Question

morning: its rhetorical analysis impromptu day. make sure you have a word document or a google doc open. follow the instructions below and begin immediately. you only have 40 minutes to complete this assignment. you can also find the prompt and assignment guidelines in module 1 under impromptus. directions: the following passage comes from ralph waldo emersons essay self - reliance (1841). in this essay, emerson urges readers to resist conformity and to trust themselves as the source of truth and creativity. read the passage carefully. then, in a well - developed essay, analyze the rhetorical choices emerson makes to convey his perspective on individuality and society. passage (excerpt from emersons self - reliance) there is a time in every mans education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better or for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. the power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. great men have always done so, confiding themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. and we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny, and not minions and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the almighty effort, and advancing on chaos and the dark. prompt in the passage above, emerson reflects on the importance of self - reliance and the dangers of conformity. write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical choices emerson makes to convey his perspective on individuality and society. in your response you should do the following: - respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writers rhetorical choices. - select and use evidence from the passage to support your line of reasoning. - explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. - demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation.

Explanation:

Rhetorical analysis involves examining how an author uses language - such as rhetorical devices like parallelism ("envy is ignorance, that imitation is suicide") and appeals (to self - trust) to convey their message. Emerson uses these to emphasize self - reliance and the value of individuality.

Answer:

To analyze Emerson's rhetorical choices, one could start by identifying the use of parallel structure in the list of convictions ("that envy is ignorance... that imitation is suicide..."). This creates a rhythm and emphasizes the importance of each point. He also uses an appeal to the reader's sense of self - worth by urging them to "trust thyself," which is a powerful emotional appeal. Additionally, he references great men of the past to create an ethos of credibility, suggesting that if they could trust themselves, so can the reader. The evidence from the passage, like the parallel statements and trust - related appeals, support the line of reasoning that Emerson is trying to convince readers of the significance of self - reliance and the dangers of conformity. Understanding the rhetorical situation means recognizing that Emerson is writing in a context where conformity was perhaps prevalent, and he aims to inspire individualism.