Persuading with Style
English III
Union County High School
Friday, August 16, 2013
Jonathan Edwards
“I think it is a reasonable thing
to fright persons away from
hell… Is it not a reasonable
thing to fright a person out of a
house on fire?”
-Edwards
Flashback:
What do YOU think?!
Jonathan Edwards… in a word
(or several words)
-entered Yale before 13 years old;
-graduated first in his class;
-son and grandson of Puritan
ministers;
-ordained a minster at 23;
-soon became known for his
“preaching of terror”;
Jonathan Edwards… in a word
(or several words)
-believed God was all-powerful and
humans had no free will;
-preached that God had
predestined people to go to
heaven or hell (Calvinism);
-eventually dismissed from his
congregation;
Jonathan Edwards… in a word
(or several words)
-helped trigger the Great
Awakening—a religious revival that
swept through New England from
1734-1750
-movement grew out of belief
from
ministers that congregations
had grown too self-satisfied
Persuasion in Sinners in the Hands of
an Angry God
Emotional Appeals
-fear: taps into a fear of losing one’s safety
and security
-pity: draws on a sympathy or compassion for
others
-guilt: relies on one’s sense of ethics or
morality
Directions: In the chart, record examples of language used to appeal to the
audience’s emotions.
Stop and Identify
Role Play
-With a partner, take turns role playing a
conversation with a child who has been
stealing. Your mission is to persuade him
or her to stop. Before you begin consider
how best to keep the child in line. For
example, you might frighten or shame
the child or appeal to his or her pride.
Monday, August 19, 2013
What’s the 4-1-1 on the FQ
(fundamental question)
What effect does tone have on persuasion?
What effect does repetition have on
persuasion?
Think-Pair-Share
Before we get started, think for a moment about a
time when you’ve repeated yourself to your
parents as you tried to persuade them to let you
have your way. Once you have thought of an
example, turn to a classmate sitting near you and
share your experience. We’ll share as a class
thereafter.
Sojourner Truth
-battled against slavery and in support
of the rights of women
-nearly six feet tall; had a deep, smooth
voice that quieted rowdy crowds and
won devoted supporters
-born into slavery and endured cruel
slave owners, backbreaking work, and
harsh beatings
-at 29, she escaped from slavery
-took refuge with Isaac and Maria Van
Wagener
-changed her name to
Isabella Van Wagener
Sojourner Truth
-at 46, she took the name Sojourner
Truth
-became a traveler preaching the truth
of God
-delivered “And Ain’t I a Woman”
speech at the Akron, Ohio, Women’s
Rights Convention in 1851
Wait… Here are a couple of literary
terms that are good to know
Tone:
Repetition:
A reflection of a writer’s or a speaker’s
attitude toward the subject matter, as
conveyed through elements such as word
choice, punctuation, sentence structure,
and figures of speech.
The recurrence of sounds, words, phrases,
lines, or stanzas in a speech or piece of
writing. Repetition increases the sense of
unity in a work and can call attention to
particular ideas.
“And Ain’t I a Woman?”
Now, compare these two versions of Truth’s speech “And
Ain’t I a Woman?”
Version One
Version Two
After viewing the two videos, briefly discuss with a
partner how the variations in tone affect the overall
meaning of the speech.
STOP!
A reminder of our learning targets:
Compare tone from two versions of “And Ain’t I a
Woman?”
Analyze the effect of repetition on persuasion
Before you leave….
Tear and share:
On 1/2 sheet of paper, describe the
persuasive effort of Truth’s repetition
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
What’s the 4-1-1 on the FQ
(fundamental question)
What effect do the rhetorical devices in
Henry’s speech have on the persuasion of
what he’s saying?
Webbing
Draw a circle. In that circle, write figures of
speech. Draw smaller circles branching from the
center one. In those circles, brainstorm as many
figures of speech as you can think of.
Patrick Henry
-AKA “the Orator of Liberty”
-supported American democracy
-against British rule in the American colonies
-”Speech in the Virginia Convention”—
convinced the assembled leadership to
prepare for war with Britain
-helped write the new state constitution and
the Virginia Declaration of Rights—major
influence on the Bill of Rights added to the US
Constitution
Patrick Henry
--offered the post of secretary of state and supreme court
justice; declined both because of suspicions of the feds
-had 16 children—six by wife number one, who died, and
then 10 by wife number two
-owned slaves
-advocated the right to bear arms later guaranteed by the
US Constitution
-strongly supported states’ rights
Wait… Here are several literary terms
that are good to know
Rhetorical devices are structures within language that
appeal to readers or listeners and communicate ideas.
A rhetorical question is a question to which no answer is
expected. (But when shall we be stronger?)
Antithesis expresses contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical
structures. (Give me liberty, or give me death!)
Wait… Here are several literary terms
that are good to know
Repetition is the recurrence of words, phrases, or lines. (Let it
come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!)
Biblical allusions are references to events, figures, or
phrases from the Bible. In this selection, they have the rhetorical
appeal of shared beliefs.
STOP!
A reminder of our learning
targets:
Recognize the effect of figures of
speech on persuasion
The Textbook
Now, turn to page 147 and let’s begin
reading “Speech to the Second
Virginia Convention”
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Let’s review the literary terms we
discussed yesterday . . . .
Rhetorical devices are structures within language that
appeal to readers or listeners and communicate ideas.
A rhetorical question is a question to which no answer is
expected. (But when shall we be stronger?)
Antithesis expresses contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical
structures. (Give me liberty, or give me death!)
A little more of the review from
yesterday . . . .
Repetition is the recurrence of words, phrases, or lines. (Let it
come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!)
Biblical allusions are references to events, figures, or
phrases from the Bible. In this selection, they have the rhetorical
appeal of shared beliefs.
Find those terms in Henry’s speech. To
the text!