Audience: For Whom is this piece being written? Why?
Purpose: Why is this being written? Why?
Subject: About What is this being written? Why?
Context: What is the situation surrounding the writing?
Aim: To what end is this being written?
THE RHETORICAL BASICS
The Rhetorical SituationExigence: What were the circumstances surrounding the original delivery and/or publication of the piece? What was the imperative for writing the piece?
Audience: For whom was the piece written?
Purpose: Why did the author write the speech/work?
DAVID JOLLIFFE’S RHETORICAL FRAMEWORK DIAGRAM
The Three Appeals: Logos: The logical arrangement of the piece
Does the argument make sense?
Ethos: The credibility the author has. Is the author credible or ethical enough to be reliable about the subject? Is the author believable?
Pathos: The emotion the writer tries to elicit from the audience. How does the speaker try to make you empathize with the piece? What does the piece make you feel?
DAVID JOLLIFFE’S RHETORICAL FRAMEWORK DIAGRAM
Organization/Structure/FormFiction or nonfiction?
Poetry or prose?
Spoken or written?
The possibilities are endless, but each one means something different for how you should read or write.
DAVID JOLLIFFE’S RHETORICAL FRAMEWORK DIAGRAM
Surface FeaturesDiction: Word Choice
Why does the writer choose specific words?
Syntax: Sentence Structure What does the sentence structure reveal about what
the writer thinks/wants to emphasize?
DAVID JOLLIFFE’S RHETORICAL FRAMEWORK DIAGRAM
Surface Features (Continued): Imagery: Language that appeals to the five senses What sensation is the writer exploiting?
Figurative Language Metaphor Simile Personification (Synecdoche) (Metonymy)
DAVID JOLLIFFE’S RHETORICAL FRAMEWORK DIAGRAM
Turn to a partner
Tell that person 2-3 things you did not know before we went through this presentation thus far
Tell that person two questions you have about what we just learned
Use a post-it to post any questions you still have about the lesson so far
PAIR SHARE TIME
“If you cannot write well, you cannot think well; and if you cannot think well, others will do your thinking for you.”
–George Orwell
RHETORICAL MODES
Descriptive WritingTells how something looks, feels, sounds, smells, or tastes
Narrative WritingTells a story.Shows or tells “what happened”Focuses on events, actions, adventures, and the narrator’s response
READING/WRITING/THINKING CONNECTIONS AND THE TRADITIONAL
RHETORICAL MODES
Expository WritingProblem-SolutionExampleComparing and contrastingDefinitionCause and EffectClassificatory
READING/WRITING/THINKING CONNECTIONS AND THE TRADITIONAL
RHETORICAL MODES
Argument:Seeks agreement, advises, or moves the reader to take some action.
To some degree, all writing is argument because the writer always tries to persuade or convince readers that they should listen to the writer.
READING/WRITING/THINKING CONNECTIONS AND THE TRADITIONAL
RHETORICAL MODES
1. The Place Holder Introduction – “I am the Presenident of … and I believe that…”
2. The Restated Question Introduction – “Yes, I believe that people work better when they are empowered.”
3. The Dictionary Introduction – “Empowerment can be defined as…”
4. The Dawn of Man Introduction – “I a world ruled by darkness and oppression…”
5. The Unrelated, Cliché, or Overused Quotation Introduction – “I believe quality is better than quantity .”
FIVE KINDS OF LEADS TO AVOID
Paper is too Short: Focus is usually too broad, creating vague, superficial
discussions of the topic. Narrow the topic and the claim so that you can dig into the specifics and discover the complexities.
General rule: the narrower your focus, ironically, the more you will have to say (because you have to deal with specifics).
Paragraphs tend to be too Short: Your idea is not developed. An idea or claim was most
likely introduced, but evidence and warranting for it are probably missing. Explain fully how you developed your idea. Use specifics, details, illustrations, and examples.
Bottom Line: Explain Your Thinking
HOW TO READ THE “WARNING SIGNS”
Paragraphs tend to be very long (over a page): This is usually a sign of disorganization and too many ideas
in one paragraph. Separate out the important ideas and give them each a
paragraph to develop; give them space for evidence and warranting that they deserve.
Several paragraphs end with quotations: Shows a general tendency to use sources simply as “back-
up.” Quotations are being used to end a conversation rather than the more analytical choice of beginning a conversation.
When quotations end paragraphs, it usually means that the writer is expecting the evidence to speak for itself (which it rarely does).
HOW TO READ THE “WARNING SIGNS”
Lots of long block quotations in the body of the essay: Shows a general tendency that the writer is not in control of
the source being used. Quotations begin to take over the paper and the writer is often not explaining why the quotations are there, what they mean, and how they connect to the writer’s ideas.
No quotations or paraphrasing: Essay does not integrate sources or has not acknowledged
the sources being integrated. Does the assignment ask for integration of sources? If yes, then matter needs to be attended to. Check the purpose of the assignment. If sources have been integrated but not documented, the writer has committed plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense. All sources need citation.
HOW TO READ THE “WARNING SIGNS”
All paraphrase but no quoting: Sources are integrated but only in paraphrase form. In this
case, there is a tendency for the use of sources to be vague and general; the writer is probably skimming the surface of critical arguments rather than digging into the complexities. Determine what key points need actual direct quotation reference.
Extensive use of “I think…,” “It seems…,” “This might indicate…” This usually reflects a tendency towards indecision. It’s
fine to qualify your ideas but if the essay is constantly waffl ing and hesitating, then you’re probably chickening out of saying what you really want to say.
HOW TO READ THE “WARNING SIGNS”
Turn to a partner
Tell that person three things you did not know before we went through this presentation thus far
Tell that person two questions you have about what we just learned
Make one analogy for the new material you just learned__________ is to __________ as __________ is to __________.
EX: Monkeys are to Bananas as Horses are to Hay.
SUMMARY TIME – 3-2-1 BRIDGE
When people read rhetorically… when they engage in rhetorical analysis, they not only react to the message, but they appreciate how the producer of that message is conveying the message to a particular audience too, whether that intended audience includes the analyst or not.
-- Jack Selzer
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
Reading and writing analytically are not rocket science.Examine any text.
Determine both: Meanings, purpose, and effects
How the parts work together to achieve the meanings, purpose, and effects
5 POINTS ON RHETORIC
Reading and writing analytically are important scholastic & real-world skills that have been at the center of learning & knowing for 2500 years:Rhetoric is discovery.
It is the power behind reading, writing, speaking, and criticism
5 POINTS ON RHETORIC
A good grasp of rhetoric makes “good citizen”; a good citizen is an “informed citizen.”
5 POINTS ON RHETORIC
Is the diction formal or informal?
Does the writer use I or you or we?
Are there any contractions?
Does the text use any specialized jargon?
Are the sentences long, short, varied, periodic, loose, standard subject-verb-object or subject-verb-complement?
SOME QUESTIONS
Are they primarily in active voice?
If there are any passive voice sentences, how do they function?
Are there any visual, aural, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory images?
Are there any schemes?
What do the schemes do—add, omit, provide parallel balance, provide antithetical balance?
SOME QUESTIONS
Are there any tropes?
What are the principal metaphors being used?
How are comparisons and contrasts brought about by tropes other than metaphor?
Can we detect irony or sarcasm?
SOME QUESTIONS
So what? So what do the diction, syntax, imagery, and figurative language, mediated through the organization of the whole text, do to the establishment of logos, ethos, pathos, and/or tone?
THE BIG QUESTION
What is the rhetorical situation?Who is the author/speaker?What is his/her intention in speaking?Who makes up the audience?What is the content of the message?What is the form in which it is conveyed?How do form and content correspond?Does the message/speech/text succeed in fulfi lling th
e author’s or speaker’s intentions?What does the nature of the communication reveal ab
out the culture that produced it?
BASIC QUESTIONS FOR RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
Turn to a partner
Tell that person three things you did not know before we went through this presentation thus far
Tell that person two questions you have about what we just learned
Make one analogy for the new material you just learned__________ is to __________ as __________ is to __________.
EX: Monkeys are to Bananas as Horses are to Hay.
SUMMARY TIME – 3-2-1 BRIDGE
When describing tone, be as specific as possible.
Words with specific meanings help make your explanation more clear: Disdainful is better than bad
Indignant instead of sad
Lugubrious instead of dark
Effusive instead of happy
DESCRIBING TONE
Admiring Clinical Detached Haughty Learned Passive Sentimental
Agitated Colloquial Determined
Hopeful Lighthearted
Patronizing
Snooty
Angry Compassionate
Didactic Humble Lugubrious Pedantic Solemn
Annoyed Complimentary
Diffident Impartial Manipulative
Persuasive
Somber
Apathetic Concerned Disdainful Incisive Melancholic Petty Soothing
Apologetic Condescending
Disgusted Indignant Miserable Pretentious
Sympathetic
Apprehensive Confident Dramatic Inflammatory
Mock-Heroic
Respectful
Taunting
Authoritative Consoling Ecstatic Informative Mock-Serious
Restrained
Turgid
Bantering Contemptuous
Effusive Inquisitive Mocking Romantic Urbane
Benevolent Contentious Elegiac Insipid Moralistic Sarcastic Urgent
Biting Contradictory Facetious Insolent Mournful Sardonic Vibrant
Brash Cynical Factual Instructive Neutral Satiric Whimsical
Candid Dejected Fanciful Ironic Nostalgic Scholarly Wistful
Cheery Desperate Flippant Irreverent Objective Scornful Worshipful
TONE WORDS