In-depth Analysis of the Five Canons of Rhetoric: Invention, Dispositio, Elocutio, Memoria | Lecture notes Rhetoric

Classical Rhetoric 101: The Five Canons of Rhetoric

The Five Canons were brought together and organized by Cicero in his treatise, De Inventione, written around 50

BC. About 150 years later in 95 AD, the Roman rhetorician Quintilian explored the Five Canons more depth in his

landmark 12-volume textbook on rhetoric, Institutio Oratoria. His textbook, and consequently the Five Canons of

Rhetoric, went on to become the backbone of rhetorical education well into the medieval period. If you’ve taken a

public speaking class, you were probably taught a version of The Five Canons. They also form the foundation of

many composition courses.

The Five Canons (Measures) of Rhetoric are:

 inventio (invention): The process of developing and refining your arguments.

 dispositio (arrangement): The process of arranging and organizing your arguments for maximum impact.

 elocutio (style): The process of determining how you present your arguments using figures of speech and

other rhetorical techniques.

 memoria (memory): The process of learning and memorizing your speech so you can deliver it without the use

of notes. Memory-work not only consisted of memorizing the words of a specific speech, but also storing up

famous quotes, literary references, and other facts that could be used in impromptu speeches.

 actio (delivery): The process of practicing how you deliver your speech using gestures, pronunciation, and tone

of voice.

What Is Invention?

Invention, according to Aristotle, involves “discovering the best available means of persuasion.” It may sound

simple, but Invention is possibly the most difficult phase in crafting a speech or piece of writing as it lays the

groundwork for all the other phases; you must start from nothing to build the framework of your piece. During the

Invention Phase, the goal is to brainstorm ideas on what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it in order

to maximize persuasion. Any good orator or writer will tell you they probably spend more time in the Invention step

than they do any of the others. What’s the secret to great rhetorical ability? Spending lots and lots of time in the

Invention Phase. Taking time to invest in simply thinking and brainstorming pays off when you finally get down to

writing.

Things to Consider in the Invention Phase

So what sorts of things should you be thinking about during the Invention Phase? Without some direction and

guidance, brainstorming can often be fruitless and frustrating. Pondering the following elements can increase the

effectiveness of your Invention sessions.

Your audience. One of the key factors in crafting a persuasive piece of rhetoric is tailoring your message to your

specific audience. Find out to the best of your ability the overall demographics and cultural background of your

audience. What does your audience fear? What are their desires? What are their needs? This information will help

you decide what sorts of facts to incorporate into your rhetoric as well as help you determine which means of

persuasion would be the most effective to employ.

Your evidence. When planning your speech or writing, collect any and every type of evidence you can find.

Evidence could be facts, statistics, laws, and individual testimonies. It’s always good to have a nice blend, but

remember different audiences are persuaded by different types of evidence. Some people need cold, hard facts

and statistics in order to be persuaded. Others find the testimony of peers or a reputable authority to be more

convincing. Part of getting to know your audience is figuring out what kinds of evidence they will find most credible

and compelling.

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The Five Canons were brought together and organized by Cicero in his treatise, De Inventione, written around 50 BC. About 150 years later in 95 AD, the Roman rhetorician Quintilian explored the Five Canons more depth in his landmark 12-volume textbook on rhetoric, Institutio Oratoria. His textbook, and consequently the Five Canons of Rhetoric, went on to become the backbone of rhetorical education well into the medieval period. If you’ve taken a public speaking class, you were probably taught a version of The Five Canons. They also form the foundation of many composition courses. The Five Canons (Measures) of Rhetoric are:  inventio (invention): The process of developing and refining your arguments.  dispositio (arrangement): The process of arranging and organizing your arguments for maximum impact.  elocutio (style): The process of determining how you present your arguments using figures of speech and other rhetorical techniques.  memoria (memory): The process of learning and memorizing your speech so you can deliver it without the use of notes. Memory-work not only consisted of memorizing the words of a specific speech, but also storing up famous quotes, literary references, and other facts that could be used in impromptu speeches.  actio (delivery): The process of practicing how you deliver your speech using gestures, pronunciation, and tone of voice.

What Is Invention?

Invention, according to Aristotle, involves “discovering the best available means of persuasion.” It may sound simple, but Invention is possibly the most difficult phase in crafting a speech or piece of writing as it lays the groundwork for all the other phases; you must start from nothing to build the framework of your piece. During the Invention Phase, the goal is to brainstorm ideas on what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it in order to maximize persuasion. Any good orator or writer will tell you they probably spend more time in the Invention step than they do any of the others. What’s the secret to great rhetorical ability? Spending lots and lots of time in the Invention Phase. Taking time to invest in simply thinking and brainstorming pays off when you finally get down to writing.

Things to Consider in the Invention Phase

So what sorts of things should you be thinking about during the Invention Phase? Without some direction and guidance, brainstorming can often be fruitless and frustrating. Pondering the following elements can increase the effectiveness of your Invention sessions. Your audience. One of the key factors in crafting a persuasive piece of rhetoric is tailoring your message to your specific audience. Find out to the best of your ability the overall demographics and cultural background of your audience. What does your audience fear? What are their desires? What are their needs? This information will help you decide what sorts of facts to incorporate into your rhetoric as well as help you determine which means of persuasion would be the most effective to employ. Your evidence. When planning your speech or writing, collect any and every type of evidence you can find. Evidence could be facts, statistics, laws, and individual testimonies. It’s always good to have a nice blend, but remember different audiences are persuaded by different types of evidence. Some people need cold, hard facts and statistics in order to be persuaded. Others find the testimony of peers or a reputable authority to be more convincing. Part of getting to know your audience is figuring out what kinds of evidence they will find most credible and compelling.

The means of persuasion. You remember the three means of persuasion, right? Pathos, logos, and ethos? This is the time when you want to determine which of the three persuasive appeals you’ll use in your speech. Ideally, you’d have a nice mixture of all three, but again, different audiences will be better persuaded by different appeals. Using pathos (appeal to emotion) to convince a room full of scientists that you have discovered cold fusion probably won’t get you very far but a focus on logos would work much better. Again, it’s all about suiting your rhetoric to your audience. Timing. People are receptive to certain ideas at different times depending on context - the importance of timing cannot be underestimated. Present a cost-cutting idea at work the same day five of everyone’s favorite employees were laid off, and you’ll get a icy, hostile reception. Present it six months later and people will actually listen. Another aspect of timing is the duration of your speech or writing. In some instances a long, well-developed, and nuanced speech is appropriate; other times, a shorter, and more forceful presentation will be more effective. Again, it often depends on your audience and the context of your speech. Abraham Lincoln was a master of timing. His Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in history. Many people don’t know that Lincoln actually wasn’t the keynote speaker that day; rather, that honor fell to renowned orator, Edward Everett. Everett delivered a two hour speech that displayed some of the finest skill in oration and rhetoric; he held the audience in rapt attention. Lincoln took to the stand and delivered his address in less than five minutes. While the contemporary audience was not overly impressed, Everett knew he had been witness to greatness. He wrote Lincoln, “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.” And of course, 150 years later, no one quotes Everett or even remembers he spoke at Gettysburg, but everyone remembers Lincoln and are familiar with his words. Timing matters. Format of argument. So you have a vague idea of what you’re supposed to write or talk about. The hard part is taking that vague idea and organizing it into a concrete theme or thesis. Without some guidance on how to do this, a man can rack his brain for hours and not get anywhere.

Ancient Helps for the Invention Phase

Fortunately for us, the ancient rhetoricians left us some nifty little cheat sheets on developing the format and theme for our arguments, which is where we turn next. Stasis. Stasis is a procedure designed to help a rhetorician develop and clarify the main points of his argument. Stasis consists of four types of questions a speaker asks himself. They are:

Questions of fact: What is it exactly that I’m talking about? Is it a person? An idea? A problem? Does it really exist? What’s the source of the problem? Are there facts to support the truth of this opinion?
Questions of definition : What’s the best way to define this idea/object/action? What are the different parts? Can it be grouped with similar ideas/objects/actions?
Questions of quality: Is it good or bad? Is it right or wrong? Is it frivolous or important?
Questions of procedure/jurisdiction: Is this the right venue to discuss this topic? What actions do I want my reader/listener to take? These questions may sound completely elementary, but stasis has a way of focusing your thinking and helping you develop your argument.

In-depth Analysis of the Five Canons of Rhetoric: Invention, Dispositio, Elocutio, Memoria, Lecture notes of Rhetoric

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What Is Invention?

Things to Consider in the Invention Phase

Ancient Helps for the Invention Phase