The Five Canons of Rhetoric constitute a system and guide on crafting powerful speeches and writing.

Its also a template by which to judge effective rhetoric. The Five Canons were brought together and organized by the Roman orator Cicero, in his treatise, De Inventione,written around 50 BC. 150 years later in 95 AD, the Roman rhetorician Quintilian explored the Five Canons in 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. Enough with the history. What are the Five Canons of Rhetoric?

The Five Canons 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

Canons of Rhetoric Classical rhetoric divides the process of persuasion into five cannons: 1. Invention, the search for persuasive ways to present information and formulate arguments - Deduction and Induction 2. Arrangement, the organization of the parts of a presentation to ensure that all the means of persuasion are present and properly disposed 3. Style, the use of correct, appropriate, and remarkable language throughout the speech 4. Memory, the use of mnemonics and practice practice practice 5. Delivery, presenting the message with effective gestures and vocal modulation

The Five Canons of Rhetoric

The Romans, as well as the Greeks were interested in argument and rhetoric. The five canons of rhetoric appear in Cicero's first century Latin text,Rhetorica ad Herennium, which contained four books that detail the rhetorical approach of the day, and was highly influential for many subsequent centuries: 1. Invention: Finding ways to persuade. 2. Arrangement: Putting together the structure of a coherent argument. 3. Style: Presenting the argument to stir the emotions. 4. Memory: Speaking without having to prepare or memorize a speech. 5. Delivery: Making effective use of voice, gesture, etc.