AP Language Class Notes
Second period, sorry for the late post, but I’ve nothing new to add to yesterday’s objectives or details for your fifth period colleagues. You’ve got plenty to keep you busy for next week.
One interesting thing came up during revision conferences this afternoon with Sam S., though. I’ve been iterating and reiterating the idea that rhetorical devices (figures of speech) are not exclusive of the linguistic concepts of syntax (the way in which we put words together to make meaningful sentences) and lexicon (or diction as it applies to composing verbal and written text). Schemes and tropes such as anaphora, metaphor, climax, antimetabole, simile, litotes, et cetera, are simply manifestations of our syntactic manipulations and lexical choices, and, as they apply to rhetoric, the best manipulations and choices for the personas we choose to engage the audiences we need in the contexts we find ourselves to the most effective argumentative ends (rhetorical purposes).
Sam and I meted this out over her paper and she succinctly decided her task (and yours) for the Douglass prompt (and others to come) is to identify, analyze, and evaluate his syntax and diction through the schemes and tropes he uses in service of his rhetorical purpose. Neat.
One more thing that Addie C. was curious about. “Is there a scheme or trope for everything?” she axed on Wednsday. Just about, as I showed both periods at The Forest of Rhetoric, Dr. Gideon Burton’s excellent site that you’ve explored before. Take some time to look through the “Flowers” in the forest, which lists just about every rhetorical device imaginable. You don’t have to know them all of course, but it’s good to have several in your rhetoric schema that you can identiy and discuss comfortably so you can amaze your friends and be the hit of the party!
Have a great weekend.
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One Response to “AP Language Class Notes”
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Hey Mr. Girard!
I hope you’re having a good weekend.
I do have to tell you though, I found a mistake in this post.
The very first sentence of this post reads, “Second period, sorry for the lat post, but I’ve nothing new to add to yesterday’s objectives or details for your fifth period colleagues.”
I believe you meant to write late instead of lat.
You’re welcome.
See you Monday.
XOXO