
- Demonstrate creative confidence and a positive growth mindset.
- Use design-related vocabulary and visual literacy to articulate your process and decisions.
- Apply design thinking methods to a real-world problem of student learning.
Design thinking is a problem-solving framework that begins with stepping into the shoes of your end users. When design thinking approaches are applied to schools, educators are able to see problems of student learning from different angles and apply creativity, prototyping, and experimentation to better meet students' needs. While "design thinking" can be interpreted as a trendy buzzword, many aspects of this mindset are inherent to commonly recognized best practices for teaching. This resource will support teacher trainers in guiding their colleagues through the different steps of the design thinking process with the goal of innovating the learning environment at the classroom, school, or district level.
Estimated instructional time: 6-8 hours, plus extensions for building & testing prototypes and forming professional learning communities around moving the design forward. (This could also be broken down into a series of four, two-hour PDs: "Intro to Design Thinking & Problem Finding;" "Understanding & Defining the Problem;" "Ideating & Storytelling;" "Prototyping & Testing.")
Step 1: Get to Know a Design Thinking Framework
In the world of design, problem = opportunity.
If you have spent any significant amount of time in the classroom, then you're probably thinking that there must be no place more rife with inspiration for the designer than a school!
In introducing the concept of design thinking to your colleagues, it is important to note that there are many different frameworks that are called "design thinking" with mostly subtle variations; the most important constant is that it has a human-centered core - meaning that the first and most critical step in the process involves empathizing with the end user of whatever it is you are designing.
In the context of schools, the end product could be a revised curriculum, a design for more flexible learning spaces, an innovative block schedule, a more personalized approach to teacher professional development, or a new system for structuring student advisory - or for collecting and communicating student data. The possibilities are endless!
But before you start digging into real problems at your school or school district, it makes sense to do a quick, hands-on sprint through the process with a more low-stakes design challenge. This will help your colleagues get a feel for the design thinking methodology before applying it to a more complex problem.
This guide includes a variety of activities for introducing the concept of design thinking.
For you as the facilitator, or for any of your colleagues interested in learning more about the principles of design thinking, this Autodesk Design Academy course provides an excellent deep dive. Free premium access to Autodesk software and learning platforms - like Design Academy and Instructables - for educators and students can be found here.
Speak the language of design thinking
This is not an exhaustive list of every term you may hear in the discussion of design thinking, but it's a good start to getting your colleagues sounding like pros! A glossary of these terms can be found here.
Step 2: Find an Important Problem
Design thinking presents the opportunity to slow down the jump to "solutioning" in order to discover the users' unmet needs that are at the root of the problem.
In deciding upon a problem, you as the facilitator may provide some context to guide your colleagues in working toward a common school-wide goal, or you may provide them with the freedom to explore the problems they are experiencing at the classroom level.
One way of launching this exploration is to ask teachers to consider an analogous situation from a different industry. This document provides some guidance in how to frame this discussion using an anecdote from Henry Ford. You may also print this out for the participants to read independently and jot down some ideas in response. The PDF is attached at the end of this step.
At this point your colleagues should be divided into teams of three to six people to begin finding a problem together.
Some pointers for finding a problem
Instructional Rounds in Education, which calls for networks of educators to observe other educators in order to address a "problem of practice," shares some interesting parallels with design thinking in its slow progression from pure observation to making inferences to - ultimately - developing theories of action in order to address an important problem.
It also provides a set of criteria for finding a worthwhile problem that could be applied to design thinking in education. According to Instructional Rounds, a rich problem:
- centers on the teacher and the student in the presence of content
- is observable
- is actionable
- connects to a broader strategy of improvement
- is high leverage - meaning an intervention targeting one student, for example, could scale up to support a larger group
It's okay to be a bit vague too
Like in design thinking, the problem in Instructional Rounds can also start out somewhat vague - even in the form of a question - and become more refined as the process evolves.
In design thinking, a problem can also be based on a strong feeling or hunch that has arisen from personal experience or connection with the problem. For example:
"Students' use of technology is currently limited to consuming media, and it is also negatively affecting students' social-emotional development."
"Teachers feel overwhelmed by expectations that they teach new technologies at the same time they are learning them."
(If you're interested in the second example, here's a real-life story of how an educator used a design thinking mindset to address this issue.)
Even if the original problem starts out as somewhat subjective and anecdotal, the beauty of design thinking is that the various phases will add layers of objectivity and research, and, as a result, may even transform the problem into something entirely different.
But don't be too vague
A few don'ts...
- don't try to pack too much into the problem
- don't focus on something just because it is part of an initiative that is already being implemented (and don't use problem-finding as way of auditing whether your colleagues are complying with a new initiative.)
- don't be so vague that it would be difficult to validate as a problem
Do have fun and keep an open mind as you build your creative confidence together!
Step 3: Understand the Problem
"It's a wall!" "It's a fan!" "It's a spear!" "It's a rope!" "It's a tree!" "It's a snake!"
In the ancient Indian parable of the blind men and an elephant, a group of men who are blind and who have never come across an elephant before, try to understand what the elephant is like by touching it. Each man feels a different part of the elephant's body, but only one part, such as the trunk or the tusk. And then they argue, at length, about what it is. One moral of the story is that sometimes when confronted with something new, we see only what we want or expect to see and filter out evidence that does not fit our preconceived notions.
The elephant in the story could also be a metaphor for the type of problem the design teams have identified in the last step - it is big, complex, multi-faceted, and open to myriad interpretations. The goal in this step of the process is for your colleagues to make as many objective, fact-based observations as they can about the problem WITHOUT trying to prove a point or solve anything or form any conclusions.
You should also emphasize that the key to this phase is empathy. Developing an empathetic understanding of the users you are solving for gives you a chance to have a more meaningful perspective.
Outcome for this step: Collect objective data that is relevant to the problem
There are all types of ways to gather data in schools - many of which you probably already have experience doing. The following are some suggestions for gathering data that could be relevant to the various goals and constraints of the design teams. Depending on the time allotted for your session, you may offer this as a menu of options or assign certain activities.
Before the session or as an extension to the session:
- To get a bigger-picture snapshot of what is happening at the school-wide level, classroom observations (that are peer-led and include non-judgmental data gathering) can be a great source for information, especially as it pertains to the types of tasks students are working on and their level of engagement in these tasks.
- Shadowing a student is a fun and deeply illuminating way for educators to empathize with their students and take new kinds of action at their school.
- One quick and relatively easy way to tap into students' perspectives about their needs, desires, and feelings about the learning environment is student surveys.
During the session:
- Teacher design teams can share and begin to analyze any data they brought with them, such as classroom observations, student shadow field notes, or survey results.
- In advance of the session, you might also ask your colleagues to bring student work with them - especially work students haven’t yet mastered or examples that are puzzling in some way. Looking at student work is a great way to conduct data inquiry collaboratively.
- Sometimes teacher teams require some time to calibrate and reflect upon the connection between their beliefs and practices. The Gap Analysis Protocol is another way to cull meaningful data together while also establishing a shared purpose.
- Wouldn't it be fun to invite students for some part of the session? That way your colleagues can gather firsthand perspectives from a relevant user group. Alternatively, your colleagues could also conduct empathy interviews with each other - either to practice interviewing skills, or because educators are one of the user groups they are researching. Here is a great guide for doing this that was written within the context of user experience research for web design.
- Conducting secondary research is another useful way to not only collect data on the design team's problem, but also to connect that problem to a larger, more global context.
Step 4: Define the Problem
Are the design teams experiencing information overload yet? In this step it's time to begin clearing the noise to get to the heart of the problem they are trying to solve.
The goal is to translate the data the teams have gathered into a more narrowly defined and actionable needs statement. The suggested activities in this step are sequenced in a logical order; if time allows, it would be best to at least touch upon each of them in some way, as they are all important to the process of writing a needs statement.
This handy guide will provide you with more details for how to facilitate the following activities for defining the problem. It is also attached as a PDF at the end of this step.
Outcome for this step: Gain new insights on the problem based on data analysis
- Categorize ideas and find patterns.
- Get down to the root cause.
- Map out stakeholders and context.
- Create a persona or empathy map.
- Write a needs statement.
Step 5: Ideate
Incomplete ideas. Opinions without supporting evidence. Sloppy sketches without descriptions. Yuck! This sounds like a teacher's worst nightmare!!!
Please tell your colleagues not to fret, but do congratulate them for reaching the Ideate step, which is typically the third phase of the design thinking process, and the one most associated with the work of a designer.
This is the chance for the design teams to let loose and cast a super wide net. In the ideation phase:
- Quantity generates quality.
- You build on one another's ideas ("Yes and...")
- The internal critic is muzzled. Don't try to ideate and evaluate at the same time - evaluation comes later!
Here are some more pointers...
Outcome for this step: Create strategies for addressing the problem and categorize them
Practice using "how might we?" tactics: Begin by convening the whole group and asking each team to share one of their needs statements from the previous activity. After every team has shared, they should rephrase their needs statements as a question beginning with “How might we...?”
How Might We (HMW) questions are short questions that launch brainstorms.
You might also practice together using the following example "needs statement" and tactics adapted from The Stanford d.school that appear in the slideshow. The teams can even compete with each other to develop the best solution for the teacher using any one of the tactics.
* Credit: Adapted from Stanford d.school resource
Generate more HMW questions based on the problem: After practicing, design teams should look again at their own HMW questions and either add more or revise/eliminate ones that are too narrow or too broad. Do any of them suggest only a single answer? If so, they should cross it off the list or rephrase it in a way that can lead to multiple answers.
Brainstorm possible solutions: Once it is clear that each team has several HMW questions to work with, allow them unstructured time to begin thinking about possible solutions. Encourage them to come up with as many solutions as possible (remember "crazy" is still okay in this phase) and to have a way of documenting them so that they can return to the entire list later.
Interrupt!: When you feel like there is a good buzz in the room and that the teams have made some progress, you might jump in and reconvene the whole group. Some ways you might constructively interrupt:
- Ask the teams to tally up the number of possible solutions they have already generated and share the amount. This sense of competition will reinforce the concept that quantity is more important than quality in this phase.
- Introduce a new constraint that requires the teams to modify an existing solution or invent a new approach. For example, what if the solution had to be low-tech? Or, what if it had to happen in the month of October?
- Challenge the teams to think of an analogous problem to the one they are exploring - a situation outside of the school context where there is a similar problem with a successful solution. What could the teams learn from it?
Categorize ideas: As you are wrapping up this part of the session, you should have the teams take an inventory of all the possible solutions they created and begin to categorize them in some way, for example: the idea I love, the idea most people will love, the most practical idea, and the craziest idea.
Step 6: Tell the Story
Ever had an idea that was hard to explain? Your design teams are probably in this predicament currently - whether they know it yet or not. By now they have spent ample time with each other spinning out wild and crazy ideas and even beginning to refine them into potential solutions. They may have several options they want to move forward with or perhaps one that the whole team has agreed upon. The next step is for them to begin testing out their hypothetical solution by sharing it as a story with audiences who are unfamiliar with it.
Outcome for this step: Share the story of the problem and proposed solution
Share some advice from the entrepreneurial community: An effective solution is one that is wanted by the user, easy to use, and affordable. An invention that is unused has no value. But how do you find out before you devote so much time, effort, and resources into developing an idea? Many startups approach this problem by creating simple prototypes - in the form of slideshows, storyboards, or even napkin sketches - in order to use as a means of checking in with users and other stakeholders to glean their feedback and use this input to continue to iterate, adapt, and refine the initial solution.
“If you want to break away from the status quo, that means that, by nature, your idea is something that is new to other people,” said Vicky Wu Davis, an educator and tech entrepreneur who spent over a decade in the video game industry. “That means other people haven’t thought of it yet; or if they have thought of it, they haven’t gotten through the next few steps.”
“So in order to get people on board, you’re going to have to figure out how to excite them about it,” she added. One strategy for not only engaging an audience about a new idea, but also to help make the idea easier to understand is to express it visually. Wu Davis, who is also the founder of the youth entrepreneurship organization Youth CITIES, believes that using a creativity tool like Tinkercad can be a powerful way to produce an engaging visual model for expressing a complex concept and could even be used as an aid for germinating an idea. Read more about this in the Tinkercad blog.
If the design teams are interested in learning how CAD can be used to create professional 3D models and prototypes, this is a great, free online course for learning Tinkercad and Fusion 360.
Practice storytelling around a design: This "bonus" slideshow provides a fun exercise to get the design teams thinking about how to verbalize the connections between a problem, a design, and a solution. It also offers an opportunity for them to begin telling the story of their design to someone from a different team, and to stop and reflect about the process so far. The "bonus" slideshow also includes some demonstrations of how Tinkercad can be used for prototyping, and how startups use visuals and other storytelling techniques to share their vision.
Tell the story from problem to solution: There are many free online tools in addition to Tinkercad that could be used to support the design teams' storytelling. For example, Canva has a template for making a stylish digital storyboard, or you could also print out templates such as this for the design teams to sketch out their story. They could even create a pitch deck to communicate their idea. No matter which route they go in telling the story, be sure to remind them that the story's protagonist should continue to be the persona they created in the Define phase.
Once the teams are done composing their stories, there should be time for each team to present to the larger group for feedback and validation. If possible, it would be beneficial to also invite other stakeholders, such as students, community partners, or school leaders to hear the teams' ideas and offer feedback.
Step 7: Post PD - Build and Test the Prototype
Are your design teams ready to get building and bring their ideas to life with real users?
There are a few ways to facilitate this phase, and it does not necessarily require that your colleagues remain as a large group. This part could be completed post PD and incrementally during teachers' common planning time or it could even be done as a more intense, daylong experience in the form of a hackathon.
Outcome: A possible way to address the problem in an actionable format that could be tested - it is a means of exploring the problem, not the final product
So what are the teams building? Prototypes can come in a variety of forms. Now that the teams have gotten to the heart of the problem, their first prototype could come in the form of a change in instructional practice in their own classrooms, or it could be something bigger such as redesigning a learning space in the school, changing the school schedule, or adopting a new system or tool.
The Boston Public Schools created this great infographic as way of supporting educators in matching instructional priorities with innovative practices. More about this here!
Prototyping doesn't always mean you have to start from scratch or reinvent the wheel. For example, School Retool provides this awesome resource for helping educators design small “hacks” towards bigger changes that could be designed more specifically for particular problems and contexts.
So once they begin testing, how do they know if the prototype is working? Here is a guide from the tech world that could be helpful in thinking about methods for gathering feedback and maximizing learning.
Step 8: Post PD - Formalize Feedback Cycles As a Way of Testing
Critical thinking and peer criticism - called "the Crit" - are integral to the work of designers and actually form the foundation of design and architecture education. There are final crits, but there are also frequent interim crits. This is part of what keeps the process iterative and collaborative.
As you know, it is also common for teachers to form professional learning networks around improving their instructional practice. Typically, however, teacher networking doesn't extend beyond school walls. If keeping this process within the confines of your school is an unsurmountable constraint, it could still be helpful for the teams to create a formal feedback cycle schedule for themselves.
A more powerful way for the teams to continuously gather feedback would be to connect with other educators from different schools or districts as partners in critiquing their designs. Depending on the problem the teams are addressing with their designs, this could also be an opportunity to invite professionals from other industries into the work.
A useful tool for engaging educators and others in this type of reflective practice is the Critical Friends protocol.


The Psalms are the words of people to God that have become the Word of God to his people. They are written out of the history of Israel’s relationship with God and given to successive generations to use in corporate and individual worship. The Psalms are also Scripture, part of the canon through which the church seeks to hear the voice of God. They are illuminated by the Holy Spirit and used by God to teach and rebuke his people: God speaks to us through the Psalms even as we use them to speak to him.
As poetry, psalms use language creatively, inviting meditation and reflection alongside exegetical analysis. First, the brevity or compactness of their wording is immediately obvious from the large amounts of white space on the page. Much meaning is carried by a few words, encouraging us to slow down and engage thoughtfully.
Secondly, Hebrew poetry is marked in particular by the use of parallelism, sometimes called “thought rhyme.” Key ideas are repeated in a similar but varied way. The repetition intensifies, sharpens, and clarifies the ideas. Again, we need to slow down and carefully consider the comparisons and connections being made.
Thirdly, like most poetry, psalms also use imagery—metaphors and similes—to form word pictures. Images might not be as precise as literal language, but their accuracy lies in their ability to attract our attention by their vivid expression, stimulating our imaginations, and stirring our emotions to engage fully with what they describe. However, the imagery of the Psalms originates in an ancient, non-Western, agricultural context, so we need to understand the effect these pictures would have had on their original readers. Images are explicated by their cultural context, for example, describing enemies as dogs refers to wild and dangerous animals rather than pets as we might initially assume (e.g. Ps 59:6); by the context of the passage in which they are found, such as the connection of the image of a rock to ideas of refuge, safety, and security (e.g. Ps 18:2); and by broader biblical theology, as the Psalms’ depictions of God’s actions must be consistent with his character as revealed throughout Scripture (e.g. Ps 78:65).
Finally, we should also note the use and effect of other poetic devices such as inclusio (e.g. Ps 8), acrostics (e.g. Ps 119), or wordplays and alliteration in the Hebrew text (e.g. Ps 122).
Psalms were written throughout the entire period of Old Testament history, from the time of Moses (Ps 90) through to the exile nearly a thousand years later (Ps 137). Psalms were collected over time into an anthology that could be used both individually and corporately. The people of God are encouraged to both learn the songs of the past and to “sing a new song,” expressing their praise to God in their current situation. Perhaps the best analogy we have is with a prayerbook or hymnbook.
There are psalms found in other parts of the Old Testament (e.g. Exodus 15; Judges 5) but these are often historically specific, deeply embedded in events from the time. The psalms in the Book of Psalms are deliberately written to be used by successive generations of prayer-ers and worshipers.
While each psalm had an original setting and author, for many of them, this information is not given to us. Those that do include a title or superscription  make explicit what is implicit in all: that each has a historical context, including an author, when and why they were written, and how they were intended to be used. When there is a specific title, we are able to see the relevance and appropriateness of the psalm to the event, and the poem can be preached alongside the corresponding narrative. But we can also see that the psalmists do not embed the events within the psalm to the point that they cannot be used by later worshipers. (e.g. Ps 51 refers to sin in general rather than adultery or rape explicitly; Ps 3 mentions enemies but does not specify a son). The title can inform our reading of the psalm, helping us hear and imagine it within that context, but there is also freedom to make use of each psalm for our own situation.
Psalms have been preserved so they can be used by future communities of faith. As we preach them, we look for meaning but also for the effect they have on the community who speaks, prays, and sings them. The Psalms show us what it looks like for the gathered people of God to respond to God. They expand our vocabulary of prayer and worship. They don’t just teach about worship; they are worship. They invite us to learn by doing.
Psalms engage the whole person. They engage with our minds through instruction and understanding, sharing deep truths about who God is. They engage with our bodies through movement and expression (e.g. kneeling, lying prostrate, raising hands, walking, speaking, listening), inviting us to love God with all our strength. They engage with our souls, connecting with our emotions. They engage with our imaginations, calling us to picture or visualize what God is like and what life in the kingdom can be. They engage with our relationships, both with God and one another as we speak to, with, for, and about him. Nasuti says that rather than simply providing us with a source of information a bout God, the Psalms make available a relationship with God. They invite us into an experience of conversing with God, and with one another about God, and it is from this conversational encounter that our theology is shaped.
John Calvin said that any emotion a human being has ever felt can be found in the Psalms. Based on this truth, many Christians have been encouraged to use the Psalms personally and privately as a kind of emotional vocabulary. We recognize our own circumstances and responses, and then look for a psalm that reflects how we are feeling. This is a wonderful thing to do and allows the Psalms to voice the depths of our own experience. But as Scripture, the Psalms seek to do more than this. They invite us as a community to enter into their experience.
As we preach a psalm of lament, many of our people may not currently be feeling the sadness or anger that is described. But the Word invites us to take on these expressions and to consider their transformative power in our own lives. Why might this Scripture invite us to anger? What injustices are there in our own world to which this is the appropriate, godly response? Similarly, as we preach a psalm of thanksgiving, we are inviting our people to tell our story of transformation, of how God has turned our mourning into joy. A prayer of innocent suffering can become our supplication on behalf of our persecuted sisters and brothers around the world. An imprecation, or curse, against evil can become our battle cry against the spiritual forces, the powers and principalities whom Christ has defeated. A declaration of God’s great saving acts throughout history can become our own statement and proclamation of what God has done in Jesus, is now doing in and through the church, and will do once and for all in the new creation.
Preaching the entire book of Psalms presents a challenge, as few congregations would be willing to devote 150 weeks to a sermon on each individual poem, although there would be great riches to be discovered in doing so. The outlines presented here provide four suggestions for shorter series, each of which could be adapted or extended to include the many individual psalms not covered below.
Series 1: Preaching Through a Variety of Genres
Big Idea for Whole Series: Exploring the breadth of corporate worship.
When preaching an individual psalm within the book, identifying its genre is an important first step. Consideration of the variety of these genres is one of the best ways of providing people an entrée into the Psalter. This can connect with and challenge the breadth and diversity of our own expressions of worship and prayer.
This series was created for a church where the Psalms had not been preached in recent memory. We used the series title “Expressions” as we sought to encourage people to practice each type of worship both corporately on Sunday and individually throughout the following week.
Text: Psalms 96, 145
Title: Praise: Psalms of Orientation
Exegetical Idea: All worship is response; we start with the character and actions of God. In these psalms we look for the invitations to praise (e.g. sing, declare, tell, exalt, celebrate) and the reasons why we do so (e.g. God’s salvation, majesty, justice, goodness, compassion, righteousness). These point us forward to God’s fulfilment of all these things in Jesus and call us to exalt him in our own lives.
Big Idea: Declaring who God is and responding to him with worship.
Text: Psalms 13, 69
Title: Lament: Psalms of Disorientation
Exegetical Idea: We all experience situations of distress: times of suffering, guilt, and sin, and even feeling like God is absent. These psalms give us permission to name these realities before God, and they move us from request, through honest complaint, confession, or assertions of innocence, to statements of trust and hopefulness. They challenge us to honesty with God and one another in the midst of our brokenness.
Big Idea: Crying out to God in our sin and suffering.
Text: Psalms 30, 116
Title: Thanksgiving: Psalms of Reorientation
Exegetical Idea: When we see God at work, these psalms encourage us to remind ourselves and tell one another what he has done. Recounting God’s faithfulness in our lives becomes an invitation for others to join us in praising him, encouraging us to share testimonies of what Jesus is doing in our lives.
Big Idea: Gratefully telling the story of God’s work in our lives.
Text: Psalms 23, 131
Title: Trust: Psalms of Confidence
Exegetical Idea: These psalms use an extended metaphor (sheep and shepherd; mother and child) to reflect on and wonder at God’s care, concern, and compassion for his people. They invite us to put ourselves into that picture and allow God to embrace us.
Big Idea: Meditating on a picture of who God is to us.
Text: Psalms 121, 122
Title: Journey: Psalms of Pilgrimage
Exegetical Idea: The title of these psalms links them to pilgrimage in ancient Israel, a practice of both journey and destination. Ps 121 speaks of God as our ever-present help, guarding and guiding us as we walk the road. Ps 122 celebrates Jerusalem, the place where God’s people gather together in his presence, an image picked up throughout the NT for both the church and the new creation.
Big Idea: Walking with and towards God’s presence.
Text: Psalms 1, 119
Title: Wisdom: Psalms of Instruction
Exegetical Idea: Corporate worship should include singing and speaking to one another the truth of who God is and calling each other to respond. These psalms seek to encourage right living, teaching life lessons from the psalmists’ own experience. They challenge us to consider the depth of theological and practical teaching in our own expressions of worship.
Big Idea: Reminding and teaching one another how to live as God’s people.
Other psalm types that could be considered in an extended series: psalms of remembrance (e.g. Pss 78, 136); kingship psalms (e.g. Pss 20, 45); Zion psalms (e.g. Pss 46, 137).
Series 2: Preaching a Key Theme of the Psalter
Big Idea for Whole Series: Understanding and responding to Jesus as our King.
Declaring God as King is a key reason for praise throughout the Psalms, which in turn shapes our understanding of what it means to call Jesus King. This series was a follow up to the previous series, one year later, and preached as part of a 12-month theme on the kingdom. We sought to explore how these psalms can speak of Israel’s human king, called to represent God to his people; of the true divine king; and of the promised king, the Messiah.
Text: Psalm 2
Title: Enthroning the King
Exegetical Idea: Kingship psalms might have been used as part of enthronement ceremonies or coronations, where the people of Israel pledged their allegiance to both their human and divine kings. While other rulers set themselves up in opposition to God (vv 1-3), this is futile (vv 4-6), as God has chosen his anointed king (vv 7-9). There is a warning to those who do not submit to him and the promise of blessing for those who do (vv 10-12).
Big Idea: Jesus is King forever, but we need to choose to acknowledge and submit to his reign.
Text: Psalm 24
Title: Welcoming the King
Exegetical Idea: God is our creator-King: all things belong to him (vv 1-2). Entering his presence requires humble submission (vv 3-6) and a willingness to welcome him in all his glory (vv 7-10).
Big Idea: We are called to welcome Jesus’ kingship in every area of our lives.
Text: Psalm 47
Title: Worshiping the King
Exegetical Idea: God’s kingship is to be celebrated! It is awesome (vv 1-4) and our response should be one of exuberant joy (vv 5-7). One day every tribe and nation will acknowledge his kingship (vv 8-9).
Big Idea: We sing because we rejoice in Jesus’ reign.
Text: Psalm 72
Title: Praying for the King
Exegetical Idea: The Israelites prayed for their human king, asking God for just judgment (vv 1-4); an enduring reign (vv 5-11); compassion for the needy (vv 12-14); the extending of his kingdom (vv 15-17); and all praise to him (vv 18-20). These same requests can shape our prayers as we ask for the kingdom to come today.
Big Idea: We seek and long for Jesus to reign with justice in our world.
Text: Psalm 98
Title: Proclaiming the King
Exegetical Idea: As we praise God for what he has done for us (vv 1-3), so we declare to all nations that he is king (vv 4-6), and we proclaim his coming just judgment to the whole world (vv 7-9). In the same way, we proclaim to the world the salvation Jesus has brought, his reign breaking into the world, and his future coming to set all things right.
Big Idea: We proclaim King Jesus to the world.
Other key theological themes that could be considered for additional series: God’s Word, God’s character, Creation, Rest, Forgiveness, God’s victory, and God’s mission to the nations.
Series 3: Preaching a Collection Within the Psalter
Big Idea for Whole Series: Living daily as the pilgrim people of God.
Psalms 120-134 share a superscription that connects them to Israel’s practice of pilgrimage. From Augustine to Dante to Bunyan and beyond, the church has used the image of a “pilgrim people” to describe our identity. This collection of psalms speaks to what this looks like in daily life and corporate practice.
This series was initially developed for a leadership conference and then preached at a large church who were seeking to make connections between Sunday gatherings, daily family and neighborhood life, and reaching out to the wider community. It explores some of the tensions these psalms present, as two poems side-by-side can explore paradoxical aspects of our identity and calling.
Text: Psalms 120-122
Title: The Pilgrimage Journey
Exegetical Idea: The pilgrimage collection starts in a place of dislocation and distance, calling us to dissatisfaction with where we find ourselves (120). As we begin our journey, where do we look for help (121:1-2)? We are invited to see God as our guardian in every dimension of life: day and night, coming and going, now and forever (121:3-6). At the same time, we anticipate with great joy the place God is preparing for us (122:1-3); and we seek his shalom both there and here (122:4-8).
Big Idea: The tension between journey and destination: God is at work in and through us now and yet we are still anticipating something more.
Text: Psalms 123-124
Title: Slaves and Free
Exegetical Idea: We are invited to picture ourselves as slaves waiting upon the favor of our master (123:1-2); leading to an acknowledgement that we have been satisfied with something far less from other masters (123:3-4). At the same time, we are invited to imagine what our lives would be like if God had not stepped in (124:1-2) and to feel the joyful experience of salvation (124:3-8).
Big Idea: The tension between salvation and submission: we have been set free to serve.
Text: Psalms 125-126
Title: The People of God
Exegetical Idea: Our communal identity is one of security (125:1-2), unlike those who reject God’s ways (125:3), and so we cry out for God’s peace upon us (125:4-5). At the same time, we remember that we are here now only because of God’s saving work in the past (126:1-3) and we look for him to again pour out his blessing anew (126:4-6).
Big Idea: The past and the present: who we are is shaped by where we have come from and shapes where we go.
Text: Psalms 127-129
Title: Daily Life and Struggles
Exegetical Idea: Work without God’s hand is futile (127:1-2); but when we are blessed in our families it is God’s work (127:3-5). Those who walk in his ways receive his blessing in their lives (128:1-4) and seek for that blessing to be shared with others (128:5-6). At the same time, suffering is our common experience (129:1-3) and so we look for God’s intervention (129:4) and we leave vengeance upon enemies up to him (129:5-8).
Big Idea: Work, family, and nation: seeking God’s blessing in every area of our lives.
Text: Psalms 130-131
Title: Repentance and Confidence
Exegetical Idea: We cry out in confession knowing we don’t deserve God’s forgiveness (130:1-3) but receiving it because of who he is (130:4). In response, we wait and hope for his word (130:5-6), calling others to seek his forgiveness too (130:7-8). At the same time, we can stand in God’s presence with bold humility (131:1), content without needing more from him (131:2) and calling others to the same hope (131:3).
Big Idea: The tension between confession and assurance: we humbly bow before God as sinners, and we stand forgiven as his children.
Text: Psalm 132
Title: God’s Desire to Dwell Among His People
Exegetical Idea: This psalm is longer, more historically grounded, and uses more traditional poetic style and imagery than the rest of the collection. Yet it announces the climax of Israel’s story: the realization of David’s great longing (vv 1-5) that God would dwell among his people (vv 6-12) and the theological truth that this has in fact been God’s great longing too (vv 13-18).
Big Idea: The paradox: the God we long for has always been longing for us.
Text: Psalms 133-134
Title: The Blessing of Community
Exegetical Idea: The unity of God’s people is incredibly good, illustrated by pictures of overflowing and abundance (133:1-3a) and the certainty of blessing (133:3b). As the pilgrimage collection comes to an end, this works out in the departing pilgrims reminding the priests to keep blessing God (134:1-2) and the request for this blessing to poured out upon all he has made (134:3).
Big Idea: The tension between being gathered and scattered: we find joy in the experience of church community and we are sent out to share that blessing with others.
Other collections that could be considered for additional series: psalms of Asaph (Pss 50, 73-83), psalms of Korah (Pss 42, 44-49, 84-85, 87-88), and the miktams of David (Pss 16, 56-60).
Series 4: Preaching the Psalter’s Entire Narrative Structure
Big Idea for Whole Series: The story of the Psalms as a reflection of Israel’s story and ours.
The Book of Psalms is divided into five books, perhaps deliberately reflecting the five books of the Pentateuch. Different types or genres of psalms are more prominent in different books. Psalms 1-2 appear to form a deliberate introduction to the book as a whole, focusing on the themes of wisdom and kingship. Psalms 146-150 form a strong conclusion of praise, each opening and closing with the invitation, hallelujah. If the book as a whole is thought of as representing a “place” of worship, we may enter God’s presence with questions or doubts, but we leave rejoicing. This series seeks to help people see the shape of the Book of Psalms as a whole, functioning as part of a wider series on the overarching narrative of the Bible.
Text: Psalms 1-41
Title: Book I: Personal Struggles
Exegetical Idea: After introducing the themes of wisdom and kingship (Pss 1-2); the rest of this book contains psalms of David, many personal to his circumstances, describing his troubles (3-8), his questions about life (9-14), his experience of evil (35-39) and even the absence of God (30-31). But we also see his commitment to the Lord (15-17, 26-27) and confidence in his presence (19-21, 23) so that he can rejoice at all times (34, 40).
Big Idea: David’s honest exploration of his own relationship with God reveals God’s faithfulness despite our struggles, questions, doubts, and suffering, and helps us rejoice in all things.
Text: Psalms 42-72
Title: Book II: Communal Struggles
Exegetical Idea: These psalms of Korah (42-49), Asaph (50), David (51-65, 68-70) and Solomon (72) shift to more communal language and national focus. There are many laments as the people of God struggle to find hope in dark times (42-44, 52-64) and yet there is confident hope in God’s deliverance (54, 57, 66-67, 72).
Big Idea: The people of God cried out for his intervention as they experienced oppression and brokenness, calling us to cry for God to intervene in the mess of our world today.
Text: Psalms 73-89
Title: Book III: Crisis
Exegetical Idea: The darkest of the five books explores God’s judgment and seeming rejection of his people (73-79, 89) and takes us to the dark night of the soul (88). Yet we still find hopeful longing for God in the midst (84-85) much like we do in the book of Lamentations (3:21-26), suggesting it is darkest just before the dawn.
Big Idea: As the people of God face destruction and exile, they look for him to do something new, inviting us to do the same.
Text: Psalms 90-106
Title: Book IV: Making Sense of It All
Exegetical Idea: This book moves toward praise as the psalmists seek to answer some of the big questions raised by the exile: Does God still love us? (91-92, 100-101, 103) Is he still just? (94-95, 105-106) Is he still sovereign? (96-99) They affirm that God is who he has always been and help the people make sense of their current situation in light of that truth.
Big Idea: The psalmists affirm God’s faithful character and show how he continues to be at work in the world, a theological task that the church today is also called to.
Text: Psalms 107-150
Title: Book V: Starting Anew
Exegetical Idea: The final book is filled with thanksgiving and praise (111-118, 145) outlining God’s answering of prayer and faithfulness to his promises. It concludes with a chorus of hallelujahs (146-150).
Big Idea: As God gathers his people together again, they renew their commitment to him and praise him for who he is, was, and always will be.
Some ideas to keep in mind when seeking to apply the Psalms
Focus on communal as well as individual application.
This should include how the Psalm might challenge our corporate worship and mission practices. For example, we had someone write a corporate lament for what was going on in our world and our local situation that we prayed together as a congregation, and also encouraged people to write their own personal lament during the week.
Look for what the psalm is calling us to do.
This can be found in the commands, many of which are to worship. But it is also seen in the expression of the psalmist’s own actions (“I will …”, e.g. Ps 18:49) or in calls to the community (“O Israel …”, e.g. Ps 131:3).
Provide time and space for people to respond in various ways.
This can be both corporately and individually, and could include singing, speaking, meditating, physical postures, actions, journaling, discussing, memorizing, listening, or creating art.
For example, in the kingdom Psalms series we linked each message to a posture: kneel, stand, sing, pray, shout. After each message, we spent time practicing this physical posture as a gathered community, and encouraging people to incorporate this attitude into their week.
When exploring the theme of creation in the Psalms, we set up an art gallery of photos and artworks from members of our congregation expressing the beauty of creation with a question in place of a description inviting people to reflect; the following week we provided molding clay, canvases and paint, and invited people to explore their own creativity as a response to the Psalms.
When looking at the pilgrimage Psalms with a smaller congregation, we went for a prayer walk in small groups around our neighborhood.
Use your imagination and encourage your people together to put into practice what the Book of Psalms is speaking about.
Consider how the psalm points to Jesus.
There are various ways to do this. Often, we can apply the images for God in the psalm to him (shepherd, king, rescuer, guardian, rock). We can also pray the prayers of the psalm to him. An interesting exercise is to imagine him speaking the psalm as his own song or prayer. Jesus used the psalms as his own prayers during his life and the Gospel writers use a number of psalms to articulate their understanding of his actions. Hebrews 2:11 pictures Jesus joining us in corporate worship, singing God’s praises alongside us. Jesus is also the perfect embodiment of wisdom psalms such as Ps 1 and Ps 112, pointing to our faith in him and his work in our lives rather than our own efforts as the appropriate response to these kinds of psalms.
My Encounter with Psalms
In my context, the Psalms have often been used for individual devotion or corporate reading but rarely preached on. My own studies of the Psalms and development of these and other sermons has led to a Psalms series becoming part of the annual preaching rhythm of our church life. It engages people’s minds but also their emotions, imaginations, and bodies. Being challenged to pray psalms that do not seem to reflect our current experience has forced us to consider the wider church globally and historically and where we fit within it, so that we find ourselves speaking to, for, and about one another as well as to, for, and about God. It has enriched our corporate language about King Jesus and stretched us in our expressions of prayer and worship. It has become a highlight of our year.
Tremper Longman III, How To Read the Psalms (Downers Grove: IVP, 1988).
Rolf A. Jacobson & Karl N. Jacobson, Invitation to the Psalms: A Reader’s Guide for Discovery and Engagement (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013).
Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary (New York: W. W. Norton, 2007).
Willem A. VanGemeren, Psalms, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008).
Walter Brueggemann and William H. Bellinger Jr, Psalms, New Cambridge Bible Commentary (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014).
 It is important to note that even though the superscriptions are not given a verse number in most English translations, they are part of the original text.
 Note, however, that the Hebrew lamed can be read as “to,” “for,” or “of” rather than “by” so might indicate a broader association than authorship.
 Harry P Nasuti, “God at Work in the Word: A Theology of Divine-Human Encounter in the Psalms,” in Soundings in the Theology of the Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship, ed. Rolf A Jacobson (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2011), 29.
 John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms Volume I, 23. Translated by James Anderson. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Online: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom08.pdf.


We have alphabetized this glossary. When more than one term might be used for the same concept, we provide a definition for the term that we use in the book and refer to alternative terms with “See X.”
Alliteration is the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Altered Experiences affect how humans perceive time due to drug or alcohol use, medical issues, psychological issues, or spiritual issues.
Associative Development is the process through which the writer studies their own images to discover a set of implicit concerns, obsessions, or curiosities, which can then be unpacked and analyzed through a series of associative leaps both intellectual and creative.
Associative Movement, rather than relying on chronology as the best way to structure creative nonfiction, is when a writer ties the central question together not by chronology but by association. Associative movement generates energy not by “what will happen next,” but the deeper suspense of “what it all means,” as the narrator compares the central question (again, the questions compelling the narrative) to the situation, or as the narrator links together ideas not based on time but based on how they thematically relate to each other.
Assonance is the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong (two vowels that combine into a single syllable, such as coin or side) in non-rhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible.
Central Question, the, is the curiosity (or set of curiosities) that serve as a writer’s motivation, inspiration, and compositional directive. The central question is the ideas or actions that the writer will explore. Some might call it a creative nonfiction writer’s hypothesis. The central question is tied to the situation.
Connotation is a word’s subtext or the conscious and subconscious associations of any given word.
Consonance is the repetition of the sound of a consonant or diphthong (two vowels that combine into a single syllable, such as coin or side) in non-rhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for an echo to be discernible.
Cornerstone Images, like the cornerstone of a building, serve as the foundational images or scenes for rich creative nonfiction. These images help us discover the next image and the next.
Creative Memory is the plumbing of our complicated memories to try and make sense of them by fitting them into our personal mythologies. Writers work to discover who we are by mining where we've been.
Creative Nonfiction is trickier to define since it is based around what it is not: i.e. not fiction. Still, one definition is that creative nonfiction uses imaginative elements to write about real events.
Creative Research is actively observing and researching the world around us (and this includes everything from remembering to researching to interviewing to reviewing maps and photos) and connecting this research to our central questions.
Dilated Images are images that are slowed down and see up close, suggesting an image that has been long considered, as fight or flight and novel moments often are, and also images that have been, literally, seared into our brains.
Dialectical Movement is any time a writer explores a different point of view, either between characters or between parts of themselves. Dialectical movement is the inquisitive mind at work and it allows readers to see a situation from a variety of points of view.
Drama came from the Greeks and means either a “theatrical act” or “a play” and comes from the Greek word for “to take action.” The shape of a drama on the page is a script. Drama doesn’t care if things are invented or true. Drama is one of our three genres.
Dramatic Design includes all of the ways writers can intentionally choose to organize and shape creative nonfiction—either through chronological movement or associative movement—to reinforce and contribute to the central question and knot of meaning. Dramatic design organizes our creative nonfiction in ways that allows our readers to see meaning in our shifts in focus, content, or ideas; leap forward or back in time; and where and how we create juxtapositions between images.
Echoes are when a word, image, sound, or idea is repeated throughout a narrative. It’s a tactical move that creates emphasis through mirroring.
Essay originates from the Latin word exxagium (through the French word essai) and means “a weighing” or “to examine” or “to try.” An essay, therefore, is an examination or the trying on of an idea or event.
Fact, in Medieval Latin, meant something that was literally a “thing done.” By the 1600s, a fact was understood to be “a thing that is known or proven to be true.”
Fiction includes all invented narratives. It is most often in prose form.
Fight or Flight Experiences are moments where our lives are in physical or emotional charged moments. Time seems to slow, to stretch forever, as the brain races to take in enough information to decide if it should fight or flee.
Filters are any description of our characters’ or narrator’s observing consciousness or mental activity. Filters describe thinking or observing rather than just allowing the character or narrator to think or observe. I wondered; She thought; He saw; I felt, and similar language, filters the character’s experience rather than just letting the character experience it.
Flatlining entails dialing back abstract language of emotions, using an almost-reportorial tone, so that the reader can bring their own emotions to the experience. Flatlining is best used in emotionally or physically charged situations.
Flashbacks and Flash Forwards are when a character or narrator re-experiences a previous or future event. Flashbacks and flash forwards are different from reflection in that reflection is thinking about a past action while flashbacks are remembering the actions themselves as scene on the page and flash forwards are remembering an event that will occur at some future moment.
Prolonged Flashbacks and Forwards are fully fleshed-out scenes that slow the chronological movement of our creative nonfiction to a halt as we either relive a past scene or imagine a future scene.
Anecdotal Flashbacks and Flash Forwards are quick in nature. They may be no longer than a few words or a quick summary of a scene. Anecdotal flashes can blend more seamlessly and provide opportunities to quickly establish metaphors and resonances—a satisfying sense of pattern across time.
Forgetting Curve highlights the speed at which memories break down. Research shows that humans lose over half of their memories in under a week unless they actively review the experience. This loss of memory, the forgetting curve, occurs because the brain cannot hold onto all of its memories.
Forms are the ways in which writers fashion situations into central questions, knots of meaning, and, ultimately, art. Form gives content shape, and shape is what distinguishes the chaos of experience from artifact, raw material from masterpiece.
Traditional Form, the, is when creative nonfiction narratives have a beginning, middle, and ending and typically uses standard chronology.
Braided Form, the, weaves together two or more ideas, experiences, and/or images, eschewing chronology and formal logic as its organizing principle. The braided form slowly intertwines questions, ideas, and/or moments, bit by bit, until by the end, the reader cannot help but see these ostensibly separate strands as naturally linked. One of the components that comes along with this weaving is that the ideas being explored are revealed to the reader slowly.
Collage Form, the, juxtaposes multiple and often seemingly unrelated images or ideas side by side. Thoughtful juxtaposition is key to the collage. How two or more images or ideas bounce off each other is where the collage gathers its strength. Rather than working chronologically or by neatly tying things together, as in the braided narrative, the writer is after the affect that comes from putting together a range of startling or striking images or ideas
Flash Form, the, is less defined by what it is and more defined by the size of itself. For the flash form, there is a strict word count, which leads to a compression of ideas and images. Some consider flash to be anything under five hundred words. Others set the word count higher or lower. Regardless, it’s the use of compression that sets the flash apart.
Lyric Form, the, is what poets call the prose poem. The lyric form leans into poetic elements to create meaning: language, rhythm, sound, alliteration, torque, repetition, cadence, musicality. Indeed, the root of the word lyric is lyre, a musical instrument that accompanied ancient song. The lyric form is songlike; it hinges on the inherent rhythms of language and sound, both to create shape and to reveal meaning. Lyric forms are artful, but with purpose, requiring the reader to complete the meaning by provoking meditation.
Graphic Form, the, pairs visual images with words. These images might be pen and ink, photographs, paintings, etc. These images establish tone, setting, and other vital details. The writer relies less on words, especially because there is less space on the page for words, and more on the intersections and combinations of words and images.
Found Forms, the, adopt a structure from other structures. For example, a writer might create a narrative that looks like a take-out menu, a website for a pet adoption facility, a how-to format, playlists, address books, a field guide, a set of directions to building something, an email, a map, an interview, a math problem, a test, or a multitude of other forms. The only limitation of found forms is the writer’s imagination.
Genre is writing differentiated by its shape. In creative writing, we primarily have three genres: poetry, drama, and prose.
Incident Frequency is the number of times a moment occurs in the real world in comparison to the number of times it occurs on the page. Three categories exist: the normative frequency, the iterative frequency, and the repetitive frequency.
Normative Frequency is when the number of occurrences of a real event match the number of times the event is shown on the page.
Iterative Frequency is when the number of occurrences on the page is lower than the number of occurrences in the real world. The iterative is best used to remove non-novel experiences.
Repetitive Frequency is when the number of occurrences on the page exceed the number of occurrences in the real world. Repetitive is best used to highlight fight or flight and novel experiences and, at times, altered state experiences. Writers use repetitive frequency to highlight how an issue is so powerful we keep returning to it.
Infrastructure is a web of connected or resonant images that serve as scaffolding for the work; infrastructure holds the work together like nexus points in a spider web.
Internal Scene is when a writer stops action and moves from the real world into the brain for thought. Because the writer is no longer experiencing the outer world, there is no perception of time occurring, instead only introspection, speculation, and reflection.
Internal Scene, Types,
Fantastic, the, is where the writer brings in invented or imagined elements to a work of creative nonfiction. Though most or all of the fantastic is untrue (and possibly impossible), the fantastic allows the reader to better understand the mind and emotions of a narrator. This understanding comes from what we learn about why the narrator invents and imagines, which is what we all do most of the day: we imagine, we invent, we create. And the fantastic, though invented, should lean into the emotional truths of a situation.
Introspection is a narrator examining their current feelings or state of mind. Introspection is generally less about situations and more about the emotions that arise from situations. Introspection is less about the past and more about the current state of the narrator or character.
Reflection is contemplating, meditating, or ruminating on an idea or event that has already occurred. The term reflection also means, scientifically, the echo of sound or light waves off a surface. Reflection is not the situation explored in our creative nonfiction but the echo of that situation.
Speculation is envisioning either past, current, or future events based on knowledge at hand. Speculation allows a character to re-imagine a past, present, or future situation from their own perspective or from other people’s perspectives. And this is something that everyone does every day.
Research also gives the feeling of internal scene. When a writer properly places research into creative nonfiction, readers experience the writer’s mind in active thought. Further, research also helps the reader see the connections the writer is making, which, again, offers us internal scene.
Juxtaposition is when a writer uses associative leaps. The writer places two “things,” often unrelated, side by side to see what is created or revealed. How we put things together in creative nonfiction is as crucial as what we put together, and that is what juxtaposition is: placing unlike things beside each other.
Knot of Meaning, the, is the conclusion arrived at after writing toward and writing with our central question. The knot of meaning is most often not a single answer but a complicated view of our central question. If the central question might be considered the creative nonfiction writer’s hypothesis, then the knot of meaning might be considered the (subtlety stated) thesis that proves, disproves, or complicates the writer’s hypothesis. This proving, disproving, and complicating arises from creative memory and creative research and is creative in nature.
Leaps help writers break from standard chronological movement by moving a narrative across time and space to focus on the most significant moments as sections of the narrative get grouped together by association rather than strict chronology.
White Space is a pause between two sections and, if used intentionally, is rife with meaning. White space is not a blank space, or merely a visual transition. Instead, white space is a meaning maker. White space asks readers to make connections between the sections it separates, and it does it often without a transition. Further, white space often uses juxtaposition to increase strength.
Malleable Memories is a term that reminds us that all memories are, at their core, inventions and re-creations.
Memoir traces itself back to the Latin word memoria, which means, simply, “memory.” Memoir is a sharing of the writer’s memories or the construction of one’s story from one’s memory.
Myths are stories that a culture believes to be true (and may be true) while the outside world believes a culture’s myths to be untrue or distorted.
Myths, Personal, are stories that a writer accepts as truth and fact but are actually falsified by malleable memories and the distortion of our phenomenal truths.
Narratives are often thought to be stories with beginnings, middles, and ends and are organized by time, rather than space. That said, many narratives focus on issues other than time to convey the meaning of a story.
Chronological Narratives are narratives have a temporal frame—some movement through time, which helps highlight two different versions of the writer. First, we see the writer as a character in the actions of our creative nonfiction. Next, we see the writer as someone reflecting on those actions; this is our narrator.
Achronological Narratives break with chronological organization. These are often considered "experimental," outside of the boundaries of traditional meaning-making, and we borrow terms from other art forms (visual art, music, etc.) to describe these achronological narratives. These forms include the lyric, collage, braided, and so on.
Narrative Energy is the reader’s engagement with the material on the page, regulated by the writer’s control over language, tension, pacing, stakes, and rhythm. Narrative energy is not created from subject matter alone, or action-packed plot lines, but through the writer’s use of language, tension, pacing, stakes, and rhythm.
Narrator is one version of the writer and is constructed entirely of words. The narrator guides readers through the situation and is also, often, the main character involved.
Narrator, Reliable, is someone the reader trusts to be honest in our creative nonfiction.
Narrator, Types of,
Dramatic narrator, is a narrator who only reports on a situation and is not a participant, as is often seen in journalism. The writer keeps the reader outside of all characters’ thoughts (since the writer doesn’t have access to any thoughts of those involved in the situation) and, often, out of the narrator’s thoughts. Normally, the dramatic narrator only reports on character actions and words. There are two types of dramatic narrators. They are the observer and commentator narrators. The dramatic observer narrator is not involved in the situation either on an action or emotion level. The observer narrator reports rather than experiences. We hear no thoughts from this narrator. Instead, the observer narrator allows the characters to solidify the central question only through words, actions, and research. A more engaged narrator that also uses dramatic distance is the dramatic commentator narrator. Again, this narrator is not engaged in the situation but does offer internal scene about the situation. So, here, the reader sees the situation through other characters’ actions and dialogue but also receives commentary on those actions from our narrator, who appears to be standing off to the side of the situation.
Interior Narrators offer readers access to the thoughts and emotions of the narrator, especially concerning the situation. Most first and second person narratives use interior narrators. There are two types of interior distance narrators: secondary narrators and protagonist narrators. The secondary narrator is involved in the situation but is not the main character. With a secondary narrator, we often feel as if we are hearing a second-hand story. The most intimate interior distance narrator is the protagonist narrator. Here, our narrator is a main character. The reader feels as if they are experiencing the situation through the narrator’s eyes, which is exactly how the situation unfolded.
Narrator, Unreliable, is a narrator that readers do not trust. There are two types of unreliable narrators in creative nonfiction. The intentional unreliable narrator and the unintentional unreliable narrator
Narrator, Intentional Unreliable, is a narrator who cannot be trusted, yet the reader understands that the writer can be trusted. With these narrators, the writer intentionally highlights a deceitful/confused/or otherwise untrustworthy narrator because the writer recognizes that the narrator (a version of the writer) cannot be trusted in this moment and, therefore, the only fair way to portray that narrator is to make them an untrustworthy narrator.
Narrator, Unintentional Unreliable, is a narrator who the reader doesn’t trust, but the reader carries that distrust over to the writer as well. With the unintentional unreliable narrator, in the writer’s mind, the narrator is credible. But in the reader’s mind, the narrator is untrustworthy. In this instance, both narrator and writer lose credibility, and the reader disengages with the piece.
Narrator-situation Distance is the narrator’s proximity to the situation Narrator-situation distance affects where in time, emotion, and space the narrator stands in relationship to the situation. This distance controls how close the narrator feels to the situation, how long they have been able to reflect on a situation, and, often, but not always, how close the reader feels to the situation.
Narrator-situation Merge is when a writer is too close to a situation, temporally and emotionally, resulting in little to no narrative distance, which leads to little or no internal scene.
Non-novel Experiences are the opposite of novel experiences; they are the mundane moments in our lives that the brain “forgets” because this information is a repetition of what was learned yesterday and the day before and the day before.
Noumenal, the, originates from the term “Ding an sich,” which can be translated as “thing-in-itself.” The noumenal is the actual world or the factual world.
Novel Experiences are any new (and important) event in our lives. The brain remembers these events because they are new, important, and might teach us something about how to emotionally or literally survive this world.
Phenomenonal, the, is the world of appearances and interpretation, the world filtered through a human’s senses. Broken down into mathematical terms, noumenal truth + our senses = an individual’s phenomenal truths.
Poetry originates from the Latin word for “poet,” which means “maker” or “author.” Poetry is most often defined by its use of line breaks and its reliance on heightened language. Poetry doesn’t care if things are invented or true. Poetry is one of our three genres.
Prefabricated Language is words and phrases that are so familiar that they cease to mean in any significant way. They function as abstractions, rather than vivid and particular description.
Denotation is a word’s literal meaning.
Prose is writing shaped into paragraphs. The term prose is birthed from the Latin word for “straightforward,” since most prose is more linear than poetry. Prose uses paragraphs, sentences, and (usually) traditional uses of punctuation. Prose doesn’t care if things are invented or true.
Significant Sensory Details are sensory details that work on multiple levels to reflect emotional truth and teach the reader how to experience the image. The best sensory details evoke an emotional or aesthetic mood, cultivate setting or character, create or extend a metaphor, or in some other way convey multiple levels of meaning.
Situation, the, is what is being explored: who (the characters), what (the plot), where (the setting), and when (the time period). The situation is tied to the central question.
Social Self is understanding who we—the writer—in context to the larger world. We can understand our social selves by looking at where we are situation in the larger world. This includes examining gender, race, religion, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc while also exploring the social, historic, and cultural shifts that take place during our lifetimes.
Speed of Scene examines the amount of time it takes a reader to read a scene versus the amount of time the actual event comprised. Five speeds of scene exist. From fastest to slowest they are Gaps, Summary, Scene, Dilation, and Internal Scene.
Gaps are the fastest movement of time. Gaps, as their name implies, leave out most or all details of an event. Gaps skip over non-novel moments where we forget things because they are unimportant. Drug and alcohol-affected moments also often have gaps.
Summary, much like gaps, deals with non-novel moments. When using summary, we distill an event down into just important details.
Scene matches the actual time of the event. This is closest to the real time of an event. Here the time it takes to read a narration closely matches the actual time of the event. Scenes often come from all the times when our perception is affected—fight or flight, novel, and altered experiences.
Dilation occurs when the reading of a moment stretches longer than the actual event. Dilation is slower—because of the level of detail added—than real life and often mirrors fight or flight, novel, and altered experiences.
Internal Scene is when a writer stops action and moves from the real world into the brain for thought. Because the writer is no longer experiencing the outer world, there is no perception of time occurring, instead only introspection, speculation, and reflection.
Stakes are what stands to be lost, gained, or changed in the future, while, in contrast, tension is a kind of collision or trouble.
Tension is trouble or conflict, and wielding tension effectively is essential for reader investment. In life, and on the page, we must push against something to see the world in a new way. Not only does tension keep our readers engaged—because two or more forces are colliding—but more critically, it’s the only way that change occurs. Without tension, we continue to move forward in the same direction and with the same perspective.
Moment of Tension, the, is the cause of sitting down to write. This is always something that has already occurred.
Moment of Reflection, the, which is when the writer wrestles with the moment of tension to uncover the stakes.
Toothbrush Syndrome, the, is when writers stick too doggedly to the timeline, insist on holding our reader’s hand through time, which often leads to a series of plodding plot points.
Topics are simply the situation, especially what is occurring. Topics are often confused for genre or forms. We can write about any given topic in any genre, using any degree of veracity, and within any form.
Autobiography is a chronology of the writer’s entire life. It begins at the beginning and ends whenever the writer stops writing. It focuses on all the major details of a writer’s life. The autobiography is shaped to reveal the impact of seminal events and/or shifts on the subject's emotional, physical, and/or intellectual development—or the subject's impact on others.
Environmental and Nature focuses on how humans interact with or affect the world around us. These pieces often focus on a place, especially details about the location in question.
Immersion is where the writer tries on a next life, experience, or activity. This is either something the writer has never done before or something the writer hasn’t done in many, many years. The newness of the activity is what the writer is exploring.
Literary Journalism is the intersection between journalism (factual reporting) and creative nonfiction. Here, writers focus on reporting, but also lean more into heightened language and scene work.
Meditations is more philosophical, and often works to unpack an ideas of profound personal importance to the writer. Meditations tie back to Montaigne’s Essais. Often meditations don’t aim to prove a point, but rather to explore a question in depth and with precision. These narratives are often not structured chronologically, but instead follow the movements of the mind.
Memoir examines a period of a writer’s life, especially as related to a single question or idea, and especially related to past moments, which is why memoir takes its name from “memory.” This is a major focus of the memoir, probing our memories in order to reveal complex meaning.
Personal is similar to memoir. Some writers highlight page length as the difference between these two topics (personal is often considered short, say under twenty pages, while memoir is book length), but we argue that the personal is not determined by length, but by a focus on more immediate events than memoir. Whereas memoir looks backwards, the personal examines the immediately lived life. In some ways, the distinctions between the two are negligible and indefinable, but worth offering here as a launching point for discussion.
Portrait examines someone or something other than the writer themselves. The writer turns their gaze from their own life and instead focuses on a person, event, or place.
Persuasive focuses its attention on proving a point. Here, the writer, rather than exploring a question—as seen in the meditative—stares right at the issue and tries to convert the reader to a new point of view.
Science and Math deals with explaining or highlighting key new discoveries. This topic often works to “translate” a complex scientific or mathematical idea into a language an average reader can understand.
Speculative focus on situations where the writer uses speculation, deduction, and extrapolation to write about something they do not fully know. Often, the speculative looks forward or backward in time to make an educated guess on how an event might have turned out differently.
Sports zeroes in on an event or athlete and focuses on the game or activity being played. These can, often, overlap with the profile.
Travel focuses on giving the reader an inside look at another place. The travel topic also often examines insiders and outsiders.
Truth comes from the West Saxon word triewe and means “faithful" or having the “quality of being true.” True, meanwhile, traces itself back to Proto-Germanic. Since the 1200s, true has meant “consistent with fact” and since the 1300s has meant “real, genuine, not counterfeit.”
Truth, Aesthetic, deals with the ways a specific writer—or related group of writers—artistically deal with their topic. Aesthetic truths deal with what forms or style a writer uses to uncover their knot of meaning.
Truth, Emotional, is how someone feels about or interprets a previous event and/or how an event feels during the moment.
Veracity comes from the Latin term “vērāx,” which means “to speak truthfully.” Veracity is “a truth” or “a truthful statement.” Veracity is what differentiates creative nonfiction and fiction.


Join now. Oratory is the ability to convey a successful speech, and it is a means of performing rhetoric. Translated by George A. 3. To show kindness is praiseworthy; to show hatred is evil. The Review of Metaphysics, Vol. There are a number of standard rhetorical modes of writing—structural and analytical models that can be used effectively to suit different writing situations. Aristotle. Forensic oratory is either accusatory or defensive. These three branches–deliberative, judicial, and epideictic–cover some of the most common ways we communicate, even today. Rhetorical devices are frequently used in literature, though we oftentimes use these types of words in our everyday conversations without notice. Rhetorical devices are loosely organized into the following four categories: Logos. expository: writing that aims to explain or describe something. 1. The three primary means of persuasion, as outlined by Aristotle in his treatise Ars Rhetorica, are ethos, pathos, and logos.Likewise, there are three primary purposes for classic rhetorical works, also described by Aristotle as rhetorical species. The three types of rhetoric we are going to focus on here are: 1. A rhetorical mode is a strategy--a way or method of presenting a subject-through writing or speech. The Rhetorical modes (also called modes of discourse) refer to several types of written communication. Create a 4×3 table in which you set out the four models of rhetoric we have covered in class. Paul uses first few verses of letter. Rhetorical approaches can be described in terms of the means of persuasion used or in terms of the purpose of a particular rhetorical work. The study of rhetoric dates back to ancient Greece. Rhetorical skills work hand in hand with one another. What Is the Connection between Oratory and Rhetoric. [The following is a post I wrote for the discussion board in one of the seminary classes I took with Liberty University, Hermeneutics] List and define the 3 types of rhetoric in Roman letters according to Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard. Four Resources of Persuasion Goals are.. 3 Types Of Rhetorical Questions. Dover Thrift Editions, W. Rhys Roberts, Paperback, Dover Publications, September 29, 2004. If you’re trying to persuade an audience that will be moved by an appeal to emotion, try creating a Pinterest board. Rhetorical strategies can be used in writing, in conversation or if you are planning a speech. Some of the better known rhetorical modes are, for example, "argument" and "cause and effect." The Best Kind of Orator. (Yeeeeah.) Part II: Models of Rhetoric Create a 4×3 table in which you set out the four models of rhetoric we have covered in class. Judicial rhetoric is speech or writing that considers the justice or injustice of a certain charge or accusation. 1. Aristotle. Forensic, or judicial, rhetoric establishes facts and judgments about the past, similar to detectives at a crime scene. And you definitely have a “tug-at-their-heartstrings” acquaintance. Ethos means character and it is an appeal to moral principles. Calling an argument logical does not necessarily mean that it is free from opinion, speculation or error, but it does mean that it is grounded in fact rather than in emotion. Kennedy, George A. Pathos is the Greek root of the word pathetic, meaning "something that relates to the emotion." Rhetorical Treatises." Argument, Appeals, Arrangement, Aesthetics. Gaillet, Lynee Lewis. We are more easily persuaded by people who come across as trustworthy. Logos: Strategy of reason, logic, or facts. The rhetoric is primarily emotive. Sound patterns The three points on the Rhetorical Triangle relate directly to the three classic appeals you should consider when communicating: Ethos: building trust by establishing your credibility and authority (Writer). He first began to develop his view of rhetoric while he was in Athens and completed his formation at his school, the Lyceum. Pathos means experience or sadness and it is an appeal to emotion. Aristotle's Rhetoric generally concentrates on ethos and pathos, and—as noted by Aristotle—both affect judgment. Rhetoric is the ancient art of using language to persuade. In the 20th century it underwent a shift of emphasis from the speaker or writer to the auditor or reader. Ethos is how your character as a speaker or writer affects the audience. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Book I offers a general overview, presenting the purposes of rhetoric and a working definition; it also offers a detailed discussion of the major contexts and types of rhetoric. Ethos (credibility), or ethical appeal, this means convincing your listener by referring to your own reputation. According to Aristotle, a speaker or writer has three ways to persuade his audience: Of the modes of persuasion furnished by the spoken word there are three kinds. What are the three types of rhetoric See answers (1) Ask for details ; Follow Report What do you need to know? and the … Give examples of these… Aristotle, way back in the 4th Century B.C., identified three branches of rhetoric (also known as the three branches of oratory). Any type of argument which appeals to someone’s rational side is appealing to logos. 3. Instead, you simply want him to stop irritating you. The Rhetoric consists of three books. Whereas judicial rhetoric is primarily concerned with past events, deliberative discourse, says Aristotle, "always advises about things to come." The endorsement of a doctor or medical researcher regarding a particular medication, for instance, would contain appeal to ethos, whereas the testimony of a patient who had taken the medicine would not necessarily. 386, H. M. Hubbell, English and Latin Edition, Harvard University Press, January 1, 1949. Additional modes of written communication include definition, process, classification/division, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect. Logos means reason and it is an appeal to logic. Political, Personal, Psychological. Use the same 3 categories to describe each model (relation of rhetoric to truth; the power the speaker has in relation to the audience; and the function of rhetoric… Beginning where the speaker develops relationship with audience. A. Topics. Chapters 1-3 Review Questions Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. Anthypophora or Hypophora . There are three genres of rhetoric: 1. Of course, the data in many scholarly articles, especially in the humanities, is open to interpretation, and different authors may draw different logical conclusions regarding the same data. Rhetoric (/ ˈ r ɛ t ə r ɪ k /) is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic – see Martianus Capella), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse.Rhetoric aims to study the capacities of writers or speakers needed to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. Today we apply it to any form of communication. "Rhetoric." Without style, the final formal category, the orator’s points are bound to fall flat. George A. Kennedy, "Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times", Lynee Lewis Gaillet and Michelle F. Eble, "Primary Research and Writing". ResearchGate, January 2008. Imagine being cast out into the street, cold, lonely and frightened. List and define the 3 types of rhetoric in Roman letters according to Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard. In his book Rhetoric, he defined these 3 Greek words. Ask your question. These are defined by Aristotle in his "Rhetoric" (4th century B.C.) Logos appeals to logic or reason-often citing facts, figures, and statistics. A simple example of this. Pathos Definition. Epideictic rhetoric is speech or writing that praises (encomium) or blames (invective). Here are some common types of rhetorical questions. Rhetoric, the principles of training communicators—those seeking to persuade or inform. (I’ll give you a moment. 5 points jack1062 Asked 10.29.2018. Here are some common types of rhetorical questions. Aristotle both redeemed rhetoric from his teacher and narrowed its focus by defining three genres of rhetoric—deliberative, forensicor judicial, and epideictic. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged Edition, The University of North Carolina Press, February 22, 1999. Ethos appeals to the character of the writer or speaker-stating that his or her background, credentials, or experience should convince you … Parallel structures. Forensic: Like CSI but with words. More than 2,000 years later, these three types of rhetoric still describe the primary ways that speakers, writers, artists … Which three types of power are enhanced by an understanding of the art of rhetoric? Loeb Classical Library Np. 1, JSTOR, September 1992. "Primary Research and Writing: People, Places, and Spaces." ALLITERATION (Paranomeon): a series of words which … Provide a list of different reasoning types. "Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times." Today we’ll cover the three means of persuasion as set forth by Aristotle in The Art of Rhetoric. The five canons of rhetoric include invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. In this type of rhetoric, the emphasis is on the arguer rather than on the subject itself. Interpreted more broadly, epideictic rhetoric may also include works of literature. Rhetoric is a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form. Devices in this category seek to convince and persuade via logic and reason, and will usually make use of statistics, cited facts, and statements by authorities to make their point and persuade the listener. Glossary. Expert testimony is another type of appeal to ethos. According to Aristotle, rhetoric uses three primary modes of persuasion: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos, Logos, Pathos are modes of persuasion used to convince others of your position, argument or vision. Perhaps the most famous rhetorician in the history of Western thought was the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who identified three types of rhetoric: ethos, or ethics; logos, or logic; and pathos, or emotion. This is successfully done by manipulating devices to enhance meaning, in addition to making conscious decisions about your writing. Rhetoric has links to literature … commerce, and private conversation. The three primary means of persuasion, as outlined by Aristotle in his treatise Ars Rhetorica, are ethos, pathos, and logos.Likewise, there are three primary purposes for classic rhetorical works, also described by Aristotle as rhetorical species. If you’re interested in learning more and seeing examples of the other types, visit the Excelsior OWL website on rhetorical styles. Rhetorical devices are loosely organized into the following four categories: Logos. A politician, for example, might appeal to his credibility, moral character, or past achievements. Dunmire, Patricia. Anthypophora or Hypophora . Epideictic oratory offers either praise or blame (1358b8–13). Think about the people you know and what it takes to convince them. Patricia L. Dunmire, "The Rhetoric of Temporality". Log in. A rhetorical device is a device that is used to persuade the audience and push their thinking in a particular direction. According to ancient testimonies, Aristotle wrote an early dialogue on rhetoric entitled ‘Grullos’, in which he put forward the argument that rhetoric cannot be an art (technê); and since this is precisely the position of Plato's Gorgias, the lost dialogue Grullos has traditionally been regarded as a sign of Aristotle's (alleged) early Platonism. Rhetorical question. These were determined in classic Rome by the Roman philosopher Cicero in his "De Inventione." Posted on 30 May 2013 20 Jan 2020 Categories Rhetoric. Of the three types of rhetoric, it is the one most commonly used in advertising because people's financial decisions are so often swayed by their emotions. Can we really expect the school to keep paying from its limited resources? More than 2,000 years later, these three types of rhetoric still describe the primary ways that speakers, writers, artists and advertisers are able to persuade their audiences. EXAMPLES OF RHETORICAL DEVICES. Types of rhetorical devices. On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civil Discourse. Make sure to use your own words in describing each model, and do not simply quote the handouts. Michelle F. Eble, 1st Edition, Routledge, August 24, 2015. 3. Grab your David Caruso sunglasses and prepare to dig deep. Argument, Appeals, Arrangement, Aesthetics. Rhetoric is the art of presenting information in a persuasive manner. There are various types of rhetorical questions, and each type is used specifically to evoke a unique kind of thought to the listener or reader. The rhetorical modes include, but are not limited to, narrative, description, process analysis, illustration and exemplification, cause and effect, comparison, definition, persuasion, and classification. Arguments of the Rhetorical Modes. Rorty, Amélie Oksenberg. Most arguments involve one or more of the rhetorical modes. Deliberative rhetoric is speech or writing that attempts to persuade an audience to take (or not take) some action. This is a common metaphor that someone may use to describe a torrential downpour or heavy rainstorm. Here’s a quick and simple definition: Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). In classical rhetoric, oratory was divided into three branches: judicial oratory (or "forensic"); deliberative oratory (or "legislative") and; epideictic oratory ("ceremonial" or "demonstrative"). Specifically, Aristotle refers to the effect of ethos and pathos on an audience since a speaker needs to exhibit these modes of persuasion before that audience. 122 is advertising which sells us something because someone famous uses the product. Abstraction (dialectic): Taking a concept and abstracting out other concepts (it is in essence the root behind deduction and the syllogism). … 4. The facts of the discourse. Two of these, you surely know: the simile and the metaphor. Rhetoric as a Counterpart to Dialectic. The language in which the argument is delivered must demonstrate purity, or linguistic correctness; clarity, which means the points are transparent; and decorum, or how appropriate the points are to the argument as a whole. List and define the 3 types of rhetoric in Roman letters according to Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard. The three types of rhetoric . 46, No. Four Resources of Persuasion Goals are.. The three branches of rhetoric include deliberative, judicial, and epideictic. The 3 Rhetorical Appeals. This is successfully done by manipulating devices to enhance meaning, in addition to making conscious decisions about your writing. There are three main types of rhetorical strategies: appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos. "The Directions of Aristotle's 'Rhetoric.'" 3 Types of Argument: Classical, Rogerian, Toulmin Get ready to take notes. Keep in mind that - for Aristotle - rhetoric is the art of persuasion and not the meaningless language that many politicians are charged with using. Rhetoric is a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form. 3 Genres of Rhetoric Posted on 24 May 2013 20 Jan 2020 Categories Rhetoric Twitter is the digital version of passive-aggressive Post-It notes left by your roommates—multiplied by 554 million. Ethos is an appeal to the expertise or ethical standing of the person presenting an argument. Pathos appeals to emotion, e… When you’re engaged in … "Cicero: On Invention. English. Rhetoric is the art of using language, such as public speaking, for persuasive writing and speech. 3. 2. o Exordium. Types of Rhetorical Devices . 1. Find an answer to your question What are the three types of rhetoric 1. Locate evidence to support case, Evaluates facts, Clash of arguments brings new facts/refines avail. Aristotle stresses that rhetoric is closely related to dialectic. Almost any type of rhetoric that uses humor will also fall under the category of pathos. Political, Personal, Psychological. What is pathos? Devices in this category seek to convince and persuade via logic and reason, and will usually make use of statistics, cited facts, and statements by authorities to make their point and persuade the listener. Rhetoric Definition. Quintilian was a Roman rhetorician and teacher who excelled in Renaissance writing. A poorly lighted photo of a frowning, pimply-faced teenager contrasted with a retouched glamor shot, for instance, might be used to draw on the emotions of other acne sufferers to convince them to by a particular brand of skin treatment. An appeal to logos is designed to make... An appeal to logos is designed to make... Clear answers for common questions This article deals with rhetoric in both its traditional and its modern forms. Rhetorical approaches can be described in terms of the means of persuasion used or in terms of the purpose of a particular rhetorical work. Consider the exclamation "it's raining cats and dogs." Which three types of power are enhanced by an understanding of the art of rhetoric? Once again, rhetoric is the study and application of effective writing techniques. Use the same 3 categories to describe each model (relation of rhetoric to truth; the power the speaker has in relation to the audience; and the function of rhetoric) used in the handouts. Pathos is an argument that appeals to an audience's emotions. We will take a look at seven types of rhetorical styles on the coming pages. They have developed and defined the rhetoric appeals such that they are techniques that an individual can use in order to refer to a particular audience. "The rhetoric of temporality: The future as linguistic construct and rhetorical resource." Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. Keep in mind that - for Aristotle - rhetoric is the art of persuasion and not the meaningless language that many politicians are charged with using. The four traditional styles, or modes, are narration, description, exposition, and argument. Ethos (credibility), or ethical appeal, this means convincing your listener by referring to your own reputation. The three types of rhetoric. In the modern era, judicial (or forensic) discourse is primarily employed by lawyers in trials decided by a judge or jury. 122 is advertising which sells us something because someone famous uses the product. They don’t have to mutually exclusive strategies. Ethos appeals to the character of the writer or speaker-stating that his or her background, credentials, or experience should convince you of the accuracy of the argument. 3. ones. There are lots of pictures of kids, beautiful people, dazzling scenery—things that evoke strong emotions. Rhetoric is the craft of speaking in ways intended to persuade the hearer; it employs various resources of symbol systems such as language to create a pleasing impression on listeners. But the evidence for the position of this dialogue is too tenuous to support such strong conclusions: it also could have been a‘dialectical’ dialogue, which listed the pros an… Aristotle first organized the art of rhetoric into three separate and definite parts or proofs. The second of Aristotle's types of rhetoric is logos, which draws on factual statements or logical conclusions. …) You probably know a guy who needs an argument spelled out step-by-step. The three branches of rhetoric include deliberative, judicial, and epideictic. Types of Rhetorical Devices . 1. Book II gives advice for all types of speeches. Some of the most prevalent rhetorical devices are figures of speech that compare one thing to another. Ethos: Persuasion by Character. Emotive language. Log in. These parts were the ethos, the pathos, and the logos. Although there exists plenty of overlap between rhetorical and literary devices, there’s also one significant difference between the two. Consider the exclamation "it's raining cats and dogs." It is an art of discourse, which studies and employs various methods to convince, influence, or please an audience. Aristotle focused on oration, though, and he described three types of persuasive speech. The distinctions between the three are pretty simple. 3 Types Of Rhetorical Questions. While literary devices express ideas artistically, rhetoric appeals to one’s sensibilities in four specific ways: Logos, an appeal to logic; Pathos, an appeal to emotion; Perhaps the most famous rhetorician in the history of Western thought was the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who identified three types of rhetoric: ethos, or ethics; logos, or logic; and pathos, or emotion.