reading and writing in the 21 st century contemporary rhetoric

Reading and Writing in the 21s t century

CONTEMPORARY RHETORIC

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?


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.


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?


Surface Features (Continued): Imagery: Language that appeals to the five senses What sensation is the writer exploiting?

Figurative Language Metaphor Simile Personification (Synecdoche) (Metonymy)


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


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.


RHETORICAL MODES

“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”

–E.M. Forster

ESSAY WARNING SIGNS

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).


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.


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.


Turn to a partner

Tell that person three things you did not know before we went through this presentation thus far


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

All textual analysis is ultimately rhetorical analysis.


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


A good grasp of rhetoric makes “good citizen”; a good citizen is an “informed citizen.”


Analytical reading is something thoughtful people do every day.

5 POINT 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


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

The quietness of his tone italicized the malice of his reply.

-Truman Capote

TONE

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

reading and writing in the 21 st century contemporary rhetoric

Documents

traditional rhetorical

rhetorical basics

rhetorical situation

george orwell rhetorical

pair share time slide

descriptive writing

narrative writing

writer thinkswants