...James Dawson Week 5 assignment Identifying Rhetorical Devices The Search for Opportunity The bottom line is that our education system in West Virginia is struggling. We are consistently ranked at the bottom of lists that we don't want to be on, and rarely make an appearance on the top lists in education. President John F. Kennedy said that "all of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.” Public charter schools are simply another way to give parents choices in education for their children. The students in this state deserve every opportunity to have an exceptional education that will prepare them for success in our global economy. In the above article one of the first rhetorical devices I found was the weaselers affect. Where the author states “We are consistently ranked at the bottom of lists that we don't want to be on, and rarely make an appearance on the top lists in education.” The author is making an argument without specifying what these lists are and what their actual rankings are on the top list in education which may also be considered a proof surrogate. This also gives the author a way out if anyone challenges the statement. The others were euphemism and dysphemism. Both of the other devices were used in downplaying the benefits of charter schools where it stated “Public charter schools are simply another way to give parents choices in education for their children.” And also “The students in this state...
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...ironies as those produced by transposing a Yankee to King Arthur’s Court). It seems clear when retracing the development of Twain’s style through his career that his use of irony—always one of his key rhetorical devices—becomes increasingly heavy- handed the older and the angrier he became. Huck’s “failure” is innocent; that of the con- gregation in “The War-Prayer” is not. Albert Bigelow Paine quotes Twain as writing on New Year’s Eve 1900-01: A GREETING FROM THE NINETEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY I bring you the stately nation named Christendom, returning, bedraggled, besmirched, and dishonored, from pirate raids in Kiao-Chou, Manchuria, South Africa, and the Phil- ippines, with her soul full of meanness, her pocket full of boodle, and her mouth full of pious hypocrisies. Give her soap and a towel, but hide the looking-glass. (Europe xxxiv) Here, only the adjective “stately” tells us that the intended tone is irony, before Twain starts hammering home his point; and it is precisely the behavior of Christendom in the Philippines that would lead, in 1904-5, to the barely disguised fury that makes “The War- Prayer”’s irony so unsubtle. Unsubtle is not the same as ineffective, of course, but insidi- ousness usually serves irony better. It was still Twain’s only appropriate rhetorical device, however, given that irony is inherently dualistic: it says or implies one thing, it means another; it has a stated (often false) meaning, and a silent (true)...
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...cinematic, and Bragg exemplifies an awareness of time. “All Over but the Shoutin'” is a haunting memoir about the struggle of accepting a parent who has abandoned his own flesh and blood. It emphasizes on both personal history and on the historical context in which the events took place. The memoir hooks the reader and peaks their interest, further forcing them into inquiring for more. The author recalls when, as a teenager, he paid a final visit to his dying father. He explained how hard it was visiting him for the first and last time since he left, and how difficult it was to confront his abandonment. Through strong diction and tone, rhetorical devices, and the conflict shown, Bragg displays the theme of being trapped between forgiving and hating his father. Before Bragg allows the reader to fully...
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...Moore−Parker: Critical Thinking, Ninth Edition 5. Persuasion Through Rhetoric: Common Devices and Techniques Text © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2009 Chapter Persuasion Through Rhetoric 5 It’s just the way things are: Images and impressions tend to sell more products than good arguments do. At least some of the images are fun. Common Devices and Techniques W hen the military uses the phrase “self-injurious behavior incidents” regarding detainees at Guantánamo Bay, it means what most of us call “attempted suicides.” In fact, when the word “detainees” is used, it means what most of us call “prisoners.” “Waterboarding” sounds at first like something you’d expect to see young people doing on a California beach, not a torture technique that involves forced simulated drowning. Less remarkable, perhaps, but possibly more relevant for most of us, we’ve heard the term “downsized” used when someone is fired or laid off. “Ethnic cleansing” covers everything from deportation to genocide. What we have to say may be important, but the words we choose to say it with can be equally important. The examples just given are cases of a certain type of linguistic coercion—an attempt to get us to adopt a particular attitude toward a subject that, if described differently, would seem less attractive to us. Words have tremendous persuasive power, or what we have called their rhetorical force or emotive meaning—their power to express and elicit images, feelings, and emotional...
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...Figures of Speech (Stylistic Devices) What are stylistic devices? In literature and writing, a figure of speech (also called stylistic device or rhetorical device) is the use of any of a variety of techniques to give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling. Sometimes a word diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase has a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it. Examples are metaphor, simile, or personification. Stylistic devices often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the word "like" or "as". It takes the form of: * X is (not) like Y * X is (not) as Y * X is (not) similar to Y Examples of simile: * He fights like a lion. * He swims as fast as a fish. * He slithers like a snake. * "My dad was a mechanic by trade when he was in the Army, When he got the tools out, he was like a surgeon." What is a metaphor? Unlike simile, metaphor (from the Greek language: meaning "transfer") is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things not using like or as. In the simplest case, this takes the form: X - is - Y Examples of metaphor: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; (William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2/7) Example: “Henry was a lion on the battlefield”. This...
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...A Preface of Quotations Whoever desires for his writings or himself, what none can reasonably condemn,the favor of mankind, must add grace to strength, and make his thoughts agreeable as well as useful. Many complain of neglect who never tried to attract regard. It cannot be expected that the patrons of science or virtue should be solicitous to discover excellencies which they who possess them shade and disguise. Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that will not condescend to recommend himself by external embellishments must submit to the fate of just sentiments meanly expressed, and be ridiculed and forgotten before he is understood. --Samuel Johnson Men must be taught as if you taught them not; And things unknown propos'd as things forgot. --Alexander Pope Style in painting is the same as in writing, a power over materials, whether words or colors, by which conceptions or sentiments are conveyed. --Sir Joshua Reynolds Whereas, if after some preparatory grounds of speech by their certain forms got into memory, they were led to the praxis thereof in some chosen short book lessoned thoroughly to them, they might then forthwith proceed to learn the substance of good things, and arts in due order, which would bring the whole language quickly into their power. --John Milton Introduction Good writing depends upon more than making a collection of statements worthy of belief, because writing is intended to...
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...Stylistic devices Repetition and Variation |stylistic device |definition |translation |example |effect | |alliteration |recurrence of initial sound |Alliteration |“The fair breeze blew, |to convey auditory images | | | | |the white foam flew.” | | |accumulation |series of expressions (adjectives, cliches, |Anhäufung |“He came, saw, fought and won” |to make the language livelier | | |examples, images) that contribute increasingly to | | | | | |meaning | | | | |anaphora |repetition of first word(s) of line/clause |Anapher |In every town, in every house...
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... |Scoring Dimensions |Timing | |Students will be able to |Close Reading Quiz--presents students with a short passage from a written text and asks students to mark |Project will be worth 10 points based on thorough |This quiz would ideally assess students' progress| |identify and analyze |the passage, identifying any issues of rhetoric--both logic and style--as discussed in class readings and|identification of rhetorical devices and use of |in rhetorical analysis before the first formal | |rhetorical devices in written |conversations. The quiz then asks students to write three or so paragraphs analyzing how the rhetorical |appropriate vocabulary to define those devices; thorough |essay is due. | |texts. |devices are connected to the text as a whole. |analysis of those devices in relation to the ad as a | | | | |whole; competent grouping of ideas and use of academic | | | | ...
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...strategies will you use to help you on your next practice test? I was not able to answer all of the questions with 15 minutes. I needed an extra 4 minutes to finish the remainder of the questions. On the next test I will read the questions before so I already know what I’m looking for when I read the passage. I also need to work on my team management. * How many questions did you answer correctly? Which types of questions are you feeling good about answering? I answered all of them but two correctly. It was hard for me to analyze the different strategies that were used or why. * Which types of questions did you miss or skip? What concepts do those questions cover? The questions with rhetorical devices were harder for me. I know all of the rhetorical devices but when it comes to identifying them in actual text it’s a struggle for me. * Identify at least three words used in the question stems or answer choices that are new to you or not commonly used by you. Record the words and write down their meanings. Conciliatory - Intended or likely to placate or pacify. Spontaneity - The condition of being spontaneous. Indiscretion - Behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgement. * If you were to give other students advice on this passage and set of questions, what would you tell them? What would you give them a review on prior to attempting this practice set? I would make sure they are able to correctly analyze and pick apart not only reasons...
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...What I will be doing in my first rhetorical analysis is I will be identifying the argument and analyzing the components seeing how they work together to form a coherent argument. Then I will use some of the questions on pages 92-93 to find the elements that stand out and understand the author’s target audience, context, message and more. Finally, I will analyze the how the key devices in the argument succeed or fail. Overall I will use the a deep analysis of the context, message, how the text is written, and who the intended audience is to gain a deeper meaning of the argument and analyze how it succeeds or...
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...In the article written in The Onion whose aim was to create a satirical article of the marketing world, I wrote a response in regards to the selling of “magnasoles”. In my rhetorical analysis, I did a well job at identifying SOAPTones. I connected the first five lines of the article which targeted the audience of people with sore feet more specifically hard working Americans. The use of targeting hard working Americans resulted in luring them in more with the use of the shoes only being $19.95. They emphasize the price of the shoe more by comparing it to thousands of dollars that would be spent for the same exact job as the “Magnasoles”. Another thing, I did well was noticing the credentials they use throughout the article to ensure...
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...Powell first states that the man did not target Macy by accident. Then, she clarifies her point that girls in foster care are most likely to be preyed upon by including a statistic proving the alarming truth. Powell uses the rhetorical device of distinctio several times throughout her editorial to clarify any misleading statements. For example, Powell...
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...John Fitzgerald Kennedy is credited as being one of America’s greatest speakers. That is why, when asked to choose a speech to do a rhetorical analysis on from the Top 100 American Speeches on www.americanrhetoric.com, I had to choose his “Inaugural Address” from January 20, 1961. This speech is ranked second, under Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream.” President Kennedy utilized many of the tools typically used in rhetorical or persuasive writing. He took full advantage of Aristotle’s three areas of rhetorical speech writing: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, paired along with other literary tools such as repetition, rhythm, and comparison. President Kennedy opens his speech by establishing credibility, or ethos, “For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.(Americanrhetoric.com)” This excerpt tells the American people that he has followed the rules and has a legitimate responsibility to the American public as did the Presidents in the past. He is official. Then, a few moments later, JFK begins to capitalize on the emotions of the people, tying himself to them, identifying with them by using words such as “we.” This is the pathos part of his speech, “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights...
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...John Fitzgerald Kennedy is credited as being one of America’s greatest speakers. That is why, when asked to choose a speech to do a rhetorical analysis on from the Top 100 American Speeches on www.americanrhetoric.com, I had to choose his “Inaugural Address” from January 20, 1961. This speech is ranked second, under Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream.” President Kennedy utilized many of the tools typically used in rhetorical or persuasive writing. He took full advantage of Aristotle’s three areas of rhetorical speech writing: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, paired along with other literary tools such as repetition, rhythm, and comparison. President Kennedy opens his speech by establishing credibility, or ethos, “For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.(Americanrhetoric.com)” This excerpt tells the American people that he has followed the rules and has a legitimate responsibility to the American public as did the Presidents in the past. He is official. Then, a few moments later, JFK begins to capitalize on the emotions of the people, tying himself to them, identifying with them by using words such as “we.” This is the pathos part of his speech, “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights...
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...Normally: Question 1: retrieving information from a piece of text Question 2: analysing presentational features Question 3: analysing the feelings/meaning of a text Question 4: comparing/contrasting two texts Question 5: writing to inform/describe/explain (although the question could ask you to do both) Question 6: writing to persuade/argue Question 1: Inferences from the source The first type of question tests your understanding of a text. To answer this well you need to do two things: 1. Find the information the question asks for. 2. Explain why the information you have chosen answers the question. The key skill tested here is how to summarise an argument. For this you need to identify what the text is about and then decide if the writer thinks the topic is a good or a bad thing. You can do this by looking at: • The heading or title - this should help you decide on the main subject of the text. • Vocabulary - the kinds of words (nouns) used to give information will also indicate a particular subject. For example, an article about global warming will include words such as "environmentalist, carbon footprint, greenhouse gasses and sustainability". • Attitude - adjectives and intensifiers should tell you what the writer thinks about their subject. Look for words like "totally brilliant, absolutely ridiculous, complete nonsense, straight forward common sense". • Argument - the author will use points to develop their argument. Look for discourse markers...
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