Final answer:
Rhetorical questions are used to engage audiences and provoke thought, establishing the tone and theme of a text, often making them a hallmark of effective speaking and writing in English.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rhetorical questions are a powerful literary device often used by authors and speakers to engage their audience and provoke thought without expecting a literal answer. These questions are intended to make a point or illustrate an idea more than to solicit a response.
The use of rhetorical questions can help establish the tone and theme of a text, encourage audience involvement—as seen in Johnson's discussions of the Great Society, and draw attention to specific topics the author wants to highlight. They prompt readers to reflect and become more engaged in the material, encouraging them to think more deeply about the subject matter.
Rhetorical questions can also signal a reflection on the subject, as when an author analyzes a series of events, such as concerts. In composition, when considering rhetorical elements, it's also essential to determine how these questions fit within the broader rhetorical strategies including parallelism, repetition, and the acknowledgement of counterclaims.