Quills for Your English Class

So, how was spring break? Lots of homework? Did you get some rest?

Reflect on your process for writing your Rhetorical Analysis paper. What were the steps you had to take in order to finish it. How did you find out what you wanted to write about? What were some successes you had? Any roadblocks along the way? If you could go back in time and change anything about how you wrote your paper or the journey you took in order to write it, what would you change?

Has there ever been a time while you were writing/making something and then, BLAM! Total brainfart! How did you get past it to continue finishing your project? How did you feel when the brainfart (aka mind going completely blank, forgetting what you were going to say/do) happened?

You know what I don’t care for? Valentine’s Day. Why? Because there are expectations, it’s highly commercialized, and everything is pink. Historically speaking, St. Valentine, did not end up living happily ever after (he either died in prison or was executed. But Cupid’s so cute, amirite?). The day after Valentines is great though because then I can buy as much discounted chocolate as I want! And who doesn’t love chocolate? What is a holiday or cultural tradition/expectation that you find silly, stupid, or just plain unnecessary?

Choose a meme, a cartoon, a video clip from a favorite TV show that you love, and discuss what kinds of rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) you think they may be using! What’s the rhetorical situation (context, background info)? Who’s their audience? You may not be able to answer all of these, so don’t sweat it. Try!

Using a gif, picture, song, hashtags or just plain old worlds, tell me what you will be analyzing in your rhetorical analysis paper! 

Have you ever had to change the way you sound, speak, or act depending on what situation or which group of people you are with? Why or why not? Explain.

Also, have you ever done any ‘close reading’, reading a text looking for something specific in it, rather than reading it just for enjoyment or because it’s assigned? Have you ever had to close read outside of school?