The Prosody Pitfall – Attorney at Work

You’ve finished the memorandum in support of your motion, and it’s beautiful, lyrical even. The words have a lilt, which you are sure will persuade the reader of the virtues of your argument. But wait, has prosody led you astray?

What the heck Is prosody?

Prosody has to do with meter, intonation and rhythm, principally of poetry, but also prose. For the spoken word, prosody also comprises tone, tempo and pitch. Prosody is what makes the difference between a sincere compliment and snide sarcasm. Think about the way tone can change the meaning of the reaction, “What a talent!”

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