Essential Question Reflection

How do speakers & writers use Rhetorical devices to communicate their ideas?

Rhetorical devices give writings emotion, personality, and intellegence. When writers use the appeals they are able to promote themselves as educated and perhaps "likeable" people. It makes all the difference when the speaker is aware that they are also a character in their stories and need to create a tone and personality just as much around themselves as around the speech. Speakers and writers use rhetorical devices to make their ideas worth hearing. Just having the idea isn't enough, there needs to be the cushoning around the idea that draws readers and listeners in. Rhetorical devices are like replacing synthetic cushoning around the ideas with down pillows and silk blankets. Writers use rhetorical devices to build a mask for themselves, establishing their credibility as both an educated and moral character. This is the first step writers take when presenting their ideas to new readers. After establishing their credibility, writers use stylistic approaches to their writing that keep readers engaged. (tone, dictation, imagery, humor, etc) While doing all of this, writers consider the organization of their piece. A very important component to their writing is how they are directing you to their main idea, their goal. Writers use rhetoric to lay down a road that guides your thoughts and emotions.

The most helpful assignment for me during Unit 1 was reading How to Tell a True War Story. I felt like it was the first time that instead of reading instructional writings on how to use rhetoric, we were given a chance to apply rhetoric to a reading. I would have liked to have had more oportunitys to apply each of the rhetoric devices we were learning about, there were some methods that I felt we never addressed again after we read about them.