The Use Of Rhetorical Figures In We Real Cool By Gwendolyn Brooks

Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his bold novel, The Scarlet Letter tackles a variety of themes that include: sin, guilt, redemption, postfeminism, and organized religion's abuse of power. Hawthorne spoke in a somber and grim tone, designed to arouse a sense of suspense for his readers. The audience in which he was addressing would have been conservative Christians and women suffragettes, all of whom reflected the ideologies during this time period. By instilling clever diction, Hawthorne exposes hypocrisy in Puritanism and objects against the religion's superfluous punishments; which force individuals to endure unnecessary and extreme suffering.

Elle Woods was the typical sorority girl while at CULA- she loved shopping; her friends; and her boyfriend, Warner. With her father’s money on her side, Elle never prioritized her education or working. She assumed her future held a marriage to Warner and life as a trophy wife; but when Warner declares Elle a hindrance to his goals of graduating from Harvard University, she becomes determined to do the same. Realizing no amount of money could buy admission to Harvard, Elle works valiantly toward her goal and is accepted. As the movie comes to a close, the scene shifts to three years later with Elle addressing her classmates as she graduates alongside Warner. Though she does not speak excessively, Elle speaks of the passion, perseverance, and determination necessary for success. In her short, yet effective speech; Elle uses ethos and pathos to encourage her classmates to go forth in their law careers with courage and faith, and reminds them to never accept people as they appear on the surface.

   A pattern of repeated words or phrases can have a significant impact in conveying a particular impression about a character or situation, or the theme of a story. In the story "The Storm," by Kate Chopin, and "The Chrysanthemums," by John Steinbeck, imagery is an integral element in the development of the characters and situation, as well as the development of theme.

I could speak of Joan Didion's use of rhetorical devices. I could describe every subtle simile she imposes and preach of her incredible use of personification, but I think the most important piece of the essay would, then, be neglected. In "Goodbye to All That," Didion compares her experiences in New York to the occurrences at a fair. This metaphor is discussed in a very roundabout way. Ultimately, though, Didion (like anybody) grew tired and dissatisfied with the fair (in her case NYC).

In the first chapter of The Rhetorical Power of Pop Culture by Deanna Sellnow, the author defines popular culture and explains the importance of studying the subject. Sellnow begins with a short explanation of ethics to convey that the influence popular culture has is not always used ethically. Secondly, Sellnow compares the different contexts of culture, elitist and diversity, to explain what popular culture is not. Popular culture is compiled of everyday things that influence people through subtle messages such as what is appropriate and inappropriate, good and bad, and so on.

The purpose for Truman Capote's writing of his book, In Cold Blood was to take literary definitions to a whole new level. He used them in ways that people were able to relate to them personally. He did this by using several different types of literary devices. Nancy's diary for instance, is used to symbolize the impossible future that will never happen for her. The purpose of Nancy's diary is for her to collect all of the things that she had gone through each day, so that someday, when things were looking up for her, she would be able to go back and read all of the hard times that she had once gone through. This never happens, as we know, due to her death. But coincidentally, the last entry that Nancy ever makes, sadly, is about how she had yet another boring, uneventful day, but she also involuntarily wrote about how when you have no life, and no hope, that even the last night of your life, no future is boring. Capote's clever thought out analogy for Nancy's consisted of something that many adults are able to

Dunbar and Randall both use interesting imagery in their poems to display how the character truly feels. In the “Ballad of Birmingham,” stanzas

The rhetorical situation helps the audience understand all aspects of which the rhetor writes. When an audience understands the rhetorical situation, they are able to make a judgment on whether they believe the author to be credible or not, or their writing to be effective or not. Mary Crow Dog and Maya Angelou are both effective rhetors because their rhetorical situations work together to make their essays compelling. “Civilize Them with a Stick” by Mary Crow Dog and “Graduation” by Maya Angelou each introduce effective rhetorical situations as they establish their individual identity through their educational experiences.

In Literature, rhetorical devices are often used to place emphasis on certain ideas or descriptions, to make an idea clearer, or to provide insight and to smoothly relate topics. Throughout his collection of essays, Scott Russell Sanders utilizes rhetorical devices in order to make his statements and ideas more vivid and clear for the reader. The rhetorical devices offer a more descriptive and insightful look into Sanders’ thoughts on his childhood, personality, and view of the world around him. Throughout the book, Sanders’ uses rhetorical devices ranging from allusions of events and people from the past to employing a varied tone in order give the audience a clear view into his thoughts

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of literature is the message the author is trying to portray in his or her writing. One of the ways an author can do this is through the use of rhetorical devices. Rhetorical devices, such as a metaphor or alliteration, are used to persuade an audience and highlight the intended meaning of the writing to the reader. In the narratives, “On the Rainy River” and “A&P”, the authors of these stories use rhetorical devices to show the development of the main protagonist. “On the Rainy River” revolves around a man named Tim, who is conflicted on whether or not to join the army during the Vietnam War. On the other hand, “A&P”

Wilbur makes frequent use of imagery in “The Writer.”  He uses metaphors extensively – for instance, calling “the stuff / Of her life is … great cargo, … some of it heavy”.

Function: An anaphora functions to create emphasis. By repeating the first part of a sentence, that specific idea stands out in the reader’s mind. Anaphora can be used to draw attention to an word or idea. It also can compel readers to visualize said word by evoking emotions or certain ideas that may be implied through the device.

Poetic devices such as imagery and repetition are elements of linguistic value that appeal to readers of all ages. These poetic devices are used as ways to enhance how a story is perceived. Additionally, they are used in different works of writing as ways to provide vivid imagery and create distinct moods. As Steinbeck describes the scenery around the area where George and Lennie were, two men who travel together in hopes of finding a job and making money for a better future, he uses imagery to emphasize the mood,

One of my favorite poems is People by Yevgeny Yevtushenko. It explores the devastating nature of what it means to be human and the tragedy that, “Not people die but worlds die in them.” I have always been deeply moved by the poem’s sentiment. However, by examining People through the lens of iconicity and also with Michael Burke’s Iconicity and Literary Emotion in mind, I gained a deeper understanding of how Yevtushenko employs iconic devices to underscore and bolster his poem’s emotional effect. This essay will explore a few of those linguistic techniques and how they enhanced my reading of the poem.

Although Robert Hayden and Sylvia Plath both use vivid imagery to display their fathers, the way the authors use imagery is different. In Plath’s “Daddy,” she uses imagery to paint a dark picture of a Nazi who holds the title of her father. She uses imagery to compare her father to a black, confining shoe. She compares herself to a foot that has been living in the shoe for thirty years (Plath 290). The shoe metaphor represents her confinement under her father’s rule, but she is finally free. Because freedom from confinement is one of the main themes for “Daddy,” Plath’s use of imagery contributes to the theme of the poem. Conversely, Robert Hayden uses imagery in “Those Winter Sundays” to display his father’s work ethic. He uses works like, “cracked hands,” and “blueblack cold,” to show the conditions that his father went through because of his love for his children (Hayden 288). Hayden’s use of imagery helps to show the theme of “Those Winter Sundays,” regret for being unappreciative of a father’s love, by showing the obstacles that Hayden’s father went through for his son. The authors use of imagery helps display the overall themes of the poems by demonstrating their fathers’ character.