Revolutionary Rhetoric
Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense represents the kinds of texts that were most important during the Revolutionary Era. What word best characterizes these types of texts?
argumentative
Which aspect of language is most affected by your relationship to your audience?
level of formality
Read this sentence about King George from the Declaration of Independence.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens, taken Captive on the high Seas, to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
What is the effect of the words constrained (forced) and executioners?
to portray King George as a heartless tyrant
Read the lines below from Phillis Wheatley's poem "His Excellency General Washington."
See mother earth her offspring's fate bemoan,
And nations gaze at scenes before unknown!
What type of figurative language does Wheatley use in these lines, as well as in most of her poems?
personification
What should you NOT worry about during the revision stage?
errors in usage and mechanics
What is the historical significance of Phillis Wheatley's poetry?
She was the first published African American poet.
What is the most important characteristic of a rhetorical speech's last paragraph, or clincher?
should be memorable
What is the best way to describe the writing process that resulted in the Declaration of Independence?
collaborative
What was the effect of Patrick Henry's Speech to the Virginia Convention?
It inspired the Virginia legislators to vote for arming their colony against England.
Which of these steps should occur during the drafting stage?
turning your prewriting notes into paragraphs
Which statement best defines the American way of life that Benjamin Franklin described in his letters?
If you have useful skills and you work hard, you will be successful.
How does skillful rhetoric increase the effectiveness of persuasive writing?
by creating emotional impact
What made Thomas Jefferson especially well-suited to write the Declaration of Independence?
He was known to be an eloquent champion of human rights.
How do Henry's figures of speech characterize the British?
as sly and threatening
What is the main difference between a rhetorical speech and a purely argumentative speech?
Rhetorical speeches appeal to listeners' emotions to persuade them.