Spot the persuasive language features!
'Uncle Sam's hands are dripping with blood, dripping with the blood of the black man in this country.'
Metaphor/Repetition
You be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.
What is the tone?
Imperative/ empowering
This question is about comparing two texts and drawing inference. Language analysis is not an objective in this.
Q2
Whenever you're going after something that belongs to you, anyone who's depriving you of the right to have it is a criminal. Understand that.
What structural feature is used for effect?
Simple short sentence after a complex sentence:D
'The cameras started clicking like a great herd of metallic beasts. I raised my right fist and there was a roar.'
What is the effect?
Semantic field of the jungle/ wilderness
Effect: Metaphorically represents the audience as a united pack with the speaker as their trusted leader much like how herds of animals govern in the wilderness. Highlights the power of their gathering by likening it to that of nature.
With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.
What is the tone?
Empowering/ imperative/ inclusive
You must ask yourself these questions to answer me effectively: How does this make the reader feel/ think? What is the writer's purpose? What language devices have they used?
Q3
When would you use a semi-colon?
To link two closely related independent clauses instead of using a conjunction or full stop. To separate items in a list, especially when the list contains commas.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises; the recriminations and worn out dogmas.
What is the effect? Zoom into a word.
Anaphora/ juxtaposition/ symbolic language/ first person pronouns
Juxtaposition of the symbolic nouns 'hope' and 'fear' represents the significance of the former over the latter. 'Hope' positively connotes that the people have chosen light and made a good decision by rejecting 'fear' which connotes despair.
Mr. President, I come to the floor today to enter the debate on comprehensive immigration reform. It is a debate that will touch on the basic questions of morality, the law, and what it means to be an American.
Who is the audience? How does tone match it?
The President/ American people
Tone is formal and assertive
You must select explicit statements for me. Although sometimes I may be sneaky and hide within the statements as implicit.
Q1
Use a colon in a sentence on your whiteboard.
Surely you don't need an example for this. It's EASY.
"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. Of course the task will not be easy. But not to do this would be a crime against humanity, against which I ask all humanity now to rise up."
What is the effect and purpose of speaker?
Direct Address/ Symbolism/ Repetition
Effect: Inclusive language with the direct address makes the listener feel empowered and in position to establish great change. Accept other analysis. Purpose: To persuade the generation to speak up for their rights
Today's immigrants seek to follow in the same tradition of immigration that has built this country. We do ourselves and them a disservice if we do not recognize the contributions of these individuals.
What is the purpose and how is it matched to tone?
To persuade people to see the importance of immigrants and their service to the country. To argue for the immigration policy. .
Tone is regretful yet assertive which convinces the audience to feel a need to work on the country's immigration policy.
You must compare the perspectives and viewpoints of the two writers for me; compare their language and structural devices, tone as well as purpose and audience.
Q4- EASY
Give me two different types of structures you could use for a non-fiction writing task.