Rhetorical question in literature. What does rhetorical question mean

The most effective means of conveying ideas to the audience is to engage them in a dialogue. A lot of oratorical means have been invented for this, but each of them is good for its own situation. Anyone who dares to speak to the public should know what a rhetorical question means and how to ask it correctly.

Figures of speech and rhetoric

Without the use of beautiful and figurative speech turns, the narrative looks “empty” and difficult to understand. To add color to your unbridled stream of thoughts, you can apply tricks known to the ancient Greeks:

Changing the order of words in a sentence characteristic of a given language;
Contrasting one thought with another;
The use of a similar composition at the beginning or end of several sentences. A peculiar grammatical refrain;
The hierarchical arrangement of words in a sentence as the lexical meaning of the feature is strengthened;
Intentional omission of a required word;
Dot separation of words in a sentence;
The use of words with a similar or, conversely, opposite meaning;
Own linguistic inventions;
The use in one context of incompatible definitions;
Figurative "revival" of an object of inanimate nature;
Deliberate exaggeration or understatement (most often used in satire);
Asking questions that don't need to be answered.

Definition of figures of speech

A rhetorical question is one that is essentially a statement and does not require a response from the interlocutor. From a grammatical point of view, there is an opposition between the interrogative form and the narrative meaning of the construction.

By using this figure of speech in his text, the author implies that the answer is too simple and obvious to answer. Or, on the contrary, that it is too complicated and cannot have a monosyllabic solution. This achieves the transfer of the mood of the writer and giving the narrative an emotional coloring.

This figure is most often used in the following areas:

Prose and poetry;
Journalism;
Texts on social topics;
Politicians' speeches.

How to understand a rhetorical question?

It is not uncommon for a situation where the listener cannot grasp the essence of the speaker's verbal acrobatics.

To resolve misunderstandings, you can use the following tips:

Note context. It is he who plays a decisive role in understanding the meaning of the phrase. If the sentence was torn out of any literary work, you need to familiarize yourself with its content. You also need to make an adjustment for the era in which the writer or politician lived. Social injustice has often been attacked by wordsmiths;
Try to turn the meaning of the phrase inside out. One of the goals of statements formulated in interrogative form is to reverse the familiar situation by 180 degrees. For example: "Are we slaves?" ("We are not slaves.");
A significant part of rhetorical questions and exclamations have long become vivid catch phrases. Therefore, to clarify their meaning, you can refer to the dictionary of phraseological units and idioms. There you can get help not only regarding the meaning of the sentence, but also etymological data.

Can you end your essay with a rhetorical question?

The conclusion for a school essay is one of the most important elements of its composition. It draws a line under the work of the student and is the logical conclusion of his reasoning on the problem in the work. As well as the introductory part, the conclusion should not break away from the flow of the main text of the work.

Basic rules for a good essay ending:

The number of sentences in the last paragraph should not be more than 5-6, otherwise the perception of information will be difficult;
Ask yourself the question: is it worth agreeing with the position of the author. Conditionally break the source text into theses and think about which of them are worth supporting and which are not;
If the student does not agree with the original text on almost all points, then it is worth restraining yourself from frantic and emotional criticism. Every assertion must be supported by reasonable arguments;
You should try to make the ending as positive as possible;
It is not worth repeating the ideas already stated in the essay.

One of the most effective ways to put an end to the work is a rhetorical question. He can challenge an imaginary opponent to an argument and generalize the judgment in the best possible way. It is even better if the figure is a classic aphorism related to the problematics of the text.

Rhetorical question: examples

Interrogative-rhetorical. Their main purpose is an expressive assessment of what is happening. Thus, a person conveys his individual and emotional attitude to the subject of conversation ( “How did I forget to put money on the phone?” );
Incentives. In essence, they have a command and imperative purpose, but have an abstract wording ( “When will you finally stop doing this?” );
Negative. Despite their name, they lack the negative particle "not". By using this figure, the impossibility of any event or phenomenon is indicated. For example, William Shakespeare wrote: “Here was Caesar: can you wait for another?” (i.e., there will never be a person with such qualities);
Affirmative. Unlike the previous type, on the contrary, they are designed to strengthen the affirmative message of what was said ( "How can you not love the ocean?" ).

In a sarcastic context, the original meaning of literary devices may shift somewhat. A question that is negative in form can acquire a positive meaning, and vice versa. For example: “The police are again demanding bribes. Who would have thought?".

Wording rules

Consider the basic rules for using this technique in the "field conditions":

Analyze all possible facts that may be relevant to the problem;
Examine your own and others' feelings about a particular situation;
Decide what exactly the average person wants or should want;
Consider obstacles and barriers on the way to what you want;
How much time is needed to implement the plan;
The tools you need to reach your goal.

Rhetorical questions should be built as many times as possible, but the semantic load should be high. They can be set both at the beginning of a speech (to bring the audience out of a state of rest), and at the end (to sum up what was said vividly). The positive reaction of listeners to a correctly formulated construction looks like a thoughtful silence.

How can you not know what a rhetorical question means? After all, this is not only part of the school curriculum, but also a whole layer of culture. "To be or not to be?" Shakespeare, "What is to be done?" Chernyshevsky, “Who are the judges?” Griboyedov - all these statements do not require an answer, since they in themselves make millions of people think about pressing problems.

Video about rhetorical figures

In this video, philologist Georgy Kadetov will talk about rhetorical figures and questions, syntactic strategies:

Rhetorical question, how effective oratory is used to convince or attract attention. But how to learn how to ask it correctly, so as not to get into awkwardness? We will talk about all the intricacies of using this rhetorical figure.

What is a rhetorical question

A rhetorical question is a turn of speech that, having the form of a question, does not require an answer. In fact, this is a statement with an interrogative intonation, which easily turns into a regular sentence.

People tend to err. - Do people make mistakes?

If a disease comes, a person needs to be treated. - Do I need to be treated when the disease comes?

Such an appeal assumes that all addressees know the answer in advance, so they will not speak their thoughts out loud. But consciousness will still respond by creating an internal image and a stream of associations. The illusion of conversation and dialogue keeps listeners involved, when in reality everyone can stay in their comfort zone.

Most often, a rhetorical question is found in prose and poetry, journalism, articles on public issues, political speeches and debates.

This stylistic figure has the following features:

Emphasize expressiveness;
To betray the saying of emotional coloring;
pay attention to the speaker;
Fast forward to a specific event or place;
To arouse curiosity about yourself or your performance;
Engage in conversation;
Put emphasis on contrast, opposites;
Quote, mention a celebrity, referring to her experience.

What are rhetorical questions

Interrogative-rhetorical. A person formulates a phrase in such a way as to give an emotional assessment of what is happening, to express a personal attitude:

How could I forget my phone at home? (condemnation of one's own confusion, character traits).

Incentives. They have a mentoring character, calling for action, but are formulated softer than an order.

Aren't you going to lie down on your top shelf yet? (a polite but sharp request to move to your seat on the train).

Negative. They deny some events or phenomena, although the “not” particle is absent in their structure.

I was once 18 years old: can I turn back time? (regret about the past, awareness of the fact that youth cannot be returned).

Affirmative. They reinforce self-righteousness. They are characterized by categoricalness, pronounced emotionality, assertiveness, sometimes even arrogance.

How can you dress like that? (negligence, condemnation of the appearance of another person).

Are there really people who don't like chocolate? (confidence that everyone should love chocolate, surprise with a bit of irony).

A rhetorical question can carry both a negative and a positive message:

Empathy, care, support:

You feel bad?

You did the right thing. Who would love it?

Does the chief not understand that you are also a living person?

Cynicism, provocation, sarcasm:

How can you be so lax?

Do you think these are the only ones?

And what will be your next miss?

Everyone has their own perception of the world, so it is not surprising that the figure of speech heard will seem incomprehensible. In this case, it is worth taking the time to accurately understand the meaning that the sayings carry.

If the phrase is “extracted” from a literary work, it must be considered in the context of the era in which the author lived, the image of the hero, as well as the main idea of the text itself.
Most of the open questions have become idioms, you can find them in the dictionary of phraseological units and winged expressions. It is there that they are told about their origin, examples are given where it is appropriate to use this figure of speech.
Modify the appeal so that it becomes a statement: "Am I my own enemy?" (“I am not my own enemy”).
Consider figurative or hidden meaning. Often, the speaker, using a variety of stylistic figures, tries to veil the essence so as not to seem too banal.

How and where to use a rhetorical question

Before using a rhetorical question, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the features of its formulation:

Think about what idea this figure should convey, how to influence the listener.
Make sure that in this communicative situation it will be possible to avoid ambiguity, misunderstanding.
Shorten the question as much as possible by removing unnecessary, incomprehensible, distracting or overly complex words from it.
To attract the attention of the audience and bring it out of a state of rest, then this rhetorical figure must be used at the beginning of a speech.
To summarize, it should be used at the end of the monologue.
It is appropriate to use such questions next to other itorical figures of speech: exclamation and appeal.
All turns require a clear and correct pronunciation, a confident voice, as well as accompaniment by appropriate facial expressions and gestures.

A correctly formulated stylistic figure is remembered for a long time, prompts reflection and causes a pause in the form of thoughtful silence from the audience. If this happens, success has been achieved.

When asking a rhetorical question

Most often, a rhetorical question is posed in two cases:

When the answer to it is too obvious, and the communicator only needs to be pushed to conclusions or reflections.

You won't make a person love reading if you don't awaken an interest in literature. Will he not drink if he is not thirsty?

When the answer to a question is not known to anyone or it does not exist at all.

Who is to blame?

What to do?

Rhetorical question - Churchill's secret weapon

British statesman and politician Winston Churchill went down in history as a master of rhetoric, thinker, writer, journalist. His speeches were a resounding success, influencing the course of history. The word has become for him a real weapon, causing the common sense of a large audience.

In 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Churchill was invited to attend a meeting of the United Congress. During his speech, he, after reading the "list of damage", stated that he did not find a logical explanation for the actions of the Japanese and considered them people who had lost their minds. After a significant pause, the speaker asked:

What kind of people do you think they are?

The audience's reaction was not long in coming. The present senators, politicians, journalists rose from their chairs, bursting into applause. This rhetorical question, posed by Churchill at the right time, said more than many hours of speeches by other congressmen.

Churchill revealed the secret of his oratorical skill: the technique of a strong rhetorical question can be used only once in a monologue. The necessary condition is this: it should sound simple and sharp. One line is the ideal length for this figure of speech.

A rhetorical question can be a powerful weapon for any speaker if he learns to use it. It is not difficult if you remember a few important rules, follow our recommendations and take into account Churchill's secret.

What is a rhetorical question? Everyone understands that. Now you have read the simplest example on the topic of rhetorical figures of speech in Russian. In its meaning, a rhetorical question is not a question, but a statement. It can express the heightened emotional background of the utterance or relate to information that is well known and widespread. In both cases, the rhetorical question does not require an answer and is conditional.

The definition of rhetorical questions can be found in Dahl's dictionary, in the encyclopedia of the Russian language, edited by Yu.N. Karaulov, on Wikipedia (based on the above sources and articles by philologists). All interpretations are consistent with each other and speak of the affirmative meaning of rhetorical questions.

In addition to rhetorical questions, there are rhetorical statements - narrative expressions, at the end of which, when writing or speaking, an exclamation mark is placed. Such a turn serves to enhance expressiveness as well as a rhetorical question. An appeal can also be rhetorical, which in this case also does not require a response and is conditional or symbolic. All rhetorical sentences are figures of speech - turns aimed at expressiveness, give more force and persuasiveness to the statement.

Rhetorical questions have been used by mankind since the first oral stories appeared. In Russian speech, they are organically woven into a literary text, everyday speech, political manifestos and policy statements. The formulation of a rhetorical question makes it possible to avoid explanations in the case when a reference to well-known facts and phenomena is possible.

Such a technique switches the attention of listeners (or readers) to things that are perceived automatically and thus call to take the position of the speaker without analyzing the meaning of his statement.

Examples of rhetorical questions

There are many examples of rhetorical expressions in Russian literature, both in prose and in verse. They are also used in everyday life. Examples that we all see on a daily basis:

when will this trolleybus come? (the expression implies that the trolleybus is late and violates the traffic schedule, which is obvious to everyone standing at the bus stop);
who stole the sausage from the plate? (expresses the owner's indignation at the mischievous cat, since the cat is not able to answer);
how long can you endure it? (an exclamation means that it is impossible and unnecessary to endure what is happening longer).

Here are examples of the literary use of rhetorical question and exclamation:

Oh, how my heart yearns!
Am I waiting for the hour of death? (Anna Akhmatova)

In this case, the poet, obviously, does not seek to die, but expresses his languor and confusion, dissatisfaction with the circumstances. Shakespeare, Griboedov, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol and other writers liked to use rhetorical questions. A lot of rhetorical questions are found in religious texts. They are full of the New Testament, the Gospels, descriptions of the deeds of the apostles. In historical texts such figures of speech helped to make the story more vivid and understandable for the reader.

If a rhetorical question is asked to a real person, then it does not require an answer, rather, a tacit consent or confirmation. However, rhetorical questions are also often addressed not to those present, but to some imaginary interlocutor. It can be a natural phenomenon, society as a whole, the government, the world community. In everyday life and at home, rhetorical questions are often asked to animals or objects.

Types of rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions can be divided into four types:

interrogative-rhetorical questions that vividly convey feelings;
interrogative-motivating, inviting to action;
interrogative-negative, asserting the impossibility of an action or event;
interrogative-affirmative, expressing confidence in something.

In general, questions are one of the most common constructions in human speech. Rhetorical questions, as is clear from the above, serve to convey the views of the speaker, clarify his position, attitude to the topic under discussion and attract attention. They are one of the most expressive speech turns.

A person who resorts to the use of rhetorical questions seeks to enhance the impression of his speech and give expressiveness. Thus, a phrase expressing a certain statement is underlined. In the context of a conversation or narration, the meaning of the phrase is a continuation of what has already been said or develops in the future. A rhetorical question can also serve as a way to draw a line under a monologue, to put an emotional "dot at the end of the line."

Often in oral and written speech, as well as in the creation of works of art, rhetorical questions are used, examples of which will be given below. Their purpose is to draw attention to the statement, to focus on it. The peculiarity of such questions is that they do not need an answer. Let's take a closer look at this expressive technique.

Terminology

In the science of language, a rhetorical question is understood as an interrogative sentence that does not need an answer. It often happens that the answer is impossible. The purpose of this approach is varied:

it allows you to focus the attention of the listener or reader on what is important for the author;
draws attention to the problem discussed in the text;
achieves a special stylistic expressiveness.

Such types of sentences give the work emotionality, expression, help to express the author's feelings, and evoke empathy in the reader.

Peculiarities

Here are examples of rhetorical questions that will help to identify their characteristic features:

"Who's guilty?" (Herzen).
"What to do?" (Chernyshevsky).
"What Russian doesn't like to drive fast?" (Gogol).
“How not to love native spaces?” (from speech).

As you can see, each sentence is an interrogative construction. At the end of it is not a dot, but a question mark, but the answer is either inherent in the question itself, or is absent in principle.

Thus, Chernyshevsky in his novel What Is to Be Done? I tried to find the answer on several hundred pages, but the question still remained open.

Another example is Gogol's "What Russian doesn't like to drive fast?". In this case, the answer is implied that every truly Russian person loves to ride with the breeze, to rush at high speed.

One more feature of such constructions can be noted - they express meaning, like a declarative sentence. They are often used to express irony. Here are examples from speech:

"Well, who does that?"
"And who's talking to us?"
"Where is Africa?"
"And when will you finally take up the mind?".

These questions do not need an answer, so the key feature of a rhetorical question is the opposition of form and content. The main purpose of such structures is to express a certain mood.

Use in texts

Many classics actively use rhetorical questions in their works. Examples are:

"Oh Volga!. . my cradle! Has anyone loved you like me? (from a poem by Nekrasov).
"Guys! Isn't Moscow behind us? (from Lermontov's Borodino).
"Rus, where are you going?" (Gogol, from "Dead Souls").
"Was there a boy?" (from the work of Gorky "The Life of Klim Samgin").

Many rhetorical questions have become catchphrases. For example:

"Who are the judges?" - this phrase from the comedy "Woe from Wit" by Griboedov is often used in cases where an assessment of an object or phenomenon is given by biased people who themselves are no better than the condemned.
"To be or not to be?" - Many people ask Hamlet's question if they are at a crossroads and are forced to make an important decision for themselves.

These are examples of rhetorical questions from literature. Often, the masters of the word manage to so capaciously clothe their thought in such a construction that it becomes in demand and relevant for many centuries.

In a domestic sense

Consider examples of rhetorical questions from life:

"Are you a fool?" - an expression of insult.
“Will you ever start doing your homework on time?” - motivation to action.
"Well, who are you after that?" - extreme disapproval, amazement, resentment.
"Can't you see what you've done wrong?" - it is emphasized that the person who is addressed with the question knows that he did not try.
“How long will we tolerate this outrage?” - a call to rebellion, rebellion.

Often, people themselves do not realize that they use rhetorical questions in speech, examples of which are given below. A few more common situations:

“And when will we finally get a pay raise?” - the speaker complains about the low level of wages, but does not address anyone in particular.
“What could be better than fresh air and a bike ride?” - assumes nothing. The design expresses the admiration of the author.

“How can you not want to study?” - amazement, bewilderment, misunderstanding.
“And what is this person counting on?” - an expression of disapproval.
"How shall we be?" - an exclamation of despair.

As you can see, there are many examples of rhetorical questions in Russian. Each of them carries a certain emotional coloring, helps to more accurately express their emotions - admiration, amazement, condemnation, anger, etc.

Difference from simple questions

Consider how, when analyzing a text, to quickly distinguish such constructions from ordinary interrogative sentences:

they are not specifically addressed to anyone;
imply a ready answer or the impossibility of one;
help express the thoughts and feelings of the author;
often they contain protest.

Here is an example of a rhetorical question and a simple interrogative sentence:

"Who are the judges?"
And who will be the judge at this meeting?

The first sentence is a rhetorical question, it is not addressed to anyone in particular, it does not need to be answered. In the context, he conveys the contempt of the hero Chatsky and the author - Griboedov - for those people who undertake to judge, they themselves are not ideal.

The second sentence is a common question that can be asked to a specific person. Its author does not express any attitude, he just would like to know the name of the judge.

Form

In order for the rhetorical questions, examples of which were given above, to best express the emotional mood of the author, masters of the word often clothe them in a special form:

the sentence can be very capacious and short (“What to do?”, “Who is to blame?”);
pronominal interrogative words are used (“And who is it easy now?”, “What girl would refuse a chic bouquet?”);
use interrogative particles (“How can I not be sure?”, “Did anyone doubt it?”).

Sometimes at the end of such constructions, not the usual question mark, but an exclamation mark is put. Let us give an example from the story of A.S. Pushkin "The Stationmaster": "Who hasn't cursed the stationmasters, who hasn't quarreled with them!". This rhetorical question ends with an exclamation mark, although in terms of the form of construction, the sentence is clearly interrogative.

Rhetorical questions, examples of which were given earlier, are actively used both in everyday communication and in literary texts. They help to make speech more expressive and convey the author's mood.

Most often, rhetorical questions are used to emphasize the significance of a statement and draw the attention of the listener or reader to a specific problem. At the same time, the use of the interrogative form is a convention, because the answer to such a question is not expected or it is too obvious.

Being one of the means of expressiveness, rhetorical questions are widely used in literary texts. For example, they were often used in the works of the Russian XIX century (“And who are the judges?”, “Who is to blame?”, “What?”). By resorting to these rhetorical figures, the writers intensified the emotional coloring of the statement, forced the readers to think about it.

Rhetorical questions have also been used in journalistic works. In them, in addition to strengthening the text, rhetorical questions help the illusion of a conversation with the reader. Often the same technique is used in speeches and lectures, highlighting key phrases and involving the audience in reflection. Listening to a monologue, a person involuntarily pays special attention to statements uttered with an interrogative intonation, so this kind of interest in the audience is very effective. Sometimes the speaker uses not one, but a series of rhetorical questions, thus focusing the attention of the audience on the most important report or lecture.

In addition to rhetorical questions, rhetorical exclamations and rhetorical appeals are used both in written and oral speech. Just as in rhetorical questions, the main role here is played by the intonation with which these phrases are pronounced. Rhetorical exclamations and appeals also refer to the means of enhancing the expressiveness of the text and convey the emotions and feelings of the author.