Rhetorical Précis and Rhetorical Analysis AP English Language and Composition Presented by Suzanne Houser

What is a Rhetorical Précis ? a highly specialized, specific type of summary differs from a general summary in that emphasis is placed upon providing the rhetorical aspects of the work under consideration Provides in clear, precise language, the main points of a piece

Essential Elements of Précis  name of the speaker/writer WHO  the context of the delivery WHEN  the major assertion WHAT  the mode of development and/or support HOW  the stated and/or apparent purpose WHY  the relationship established between the speaker/writer and the audience TO WHOM AND IN WHAT MANNER This information is presented in four very specific sentences as outlined below.

SENTENCE 1 CONTENT: Identify author, genre, title of work date of publication, a rhetorically accurate verb, and a THAT clause containing the major assertion

Sentence 1 The first sentence is probably the most crucial in identifying the main argument. The THAT clause is designed to demand a complete statement: a grammatical subject (the topic of the essay) and predicate (the claim that is made about that topic). It forces students to avoid using “about” and “how” which understate the thesis: i.e., “Nicholas Kirstof writes about gun control” or “…states how dangerous America is because of guns,” neither of which reports what his argument is.

Sentence 1 Format… What? In his/her _________ ___________ _________ (genre*) title of work date ____________ ___________that ______________. author (Verb** ) (major assertion) *Genres: article, book review, essay, column, editorial **Verbs: argues, asserts, suggests, claims, explains

Sentence 1 Example In his New York Times column “Stranger, Danger, and Guns” (September 27, 2014), Nicholas Kristof argues that stricter gun control is needed in the United States.

SENTENCE 2 The second sentence is chronologically structured to show how the author develops his/her argument for the claim by identifying argument appeals (logos, pathos, ethos) and rhetorical techniques. Probably the most difficult!

Sentence 2 Content An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the claim, in chronological order. Must identify and explain two argument appeals and one additional rhetorical technique with specific quotations.

Sentence 2 Format _________ ______ his/her ________ by ______. (Author) (verb**) (*purpose) (verb**) * Purpose: argument, assertion, suggestion, questions, explanation **Verbs: arguing, asserting, suggesting, claiming, defining, demonstrating, contrasting

Sentence 2 example Kristof begins his column with an anecdote about the time his phone was stolen, and he went to a stranger’s house to get it back, which he posted on his social media accounts and immediately drew criticism from followers who felt his actions were dumb and dangerous, but others “expressed bewilderment that it should be dangerous to knock on a door and ask for one’s property,” which he uses as an introduction to the dangers that the United States’ gun culture has created; then, he evaluates the culture by looking at numerous statistics that show the dangers of owning guns (“10 times as likely to commit suicide”), and he alludes to many more stories that did not end as positively as his – he did successfully retrieve his phone – to draw an emotional response through the horror of the situation of a sixteen year-old Japanese exchange student who knocked on the wrong door and was shot by the homeowner after the student did not understand the word “freeze,” which “prompted the Japanese government to teach its citizens traveling to the United States the word freeze.”

SENTENCE 3 … WHY? A statement of the author’s apparent subject followed by an “in order” phrase(call to action – what does he/she want the reader to do?).

Sentence 3… Content The third sentence begins by summarizing the topic/subject of the piece. The “in order to” phrase keeps you from falling back on “His purpose is to inform,” and requires that you look beyond to assess what the author wanted the audience to do or to feel as a result of reading the work – the CALL TO ACTION.

Sentence 3: Format ________________ _____________ ___________ (author) (verb*) (topic) in order to/___________________. (call to action) Verbs: show, point out, suggest, inform, persuade…

Sentence 3 Example Kristof writes about his personal experience to show people the dangers of guns, especially when strong regulations are lacking, and the ridiculousness of living in a society where it’s dangerous to knock on someone’s door in order to encourage the government to step up and pass gun control laws to improve the safety of our society.

SENTENCE 4… TO WHOM? WHAT MANNER? A description of the intended audience and a carefully chosen word to describe the author’s tone.

Sentence 4 Content  Makes students ask how the language of the work excludes certain audiences (non specialists would not understand the terminology; children would not understand the irony) in order to see that the author did not make certain assumptions about the prior knowledge of the audience.  Do not assume that the audience is “anyone” or “the general public.”  This sentence also reports the author’s tone.

Sentence 4 Format The author writes in a ____________ tone (tone word*) addressing _________________. (intended audience) *Tone word: see rhetorical packet for tone words

Sentence 4 Example Kristof targets government officials, particularly legislators, and uses a serious, yet occasionally humorous, tone.

Rhetorical Précis, Rhetorical Analysis, and SOAPS Use the student’s knowledge of rhetorical précis writing and SOAPS to write a rhetorical analysis essay. SOAPS Speaker –Who is the speaker and what rhetorical devices does he use – style? The voice that is speaking. Identification of the historical person (or group of people) who created the primary source. What do we know about this historic or contemporary person? What role does he play in an historic event? Occasion– What event or catalyst initiated writing? What is the time and place, the context in which the primary source was created? What is the geographic and historic intersection at which this source was produced?

Audience—To whom is the piece directed? Is the writing intended to challenge a predicted point of view? To build on a predicted shared point of view? Is the audience a peer group? Superiors? Other? Are there both intended and unintended audiences? Purpose – What is the reason behind text? Why was it written? What goal did the author have in mind? What is the reader supposed to think or do as a result of reading/hearing this? Subject – What is the general topic or main idea? State the subject in a few words or phrases Tone – What is the attitude of author toward the subject? Examine the choice of words, emotions expressed, imagery, etc., (DIDLS) used to determine the speaker’s attitude. D = DictionL = Language Devices (tropes) I = ImageryS = Syntax Devices (schemes) D = Details

Rhetorical Analysis Use SOAPS, rhetorical strategies (DIDLS), and appeals (logos, ethos, pathos) to explain 1.HOW the strategies help the author achieve his purpose 2.WHY the author chose those strategies Students often have a difficult time with this essay because they have not written one before. Providing a “template” that incorporates SOAPS and the rhetorical précis helps them.

Introduction Use SOAPS for the introduction 1.Speaker, Occasion, and Subject (writer’s credentials), (writer’s first and last name), in his/her (type of text), (title of text), (strong verb) (subject) 2.Purpose (writer’s last name)’s purpose is to (purpose) 3.Audience He/she adopts a[n] (tone word) tone in order to (verb phrase describing what the writer want readers (audience) to do/think).

Sample Introduction 1.Well-know essayist and writer, Joan Didion, in her essay, “The Santa Ana,” describes the dramatic mood altering effects of the Santa Ana winds on human behavior. 2.Didion’s purpose is to impress upon readers the idea that the winds themselves change the way people act and react. 3.She creates a dramatic tone in order to convey to her readers the idea that the winds are sinister and their effects inescapable. STUDENTS CAN INCORPORATE SPECIFIC RHETORICAL STRATEGIES IN SENTENCE 3. She creates a dramatic tone in order to convey to her readers the idea that the winds are sinister and their effects inescapable by employing (strategies inserted here).

Body Paragraph Format - Analysis I encourage students to move chronologically through the text. To avoid writing about every paragraph individually, I have my students “chunk” the text – group paragraphs into sections. 1.First sentence identifies which section of the text being discussed and the main idea (purpose) of the section. 2.Second sentence conveys the writer’s support for the main idea by identifying and providing a specific example for one rhetorical strategy. (WHAT) 3.Third sentence explains how the rhetorical strategies you discussed in the previous sentences help the writer achieve the purpose by using an in order to statement. (HOW) 4.Fourth sentence identifies the effect of the writer’s use of the strategy on the audience (why)

Body Paragraph Sample Sentence 1 (writer’s last name) (transition word) his/her (type of text) by (strong verb) that (main idea of the section of the text). Initially, Didion paints an uneasy and somber image of “something uneasy in the Los Angeles air” when describing the Santa Ana winds. or Didion begins by painting an uneasy and somber image of “something uneasy in the Los Angeles air” when describing the Santa Ana winds. Sentence 2 She establishes the atmosphere the winds create by using words like ‘tension’ and vivid details of the winds making “The baby [fret]. [The maid sulk].”

Body Paragraph Sample Sentence 3 Didion illustrates the effects of the Santa Ana winds on the people of Los Angeles in order to emphasize how the winds take control of people. Sentence 4 (concluding sentence of paragraph) Her choice of words and details makes the reader feel uneasy and anxious, especially when she says that the Santa Anas must be accepted, “consciously” or “unconsciously”. ***Sentences 2 and 3 should be repeated within the paragraph with each strategy or example discussed (I call it a “chunk”).

Sample from an 8 essay 2014 Adams encourages her son to be diligent by appealing to his affection for her and flattering him in the first half of the letter. She opens the letter with “my dear son” to establish that she does not intend to scold him but to guide him. She next establishes that her primary concern is his safety, appealing to his emotions so that he will be receptive to her advice, complimenting his language skills, qualifying her compliment by asserting his need to improve. Her reference to a discussion with an author in line 16 legitamizes [sic] her argument, as a form of employing the “older and wiser” claim. Her reference to the author’s metaphor in line 17 intends to assure her son of the importance of the trip on which she encouraged him to embark. She again flatters him in line 26 by emphasizing his vast natural talent, but again qualifies the assertion by highlighting the necessity of employing his God- given gifts by showing effort. She instills a sense of guilt in him for not capitalizing on his blessings in hopes that he will become more diligent and mature.

Sources The précis idea was condensed from Woodworth, Margaret K. "The Rhetorical Précis." Rhetoric Review 7 (1988): Retrieved online August 8, woodworth. woodworth The format for rhetorical analysis adapted from an Orlando teacher docs.