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On today’s rhetorical devices test, was it easier to recognize devices from their definitions or identify them in quotations? Explain why, and discuss a device that challenged you, if any. What did this experience reveal about how well your study habits prepared you?

Prompt Response:  I think it was easier to recognize rhetorical devices from their definitions because on the quiz some of the wording was from old vocabulary such as in the 1800s which is hard to decipher and a couple felt like they could be multiple. I think procatalepsis are difficult because sometimes it's hard to determine if the speaker is starting by addressing a counterclaim. This experience revealed my study method was pretty effective because while studying I rewrote the definition in my own words from memory and made up my own sentence for each device and that helped me identify what the writer was using when I read the questions during the quiz.  Summary: Today in class we took a rhetorical devices quiz that was 35 questions. The only device that did not come up was distincto. Reflection:  I am happy with my score on the quiz and feel I have a sufficient understanding of each of the rhetorical devices and I already find myself using them in some of my writing ...
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Think about a speech, song, or message that has inspired or motivated you. How did the speaker or writer use language to make an impact? Connect your experience to at least one rhetorical device you identified in Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

  Prompt Response:  One song that had an important impact on me was "Nettles" by Ethel Cain which uses emotional language and imagery to express the pain and complexity of loving someone that's not good for you. The line "to love me is to suffer me" uses antithesis because it connects to opposing ideas "love and suffer". This relates to Dr. King's speech where he uses antithesis by stating "Now it is time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice", comparing light and darkness and segregation and racial justice.  Summary: Today in class we analyzed Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech for a rhetorical analysis essay by filling out an organizer with all the components we would need for the essay. Reflection:  This class was really helpful for further understanding the rhetorical devices and now I feel a lot more confident being able to identify them in literature as ...
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Think of a fictional character, celebrity, or historical figure you can relate to. Create an allusion that connects your personality or experiences to that person. Explain why you chose that reference.

Prompt Response:  Sometimes during school I'm like Alice falling down the rabbit, trying to make sense of a multitude of new things that never seem to slow down. Sometimes it feels like I've figured everything out and the next I'm completely lost. I chose this allusion because like Alice I'm still learning and navigating the twists and turns of highs cool.  Summary: Today in class we talked about constructing rhetorical analysis essays and dove into the use of syntax and diction. We made a graph of positive neutral and negative ways to say a word and practiced together. Reflection:  today's class was very enjoyable because I like doing class discussions and working together and it was also helpful because I was not really sure was diction and syntax was before today. 
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Think about a time when someone challenged your opinion or told you that you were wrong. What was the disagreement about, and how did you defend yourself? Did you change their mind, or did they change yours?

Prompt Response:  One time I had a disagreement with someone was when I went to a concert that prohibited phones and my mom was saying that wasn't a good idea for the performer in the case that someone had an emergency or needed to contact someone. I explained to her there were emergency stations where you could access your phone and pointed out the fact that until about 20 years ago that's how every concert or event functioned. While I did understand where she was coming from, I still held the belief that the concert was much better without the use of phones because everyone was more engaged and enjoyed the music more.  Summary: Today in class we continued learning about rhetorical devices, specifically spending more time on simile's to reform most of our prior knowledge of the technique and expand it to more uses such as using "so" instead of just "like or as". Reflection:  I thought that today's class was interesting because while I previously kne...
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Have you ever worried about what others think of you? How did it affect your actions or decisions? Share a personal experience and use hypophora at least once in your response.

Prompt Response:  Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to join a new school where you barely know anyone? It feels like you have to hide parts of yourself because you don't know how people will react to the real you.  When I first came to Lakeside freshman year because I went to a small middle school and didn't really known anyone at and it affected how I acted because I didn't feel like I could be my whole self and was nervous to express my humor or ideas in fear of rejection or judgement. Summary: Today in class we continued working on rhetorical devices such as hypophora, rhetorical question, and procatelpsis. We practiced writing sentences for each and shared one of our rhetorical questions each to the class.  Reflection:  I think the most difficult to grasp was the rhetorical question because it's hard to identify what is considered "not debatable". It felt like sometimes something that was obviously undebatable to me could be debatable to someo...
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Consider the following statement: "We spend more time connecting online but less time connecting in person." Do you agree or disagree with this antithesis? Explain your perspective using personal experiences. Discuss how technology has influenced the way people communicate and build relationships. In your response, include at least one original example of antithesis.

  Prompt Response: I agree with this statement because I believe technology  has made it easier to communicate with people especially if they live far away. However online interactions also can replace opportunities to spend time together in person since people are more focused on their phones. This antithesis shows how technology can bring people together but also creates physical distance and should to replace the connections made from spending time face-to-face with people.  Summary: Today in class we continued learning rhetorical devices with litotes and antithesis. I learned that a litotes emphasizes its point by using a word opposite to the condition and an antithesis contrasts ideas. After defining each term we did practice by creating our own sentences or identifying the contrasting words in an antithesis sentence.  Reflection:  This lesson was interesting because I did not know about these rhetorical devices before today and I believe they will help ele...
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Think about a time when you exaggerated something to make a point, tell a story, or get someone's attention. What happened? What did you say? Why did you exaggerate? Looking back, do you think your exaggeration made your message more effective? Explain.

  Prompt Response:  One thing I do a lot is I exaggerate how much schoolwork I have. For example, I say “I have a million things to do” even though I obviously don’t actually have a million assignments but I’m just trying to convey that I usually have a lot of schoolwork to do. Summary: Today in class we started looking at rhetorical devices and covered hyperboles and understatements. I learned that a hyperbole is an exaggeration meant to emphasize a statement and an understatement lessens the force of the statement. After each rhetorical device we practiced making our own examples of each. Reflection:  It was useful to put into practice the rhetorical devices we learned because it will strengthen my writing and enhance the focus of my statements. While I knew what both words meant, I found some of the examples challenging to create which was helpful because it let me acknowledge I wasn't as skilled on the topics as I thought at afterwards I am much more knowledgeable abo...
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