Analysis

The rhetorical situation of Guy Winch’s TED Talk “How to fix a broken heart” is that the speaker is Guy Winch, a psychologist experienced in the topic of emotional health. The receivers of Winch’s speech are people who might be interested to know how to cope with heartbreak, whether for themselves or to help someone else in their lives. 

The structure of Winch’s talk is relatively straightforward and easy to follow. Winch’s talk can be split into six main parts in which Winch presents stories of people dealing with heartbreak, discusses the science behind overcoming heartbreak, and then offers actionable advice. 

The style of language of the TED Talk is informal and conversational. Winch relies on figurative language and vocabulary related to emotions to express the intensity of the emotional pain that heartbreak can create.

Direct address is one of the main rhetorical devices that Winch employs throughout the talk to engage his audience. He also relies on rhetorical questions at times to get his audience to consider why people might have such a difficult time coping when their hearts are broken. 

Lastly, Winch appeals to logos and pathos through his use of statistics and figurative language in order to deliver his message to his audience. He also builds ethos for himself when he refers to his lengthy career as a psychologist. 

Further help

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