Students in Dr. Nicole Pfannenstiel’s summer 2025 writing seminar crafted blog posts exploring Rhetoric & Composition. Over the next several weeks, we will share their work in this space to bring visibility to their posts and offer a variety of perspectives on pertinent topics within Rhetoric & Composition. These posts are written by graduate students currently in the MA and M.Ed. English programs.
Contemporary Rhetoric – A Multimodal Focus ~ Emily Dziennik
The Oxford Dictionary defines rhetoric as “the art of using language so as to persuade or
influence others; the body of rules to be observed by a speaker or writer in order that he may
express himself with eloquence” (Andrews, “Rhetoric” 16). However, scholars and modern-day
rhetoricians have begun to push back against this definition, as it is not completely accurate for
the ways that rhetoric is used today. Richard Andrews argues this in depth in his book A Theory
of Contemporary Rhetoric.
One of the main topics Andrews discusses is the idea of multimodality, and the ways in
which the modes of both spoken and written language have changed so significantly over time
that the traditional definition of rhetoric will no longer suffice (Andrews, “Rhetoric” 16). While
contemporary rhetoric does often focus on persuasion or influence, it is no longer governed by
the same body of rules or concerned about the same level of “eloquence” as it may have been in
the past, suggesting it needs a new definition better suited to its modern role in communication.
Multimodality is the idea that, as humans, we communicate through more than just
speeches and hand-written text now. Everything can count as a mode of communication: videos,
images, expressions, music, sound effects, edits, presentations, etc (Andrews, “Why” 48-49).
Scholars have even begun to analyze memes as ways rhetorical information is spread online,
arguing that they may be a window into how contemporary communication is currently
functioning (Bennett-Carpenter 161-162). Because of this, we can no longer expect to define
rhetoric as the art of language when so many other forms of communication are now included
(Green 300).
So, how do we define contemporary rhetoric?
First, contemporary rhetoric is broad and creative. There are no formulas that can tell you
how to convince someone of something, or how to approach a rhetorical situation to reach the
perfect outcome (Andrews, “Rhetoric” 16). Contemporary rhetoric is based around the study of
why we use language in certain situations, and what effect the language has on the audience
(25-26).
In order to focus on why language is used, the writer must first understand their purpose
for composing a piece. Students complete school assignments to get good grades, adults write
reports at work to meet their boss’s expectations, and teachers write assignment instructions to
set students up for success.
After that, all other pieces, parts, and modalities should fall into place with practice.
Lawyers may choose to take notes and write speeches, while a musician will choose to write
sheet music and record their performance. Teachers write rubrics, students write essays.
Whatever mode you choose, you must be sure to keep your purpose and audience in mind. Even
physical movements, such as facial expressions and body language, are important to mastering
contemporary rhetoric, as they often create meaning in the same way words can
(“Multimodality”).
Then, when you have a strong understanding of your audience, your modality, and the
effect you want your audience to experience, you are on your way to understanding how rhetoric
works, and how to create powerful pieces of rhetorical media in all forms, for all situations. This
understanding of contemporary rhetoric can then be applied to all areas of life: school, job
interviews, presentations, reports, and whatever else life requires of you.
Works Cited
Andrews, Richard. “Rhetoric and Composition.” A Theory of Contemporary Rhetoric,
Routledge, 2014, EBSCOhost,
research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=e5dbe45c-fa89-30db-82a1-865e502086e7.
Andrews, Richard. “Why Rhetoric?” A Theory of Contemporary Rhetoric, Routledge, 2014,
EBSCOhost,
research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=e5dbe45c-fa89-30db-82a1-865e502086e7.
Bennett-Carpenter, Benjamin. “On Memes: A Brief Introduction to Memetica, or a
Contemporary Rhetoric of Information.” Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural
and Social Philosophy, vol. 19, no. 1, Sept. 2023, pp. 158-92,
https://cosmosandhistory.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1091.
Green, Bill, et al. “Rhetoric, Agency, Pedagogy: A “New” Perspective on Language and Literacy
Education.” The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 45, 2022, pp.
297-308, https://doi.org/10.1007/s44020-022-00013-3.
“Multimodality: How Do You Make Meaning?” YouTube, uploaded by UO Center for Applied
Second Language Studies, 30 June 2023,
https://youtu.be/lNMFzoJG34k?si=C-YsKmHx6IAYz8pf