Epiphany of Rhetoric

     Writing is not just writing.  Words are not just words.  Content is not just content.  As mentioned in the last two blogs, writers put a lot of work in what they write.  Just as speakers organize their speeches in such a way as to grab the attention of their audience, so does a writer.

     Covino & Jolliffe point out something quite crucial about rhetoric: "Certainly, the rhetoric of a text is the selection and organization of language it uses to move potential readers and listeners to consider its ideas and conclusions.  But the rhetoric of a text is also the intellectual, cognitive, affective, and social considerations that guide the writer or speaker to use the language as he or she does, and the rhetoric of a text is the effect it actually has on people who listen to it or read it" (8).  How important it is to known how to persuade one's audience and dive deep into their innermost being.  Often times, if not most, a writer--a true writer--must move its audience in such a way...

     If I were to grab my audience's attention, it would probably be through pathos.  Not that I would deceive them by not providing any credibility or logic; I just find pathos to be quite powerful.  Most humans are often moved when they've been touched emotionally.  On the other hand, if I were speaking to a group of scholars, I would probably focus more on ethos and maybe a little of logos as well.

     When trying to grasp the attention of the audience, a writer's purpose is not to please them for all writers have a certain style in which makes them unique.  That uniqueness should be what grab's their readers' attention.  For me, I tend to write in the simplest of forms mainly because I lack a broad and intellectual vocabulary but also my audience tends to target those who may not speak English fluently.  I don't want my pieces of writing to be hard to comprehend; I want all to understand.  Therefore, if I were targeting a group such as scholars, I would be more pressured in writing intellectually as possible.  However, if I can barely explain my thoughts and ideas intellectually, then it's best to simplify it in simple English.