The Nature of Rhetorical Criticism and its Importance in Literary Studies

Eloquence, literary studies, persuasion. As far as we know researches and studies about the nature of rhetoric gradually were considered by the theorists of eloquence and for this reason the meaning of rhetoric changed completely. Rhetoric in its new meaning was a kind of language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect and was more in relation with literature than the art of oratory. Rhetorical studies finally in the late nineteenth century and the early years of twentieth century became one of the most important branches of literary criticism and revitalized under the name of Rhetorical criticism. Followers of this critical approach in their analyses didn’t have any predefined theory so as a result they didnot form a special kind of literary school; despite this fact all rhetorical critics believe that in analyzing any kind of literary or non- literary works a critic should always consider different ways and tactics of persuasion.