Summary
Highlights
Tim Freitas introduces the topic of identifying rhetorical choices without always using traditional English class terms. He introduces Scott Diesenhaus, his former high school teacher and an integral part of The Garden of English, to discuss this approach. They clarify that a rhetorical choice is anything a writer does to convey ideas, differentiating it from a rhetorical device. The video advocates for using effective verbs instead of 'uses' to describe a writer's actions.
Using the first paragraph of George W. Bush's post-9/11 speech, they demonstrate how students often incorrectly identify rhetorical choices. For instance, instead of broadly stating Bush 'uses parallel structure,' which is vague and lacks purpose, the video encourages more specific descriptions. The hosts highlight the importance of connecting the identified choice to its purpose or effect, such as unifying the audience.
The video emphasizes replacing abstract terms with concrete verbs. For example, instead of 'repeats,' they suggest 'repeats communal pronouns,' or 'lists' when Bush enumerates victims. This approach helps to precisely identify what the author is doing and how it relates to the text's effect. The discussion highlights that a rhetorical choice should be specific enough for someone to locate the exact textual evidence.
The hosts explain that while identifying the effect (e.g., getting people angry) is important, it's not the rhetorical choice itself. The choice is the specific action the author takes to achieve that effect. For instance, instead of saying Bush 'uses negative diction to make people angry,' it's more effective to say he 'describes' or 'reminds' people of a terrible situation to evoke anger. This articulates the concrete action and its abstract effect.
The video promotes a 'Verbs for Rhetorical Analysis' poster as a tool to help students find precise verbs to describe authorial actions, moving beyond generic terms like 'uses' or 'employs.' They reiterate that having a specific verb, like 'compares' or 'contrasts' for a metaphor, demonstrates a deeper understanding than just naming a literary term. The video concludes by thanking Scott and encouraging viewers to like and subscribe for more content.