The Metonym: Rhetoric and Oral Tradition at the Crossroads

Abstract

This article explores the intersection between scholarship of rhetoric and oral tradition through the trope of the metonym. Metonymic referentiality has a persuasive function in contemporary discourse through its ability to immerse speaker and audience within a shared context. While a given rhetorical situation might not be strictly traditional in performance, the invoking of traditional associations through metonyms can be a powerful rhetorical act that, if used effectively, creates a deep sense of commonality between rhetor and audience.

URLs for websites, bibliographic references, and other online resources are reviewed, current, and valid at the time of publication. Oral Tradition cannot accept responsibility for the future availability of these online materials.
mobile close