Dove Essay - Elsa Futch
In life, many of us choose people whom we admire for advice. For many, this admirable person is Rita Dove, a highly recognized poet and English professor. On May 21, 2016, Rita Dove gave a speech for the graduating class full of “wishes.” Through the use of various tactics, Dove inspires her candidates to approach their future with drive, hard work, and curiosity. Dove emphasizes these traits through an imaginative tone, structure, and appeal to ethos.
Dove’s background and poetry are evident in her imaginative word choice. She uses analogies and descriptive language to help shape the celebratory yet encouraging tone present throughout the text. For example, in paragraph 3, Dove states, “So instead of advice, I will give you wishes. Just think of me as a fairy godmother or a wily genie." Her choice to include “fairy godmother” and “wily genie” evokes feelings of nostalgia and imagination in the listeners, appealing to their sense of pathos.
The organization’s presentation of the speech allows the reader comfort in her words. Dove starts off by telling the reader she will be granting them wishes, then proceeds to introduce and explain three wishes. Each wish starts with “I wish you….” This way, every time the reader hears those three words, they know what to expect. This places the speech into the hands of the listeners. By knowing the general format, readers are able to really open their ears to the wisdom she is imparting.
The third major way Dove emphasizes her point is through an appeal to ethos. She sets the stage by stating, “where I have been teaching for the last 27 years.” Already from the start, listeners can find a sense of confidence knowing the speaker they are listening to has credibility. In this situation, Dove's credibility is highlighted as her listeners can relate to the institution she mentions, as they, too, have affiliations with it. Later in her speech, Dove introduces various layers of credibility by stating more of her accomplishments, referencing other credible sources, and appealing to people’s varying interests. For example, in paragraph 7, she pulls a quote from the flutist James Galway, saying, “You can sight-read better if you know your scales and arpeggios.” Later, Dove introduces her dad's point of view, a more mathematical perspective, by referencing percentages. These outside references not only apply to the topic at hand but also help impart credibility for people with varying interests.
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Your response effectively addresses the prompt by establishing a clear thesis that analyzes Rita Dove’s rhetorical choices in her speech. You identify key rhetorical strategies such as imaginative tone, structure, and appeal to ethos, which Dove uses to inspire her audience. This thesis sets the stage for a detailed analysis of how these techniques contribute to the overall effectiveness of her speech.
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Your explanation of the evidence you used to support your line of reasoning appears well-structured and comprehensive. You’ve tapped into various rhetorical devices and strategies employed by Rita Dove in her speech to the graduating class, which is a good starting point for analysis. Let’s break it down together.
Firstly, you highlight Dove’s imaginative tone as an effective tool to inspire her audience. You reference her use of analogies and descriptive language, such as her self-identification as a “fairy godmother” or a “wily genie,” which serves to evoke nostalgia and imagination. This choice effectively engages the audience’s emotions, appealing to their sense of pathos. Do you think this imaginative tone contributes significantly to the overall impact of her speech? How might this choice shape the audience’s reception?
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Your essay demonstrates a solid understanding of the rhetorical situation by analyzing Rita Dove’s graduation speech. You identify key elements like her use of tone, structure, and appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos, which are crucial in understanding how Dove tailors her message to the audience. The rhetorical situation involves the context in which she delivers her speech — a commencement ceremony — and you explore how her background as a poet influences her word choice.
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