Even today, a business writer or speaker can take advantage of the rhetorical figures of classical antiquity. Today’s let’s look at antithesis. This is the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure, that helps the narrative gain force. Here is one:
“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” (Abraham Lincoln)
Lincoln was a rhetorical genius speaking in a different time. But we can use this to infuse writing with style.
Suppose you want to make the point that corporate earnings turn on worker wages. You could say:
As artificial intelligence has taken the place of workers, corporate earnings have increased because of decreased worker costs.
Or, to inject a bit of style, you could say:
As worker earnings sputter behind, corporate earnings rocket ahead. And the fuel comes from AI.
Notice that I not only used antithesis but also created a metaphor where the earnings are compared to race cars. This helps make the writing more vivid and memorable.
AI can create the first mediocre sentence. You need a human for the second.
Are you ready to make your writing stylish and persuasive. Make an appointment with me.
