Session 3: Rhetorical Analysis Prompts

Rhetorical Analysis

1) Analyzing the "language" (syntax, tone, diction, figurative language, the 3 appeals, style, fallacies)

"Language" here means rhetoric, style, the conventions of language. The prompt may give you different terms to try to throw you off. [How mean! -MS]

It's fair game, however, to talk about all these things.

2) Rhetorical Analysis Prompt

= you are going to have to read and annotate a passage
= don't use your planning time for this but for the Synthesis prompt instead

Break down the prompt before you begin. It will always have two parts: the what and the how. The how part is always the same, and is always, at bottom, all about the "language" (see above).

3) Some practice prompts. We identified the what and the how embedded in each of four practice prompts.

1) Edward Abbey
    - what: characterize Abbey's attitude toward nature
    - how: how Abbey conveys these views

2) Woolf
    - what: lasting significance of these moments from her past
    - how: how W. uses langauge to convey....

3) Green
    - what: Af Ams should join the union forces
    - how: analyze the methods of persuasion (note: the prompt doesn't explicitly say "language" or "rhetoric," but they do mention persuade [so, think about the appeals, and possibly the fallacies])

4) John Downe
    - what: wife should emigrate to the US
    - how: analyze the rhetorical methods

Session 2: Diction / Synthesis Prompt

1. Diction: Word choice

Some common characterizations:

• cacophonous / euphonious (sound)
• colloquial / formal
• connotation / denotation
• formal / informal
• high / low (register)
• general / specific, precise
• monosyllabic / pollysallabic
• Latinate / Saxon
• idiomatic
• cliche

Diction creates tone (though it doesn't do so alone).

Diction affects the reader's perception of what the author is saying.

2. How to talk about diction?

Don't say "she uses diction." Everybody uses diction. Get specific. Tell us what kind... (use some of those characterizations listed above).

FOR THE MOST ADVANCED: you may even want to avoid using the word diction altogether, and just get down to characterizing the language.

3. Ms. Beatty's Diction Handout

4. Synthesis Essays

Use at least three of the provided sources. Add your own if you like, but use at least three of theirs.

Use 15-minute planning period to read and annotate synthesis sources.

Try to get different sources "in dialogue" with each other.

There is no single, objective way to "use" a source. Each may be useful in multiple ways, depending on how you wield or deploy or manipulate it.

Worried about time? The place to cut is the intro. One-sentence introductory paragraph, cutting right to the thesis, can still be effective.

5. Ms. Beatty's 6 Steps to Writing Synthesis Essays

6. Mr. Klirs's Sample Prompt and Essay