Rhetorical Analysis.

1.  What do you think it means when an English nerd says you have to do a close reading and a rhetorical analysis? 

2.  Self-editing strategies.  Don't be scared.

2.5 5 most important things.

3.  Practice close reading.

Let's use a poem!  That will be more fun.  This is a sample close reading and analysis:

Here's one:  Millay--

“First Fig,” 

My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light.


A candle burning at both ends is a common idiom that implies one is living to hard or much.  If both ends of a candle are burning, then the candle will eventually shrivel from both sides and turn into a puddle of wax.  Perhaps the poet chose the familiar to make it unfamiliar later.  The saying is a warning, right?  It is usually said to someone who is living in an unhealthy way.  Her candle is burning so fast that it won't last the night, so it's really burning, and I think the purpose of this sentence is to emphasize that her candle is burning at both ends more than others' candles are.  It's burning at both ends, fast.  After she emphasizes the severity of the way she's burning the candle at both ends she addresses all those in her life and in two categories:  foes and friends.  When she says but ah and but oh, those words are, in a sense, meant as excuse.  But, but, but, the child says when she does something wrong, and this but and and are doing the same thing.  She means, I know I'm living to hard, but,...  The last line explains why.  The candle offers a pretty light.  It's beautiful.  So, then, it's okay, according to the speaker, to live dangerously, fast, or hard, because it is lovely.  This is how she makes the familiar image of the candle unfamiliar, and in doing so, offers us a glimpse into the speaker's self-justification.  Is it excuse or true that it's more lovely?  We don't know and are welcome to choose. The poem, then, has a message or a theme, a meaning.  Perhaps its that those of us who judge others for living that type of life are missing something we don't see or it also could be that living like this is getting the most out of life, even if it will be a short one.


Working in Groups,  Write your own close reading/analysis based on this short poem:



At least the robbers
left this one thing behind —
moon in my window.

 C. 1079. Written after thieves had broken into his hut, Monk Ryōkan (translated by Steven D. Carter)


HW-  Let's create our own rhetorical analysis.  Please find a new editorial on any topic and bring it to class so that we can set up and plan out our essay.