AP Language and Composition Is a Class in Rhetoric

AP Language and Composition is a class in Rhetoric.

Rhetoric, as defined by the Greek philosopher Aristotole (384-322 B.C.), is “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion” (Shea et. al. 1).

See photo of Aristotle for visual.

Aristotle understood that each text or speech has a rhetorical context.

Rhetorical context: the occasion or the time and place something was written or spoken.

Each writer also has a message and a purpose.

The message is the one sentence statement or claim the author/speaker is making. It usually includes a universal theme or idea such as love, justice, purity, hope, hypocrisy, life, etc.

The purpose is the goal that he/she wants to achieve.

Powerful rhetoricians can often “resolve conflicts without confrontation, persuade readers or listeners to support their position, or move others to take action.” These are three examples of the purpose of a written text or a speech. The speaker may be trying to win agreement, persuade us to take action, evoke sympathy, make someone laugh, inform, provoke, celebrate, repudiate, put forth a proposal, secure support, or bring about a favorable vote/decision (2).

Sports Legends Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=626Dt9JdjQs

Gehrig’s Speech by actor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbNrCxqxzgo&feature=related

Complete the rhetorical triangle for the Gehrig example:

Speaker: Lou Gehrig

Subject/Topic: His appreciation of his life

Audience: Yankee fans

Rhetorical context: a game honoring him after he has been diagnosed with a fatal disease

Message: Despite his disease, he has had a great life. “I’m the luckiest man on the face of the earth” (3).

The major message of a text is called the claim, thesis, or assertion.

Purpose: To offer his appreciation to the fans, teammates, managers, and his family—all of which have made his life full.

In most wonderful texts, the writer shifts from one purpose to another or from one strategy to another.

Other times, a poignant contrast makes the text/speech more powerful.

In Gehrig’s speech, we have a contrast between ______and ______.

Contrast is a strategy in itself and can often be considered IRONY as well.

*Shift or Contrast:

The Appeals

Logical appeal (logos): appealing to someone’s sense of reason through specific details, examples, facts, statistical data, or expert testimony—all used to support his/her claim.

Emotional appeal (pathos): an appeal to someone’s heart or emotions. Emotional appeal often uses vivid, concrete description; figurate language; and words with strong connotations (sometimes called loaded words).

Partnership for a DrugFree America Ads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub_a2t0ZfTs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE7ukc7MV-k

Ethical: appeal to ethics (do the right, humane, or noble act)

Appeal to Reputation/Credibility (Ethos): using the reputation of the speaker to gain respect. A writer may use expertise, knowledge, experience, training, sincerity, or a combination of these to give the audience a reason to listen.

William Wallace Annotated Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKC5LsVO9k0&feature=related

Students Present AP RAP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Dtmhk6vJw&feature=related

Football/Rhetoric Extended Metaphor/Extended Analogy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Dtmhk6vJw&feature=related

Appeals Video: Extra Help for students

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q4_M3J-N3o&feature=related

Assignment: Analysis ads

Type of Ad/Name of Company:

Speaker:

Audience (Be specific):

Subject:

Message:

Purpose:

Rhetorical Context:

Hint: What is going on in the world that makes this company need to advertise this?

Appeal(s) used:

Type of Ad/Name of Company:

Speaker:

Audience (Be specific):

Subject:

Message:

Purpose:

Rhetorical Context:

Hint: What is going on in the world that makes this company need to advertise this?

Appeal(s) used:

Type of Ad/Name of Company:

Speaker:

Audience (Be specific):

Subject:

Message:

Purpose:

Rhetorical Context:

Hint: What is going on in the world that makes this company need to advertise this?

Appeal(s) used:

Type of Ad/Name of Company:

Speaker:

Audience (Be specific):

Subject:

Message:

Purpose:

Rhetorical Context:

Hint: What is going on in the world that makes this company need to advertise this?

Appeal(s) used:

Type of Ad/Name of Company:

Speaker:

Audience (Be specific):

Subject:

Message:

Purpose:

Rhetorical Context:

Hint: What is going on in the world that makes this company need to advertise this?

Appeal(s) used:

Great writers often

Concede-verb; to agree with that an opposing argument may be true (give one point to the other side)

Refute-verb; to deny the validity of that opposing argument (smash down other side)

Counterargument-the opposing viewpoint of the argument you are making

Make master list of strategies from 4 example texts: on board/in notes

Narration: tells a story to promote a message or argument

Argument: attempts to persuade the audience

Satire: pokes fun at a flaw in society in order to promote social change

Exposition:

Notes 2

*Rhetoric can fail: Mr. Collins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yEylIfDkms

MR COLLINS: Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty adds to your other perfections. But you can hardly doubt the object of my discourse, however your feminine delicacy may lead you to dissemble. For, as almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life.
[Elizabeth tries not to laugh.]
MR COLLINS: But before I am run away by my feelings on this subject, perhaps it would be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying.
ELIZABETH: Mr Collins…
MR COLLINS: Hm.
[Mr Collins holds up his hand to quiet her. Elizabeth sits.]
MR COLLINS: My reasons for marrying are - first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness. And thirdly, which perhaps I should have mentioned first, [Elizabeth chuckles silently and shakes her head.] that it is the particular recommendation of my noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. "Mr Collins," she said, "you must marry. Choose properly," she said, "Choose a gentle woman, for my sake; and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up too high. Find such a woman as soon as you can. Bring her to Hunsford and I will visit her." And your wit, and vivacity, I think, must be acceptable to her when tempered with the silence and respect, which her rank will inevitably excite. Heh, yes, but so much for my general intention in favour of matrimony, now as to my particular choice. My dear cousin, being as I am to inherit all this estate after the death of your father, I could not satisfy myself, without resolving to choose a wife from among his daughters. And now, nothing remains [Mr Collins gets down on his knee in front of her.] but to assure you in the most animated language, of the violence of my affections.
ELIZABETH: Mr Collins, please…
MR COLLINS: To fortune I am perfectly indifferent. I am well aware that, heh, one-thousand pounds and four percent is all you may ever be entitled to, but rest assured, I shall never reproach on that score when we are married.
[Elizabeth is a little upset.]
ELIZABETH: You are too hasty, sir. You forget that I have made no answer, and let me do so now. I thank you for your compliments.
[Mr Collins nods.]
ELIZABETH: I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to accept them.
[Mr Collins is surprised. He stands and chuckles.]
MR COLLINS: I am by no means discouraged. Indeed, not. I understand that it is usual for young ladies to reject the addressed of the man they secretly mean to accept when he first applies for their favour.
[Elizabeth's mouth is open in shock.]
MR COLLINS: And, therefore, I shall hope, my dear cousin, to lead you to the altar before long.
ELIZABETH: Upon my word, your hope is an extraordinary one in view of my declaration! I was perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so.
MR COLLINS: My dear Miss Elizabeth, my situation in life, my connection with the noble family of de Bourgh are circumstances highly in my favour. You should consider that it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to you.
[Elizabeth stands and turns away.]
MR COLLINS: You cannot be serious in your rejection. I must attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense in the usual manner of elegant females.
ELIZABETH: I assure you, sir, that I have no pretensions to the kind of elegance, which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I thank you for the honour of your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings forbid it in every respect. Can I speak plainer?
MR COLLINS: You are uniformly charming.
[Elizabeth gives a frustrates sigh, turns on her heal and marches over to the door. She opens it and marches off.]
MR COLLINS: And I am persuaded that when sanctioned by your excellent parents, m…[Elizabeth is out of sight.]…my proposals…will not fail of being…acceptable.

*Mr. Collins does not perceive the challenges he will have to face in winning his audience.

Lizzie’s number one problem with Mr. Collins’s proposal: she does not love him.

We are concerned with arrangement and patterns of development in AP.

Arrangement: the order in which ideas are presented

Organizational Patterns of Development: strategies that great writers use to give support to their claim/assertion/thesis.

Narration, Description, Process Analysis, Exemplification, Comparison and Contrast, Classification and Division, Definition, Cause and Effect.

Narration: telling a story or recounting a series of events to support your argument/claim/assertion/thesis.

Description: emphasizing painting a picture of how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels.

Process Analysis: explains how something works, how to do something, or how something was done.

*Exemplification: providing a series of examples—facts, specific cases, or instances—to support your claim.

Comparison and Contrast: juxtaposing two things to highlight their similarities and differences.

Classification and Division: developing his/her own categories to find a distinctive way of breaking down a larger idea or concept into parts.

Definition: defining a term is often the first step in a debate or disagreement—especially if the term has been recently constructed by society.

Ex. Slavery footprint; slactivism

*Cause and Effect: analyzing the causes that lead to a certain effect or, conversely, the effects that result from a cause.

Notes 3: Close Reading

Close reading is analysis of a text; it is an attempt to develop a better understanding of a text that is based first on the words themselves and then on the larger ideas those words suggest.

*As we learn to write an analysis essay, we will start with the rhetorical context and the larger meaning and purpose of the text, and then we will use the language of the text itself to support our interpretation. As we analyze, we also consider the author’s style and how his/her style affects the audience or reader.

Style can be determine by examining a writer’s tone, sentence structure, diction, etc.

Diction: choice of words

Tone: author’s attitude towards a subject

Syntax: sentence structure: how the words are arranged.

We begin analysis with reading the text and annotating it.

Annotation: the active analysis of a text; written notes on main ideas, and rhetorical strategies

Step 1: read the text and try to determine the main claim.

Step 2: re-read the text and try to explain the main idea of each paragraph.

Step 3: read the text and note any rhetorical strategies the writer used

Great writers use some form of annotation or notetaking to better comprehend a text. If you can’t write in a text, use post-it notes.

I will often give a graphic organizer for you to complete as you read. Stop and reflect on what you have read before moving on to the next chapter.

Notes 3: Thesis statements

Speaker: ADJ NOUN

Audience: ADJ NOUN

Purpose: ADV VERB

Message: Noun (Universal Theme in full sentence form)