Rhetorical Analysis Essay (RCL 5)

Deriving from the Latin term, “occupare”, “occupy” is the action of seizing or taking control of. In the past, the word has commonly been associated with images of a military annexation of a foreign land and martial law. However, how can we define the word on a more figurative and literary standpoint? Most recently, the word, “occupy” has emerged in social media and political interest campaigns, most notably, the Occupy Wall Street campaign, a progressive protest movement set on identifying and speaking out against the financial inequalities and political corruption imposed by the nation’s wealthiest one percent. The “Occupy” idea also spawned a different movement in the world of space and astral exploration. As if imitating the other, the Occupy Mars campaign was initiated soon after, gaining support in the fact that mankind’s future lies in the depths of the unknown. How did these movements gain so much force and momentum so quickly? How do the rhetorical elements within the slogan and imagery garner both dissent and support from the masses? How did timing and the element of kairos play a role in the scope of its influence? And most importantly, what parallels are there between the “Occupy Mars” and “Occupy Wallstreet” (from now on referred to as the “Mars” and “Wallstreet” campaigns, respectively) campaigns. How do they both relate to and differ from each other? We will be addressing how the works use imagery in tandem with diction to address their claims, investigating the element of kairos in each specific work along with their humanitarian commonplaces and deciding whether or not they were effective in conveying their message.

Occupy WallStreet Campaign Logo

SpaceX Occupy Mars Campaign

In many ways, imagery and diction go hand in hand with each other. Both are literary elements that use feeling to infer meaning. Imagery utilizes visuals such as shape, texture, and color while diction applies the same attributes in a phonetic concept. Upon investigating the two artifacts in terms of imagery and diction, one can see that both share very strong similarities.  First, let us examine the works and their use of imagery. The “Wallstreet” campaign employs just a single image of a clenched fist. The meaning of the fist is unquestionable as it is commonly seen associated with campaigns of freedom, unity, advocacy, and anarchy. A prime example of this can be seen in the visuals spawned by the “Black Lives Matter Movement”.

The movement advocates ending injustices done upon black-Americans in the wake of racially-based shootings. In this specific case, the fist represents the sense of unity that the black-American community feels and their demand for political reforms. In addition, the fist also symbolizes the strength and use of force for black-Americans to defend themselves from unjustified violence. When looking back at our “Wallstreet” campaign, it is clear that the symbol of the clenched fist is used in a similar fashion. In this context, the clenched fist also represents unity and desire for freedom the financial “99%” have. It also symbolizes the strength and grit the group has to fight the financial inequality and oppression from large businesses and corporations. In essence, the clenched fist is a visual symbol that effectively uses the logos pathetic appeal. This is especially the case with people of American culture and heritage due to idolized “pedestal” we have put the idea of “rebellion” on. The “Mars” campaign uses imagery as well. Similarly, it emphasizes the amount of power a single image is able to convey as the artifact includes the sole image of the planet, Mars. However, to an audience, the planet Mars doesn’t describe power or unity the same way the clenched fist does. Instead, it represents a sense of mystery about the universe and promotes the idea of “discovery”. Over 50 years ago, mankind was able to reach the moon. Since then, scores of ideas and theories about “terraforming” new planets to make them inhabitable have inspired people to go farther and work harder in order to be able to do so. So in addition to the desire of fighting for oneself, humans have an inherent desire to discover and explore. The image of Mars, a proverbial “new campaign”, also appeals to the idea of logos in people, with “discovery” being the focus instead of “fighting”. Though images are used in different ways, both artifacts are able to use a sense of inspiration (freedom and discovery) to appeal to their audience.

 

Understanding the use of wording, or diction is also necessary to be able to fully grasp the concept of the pieces. Not unlike imagery, diction is also a literary and rhetorical element that initiates thought in its audience. However, unlike imagery, diction applies the use of phonetic sound over visuals and texture. It is with the element of diction that we can truly spot the similarities in the civic artifacts and arrive at one of the main ideas of this analysis. As seen in the “Wallstreet” campaign, the word “Occupy” is the first word in the artifact, and arguably, the most important one as well. The word sends an urgent tone and a “call to action” per se. It is also worth noting that in the specific case of the “Wallstreet” campaign logo, the word is bolded red. Keep this in mind as it will be important later. The “Mars” campaign follows a similar pattern with diction. It starts the artifact image with the word, “Occupy”, also sending an urgent tone. However, in the context of the following word, “Mars”, it also sends an idea of necessity as Earth will not be habitable forever and in order to protect the well-being of our future generations, immediate action is needed. Additionally, “Occupy” is bolded white. Upon first glance, the color of wording may not necessarily seem important. Many may view it simply as an unthoughtful part of the design. However, one can seriously argue that the specific color choices the artists and authors had when creating these works weren’t for no reason. Both works bold the word “Occupy” in a color that drastically contrasts with each respective background. For instance, in the “Wallstreet” campaign, the word is colored as bright red, setting an immediate distinction from the white background. Red is also commonly associated with energy and power, two asymmetrical ideas that are synonymous to this movement. Upon looking at the “Mars” campaign, “Occupy” is bolded in white to contrast its gray (or sometimes black) background. This change in color both serves to call an audience to action as well as symbolizes light, an object that can be viewed as astral.

 

Next, it is worth noting the elements of kairos both works employed. In other words, how did the timing of each artifacts’ release benefit or take away from their essential meaning? The “Wallstreet campaign logo was released a week after the onset of the “Occupy Wallstreet” campaign in September of 2011. In that campaign, everyday people had to protest to make sure that their voices could be fairly heard in the wake of political corruption influenced specifically by the American wealth and financial districts. As the logo was released roughly a week and a half after the initiation of the campaign, the artifact successfully uses kairos to help rally people to the cause at its inception to maximize the payoffs. The “Occupy Mars” campaign logo was created just a week after the former, emerging in the media from an anonymous source. Though space travel had always been an American interest, this was years before Space X’s dedicated push to space and years before the company even adopted the words as their own. With that being the case, one can argue that the element of kairos actually works against the interest of the “Occupy Mars” campaign. Its release at an awkward time presents two negatives. One, in a way, it disjoins the campaign slogan with the Space X company. Two, it infers that the “Occupy Mars” slogan was created as a parody or spoof of the more pressing “Occupy Wallstreet” slogan at the time.

 

To conclude, the “Wallstreet” and “Mars” campaign’s cross-reference each other’s rhetorical devices and take a lot of influence from one another. Take for example the use of single imagery and select wording as well as the coloration used in those words. The imagery of the clenched fist and planet mars creates ideas of power and rebellion as well as exploration and wonder. The choice to use “Occupy” as a leading word creates that sense of urgency and duty that was heavily discussed in this work. Even the bolding to set contrast with the background serves its purpose in rhetoric and convincing the masses. However, their biggest differences come into play in the use of kairos in each work. As we can see, the timing of release to the public makes the “Wallstreet” and “Mars” campaign strong and weak, respectively. Both artifacts work to enact a sense of duty and urgency in their audience and both do so by carefully articulating their visual and phonetic devices. The effectiveness of their timing (or ineffectiveness) is what separates them. It is valuable to note that through this process, though how a civic artifact appears and sounds is of the utmost importance to how people feel about them, the way and timing of which they are released, ultimately, allows an audience to pass final judgment.

RCL Essay Intro “Occupare” (RCL 4)

Deriving from the Latin term, “occupare”, occupy is that action of seizing or taking control of. In the past, the word has commonly been associated with images of a military annexation of a foreign land and martial law. However, how can we define the word on a more figurative and literary standpoint? Most recently, the word, “occupy” has emerged in social media and political interest campaigns, most notably, the Occupy Wall Street campaign, a progressive protest movement set on identifying and speaking out against the financial inequalities imposed by the nation’s wealthiest one percent. The “Occupy” idea also spawned a different movement in the world of space and astral exploration. As if imitating the other, the Occupy Mars campaign was initiated soon after, gaining support in the fact that mankind’s future lies in the depths of the unknown. How did these movements gain so much force and momentum so quickly? How do the rhetorical elements within the slogan and imagery garner both dissent and support from the masses? How did timing and the element of kairos play a role in the scope of its influence? And most importantly, what parallels are there between the two movement campaigns (how do they both relate to and differ from each other)? In this paper, we will be addressing how the works use imagery in tandem with diction to address their claims, investigating the element of kairos in each specific work along with their humanitarian commonplaces and deciding whether or not they were effective in conveying their message.

 

SpaceX Occupy Mars Campaign

Occupy WallStreet Campaign Logo

Bach Suite No. 1 in G major (Allemande) and Phrasing (Passion 4)

German folk dance. That is the literal translation of the “Allemande” movement. As Johann Sebastian Bach himself was German, a very personal style of composing can be seen in the Allemande movements of each of the six suites. The movement immediately begins with a pick-up note leading into another G major chord followed by a countless run of sixteenth notes in a melodic scale-like motion. The piece continues with melodic idea running into occasional eighth note variants that impose a cadence like structure. Bach also plays around with the sounds that the human ear perceives as “good” or “bad”. He takes advantage of the fact that we as an audience have settled into the comfortable G major motif and then changes it to a descending E minor, the natural minor of G, instantly setting a new, solemn tone.

Descending E minor Motif

The first few bars of this movement are, analytically, the most important in this movement. Parallels are noticeable in the opening of the Allemande movement with the opening of the previous Prélude. Both movements start with the same exact pitched chord. Each movement then uses a similar repeating tonic theme along the chord using G major as a base for a moving line. Additionally, the tempi of each movement are virtually identical. Though the tempo, or speed at which the piece is to be played, is sometimes under strenuous debate between baroque scholars, quarter note= 95 to 100 beats per minute seems to be a general consensus. It is clear that Bach created similarities between his first two movements for a purpose.

Opening of Allemande

A technical aspect of this movement that is worth noting is the eighth note structures that are written throughout the piece that end and begin a phrase. The clip below will further demonstrate the idea of “phrasing”.

 

As one can see, “phrasing” is the distinct separation of mini “lines” or “themes” within a larger movement. They give the music spice and ensure that the repetition of notes (especially in the case of the Bach Cello Suites) doesn’t get overly repetitive or boring. In the video example, Maisky demonstrated phrasing by overexaggerating the pauses between the eighth notes so it is abundantly clear when a mini “idea” has ended and when another starts.

To conclude, Bach uses the same starting chord to settle the audience into a familiar tone, then proceeds to play around with it presenting listeners with ideas that are constantly fluctuating and changing. Phrasing is also something Bach uses very often, not only in this movement,but in all future movements as well.

 

 

RCL Essay Outline for “Occupy Mars” (RCL 3)

I) Introduction

Man’s inherent desire to attain destiny and achieve something that is greater than themselves.

(American western frontier during the age of American expansionism.)

“Man must rise beyond the earth, only then will he fully understand the world in which he lives.”

 

II) Occupy Mars Campaign

Simple campaign image to help promote public and federal support of space exploration.

In our time of political dissent, space travel is an important factor for the future of mankind that is constantly overshadowed by other issues.

The campaign image evokes the sense of desire for the human destiny which can be found beyond the stars.

 

III) Specific Rhetorical and Kairotical elements used

The simplicity of Image, demanding language,

Modern “minimalist” view portrayed

appealing to the

a sense of emotion that drives our desire for destiny

 

IV) Analysis

Analyze the previous points.

V) Closing

JFK speech

space is the new frontier for mankind

the second coming of “manifest destiny”

SpaceX Occupy Mars Campaign

Bach Suite No.1 in G Major (Prélude) and Tonic (Passion 3)

The Prélude of the first Bach Suite in G major is undoubtedly the most popular and influential of all cello music both to seasoned musicians and the new listener alike. The movement’s natural sense of serenity and simplicity in combination with its simple and repetitive themes are the main reason for this. The movement immediately begins with a G major chord, a chord that is naturally pleasing to the human ear. This chord automatically presents a tonic (returning) thematic material that the movement will constantly fall back on. The sixteenth notes that outline the first eight measures are remnants of broken chords that allow for a clear-cut theme to be identified in the first 3 of every 8 sixteenth set. This pattern is highlighted by the G major chord lines followed by the inverted C chord. Even for early Baroque music, Bach understood what exactly interested people in music and how to capture their attention. His use of tonic chords and arriving phrases (which are constantly repeated in the movement) do just that.

Throughout this movement, Bach utilizes a melodic element called the tonic. The tonic is a set of pitches or notes that the movement continues to fall back to. The best examples of this are at the very beginning of the movement. The playing example below will highlight what I mean by “tonic”.

 

As you can hear, when broken up, the piece often falls onto a consistent set of base notes. This idea of tonic allows fhe audience to better retain an overarching theme or idea.

 

Thematic and repeating G major chord

At measure fifteen, the same repeating idea comes back with a different pitch quality (chord). This repeated idea then develops to drop into lower registers before it arrives at a middle bridge section at the second beat of measure twenty-two. The bridge section then presents a completely different idea. Instead of using interval chords, it begins to institute scales to substitute. This presents a more linear idea as compared to the previous sections. The descending C major scale is buffed by an unusual f-sharp that alerts the audience that though the section has changed, the end of the movement is not yet here. All of a sudden, the piece arrives at measure thirty-one. Oscillating notes between a D major scale and an open A string continue for several measures leading into the final cadence of the movement.  The oscillating notes press a final thematic material right before the end of the movement. With the bottom note constantly changing, listeners get a sense of continuity within the line itself and lacking any sense of where the continuation will end.

Measure thirty-nine, the very last section and ending of the movement, showcase Bach’s excellence in both understanding harmonic function and what is pleasing to the human ear. He employs the use of the G major chord that we are so intimately familiar with since the beginning of the work. However, this time, he inverts it and turns it upside down. At the point, any audience, regardless of experience with music, will subconsciously realize the similarity of the ending to the beginning of the movement, sealing the simplicity and effectiveness of the Prélude.

Ending theme is same G major chord in an inverted position, starting from the top G and descending.

The Bach Cello Suites (Passion 2)

The Bach Suites for Solo Cello are among the most influential works of classical music ever written. For a work of music written so early in music history, the Suites are both technically demanding, harmonically complex, and emotionally stimulating. At face value, the music is a lot simpler to understand than modern and contemporary music. They are fluid, don’t have too many unexpected twists and turns and remain stable in terms of meter, speed, and dynamics. However, when dissected and investigated closely, the music becomes some of the most complex art ever created by human beings.

The Bach Cello Suites are a compilation of six individual suites each comprised of six separate movements, or “dances”. Each suite is harmonically different to listen to. Each suite settles on a tonic key and uses that key as a repeating motif throughout its individual dances. In many ways, it is commonly believed by cellists that the suites increase exponentially in difficulty with the sixth suite being the pinnacle of any student’s study. In addition, each dance in every suite shares a set of commonalities. At times, tempi might remain the same. At other times, meter or harmonic function might be similar.

Each suite consists of a set of six separate movements, or “dances”. In order, they are the Prélude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Minuets (suites 1 and 2)/ Bourées (suites 3 and 4)/ Gavottes (suites 5 and 6), and a final Gigue. Each dance characterizes an idea or country that was influential to Bach at the time.

Prélude – Introduction

The prelude is usually an introductory movement with a unique set of ideas different from the rest of the suite.

Allemande – German Folk Dance

A dance in the style of traditional Bavarian music.

Courante – triple meter dance of French or Italian Style

French gypsy-style music. Much faster and lively tempo.

Sarabande – triple meter Spanish dance, very slow

Slow, mourning movement.

Minuets/Bourées/Gavottes – “gallantry” break piece

Gallant and jogging tempo. The only movement that is separated into two parts.

Gigue – lively jig-style dance

Very fast. Usually well articulated.

Over the course of the CAS 137, I will be dissecting a separate dance each week. In investigating it, I will be highlighting the musical and harmonic elements that Bach uses in his music and how it affects us as listeners. Additionally, I will also be defining lesser known musical terms that will allow for more fluency in understanding each of the dances that ensue. In each blog posting, I will also include the movements in audio, performed by the great Israeli cellist, Mischa Maisky.

Sexism at the Open (RCL 2)

Serena framed the ball as it spun out to a wide left. In awe, Naomi Osaka dropped her racquet and covered her face in disbelief. This was her first major title championship and victory against a childhood hero and role model. She continued to shed tears of joy as the crowd cheered the young Osaka, a new champion among champions. Though she really did cry that day, it was, unfortunately, not tears of joy that streamed down her face.

The 2018 US Open Women’s singles final this past weekend was far from ordinary. The victory of a new 20-year-old superstar was overshadowed by what the crowd believed was a more important debate, sexism. After a supposed code violation, head referee, Carlos Ramos, deducted a point off of Serena’s score, which, under normal circumstances, is completely fair. However, the problem arose when Serena argued and reasoned for her point back. To her and the crowd’s dismay, Ramos proceeded to deduct a game from her (the equivalent of four points). Serena and a portion of the audience saw the punishment as a blatant sexist act, claiming that if she were a man, she would not have received as harsh of penalties as she did. The penalty caused outbursts in the US Open spectator section. During the awards ceremony, much booing and dissent could be heard when Osaka was awarded her title, not necessarily because of dislike for her, but because of general dissatisfaction with the referee’s calls.

However, it can’t be emphasized enough that Osaka, naturally, did not know this. In her eyes, her victory caused the booing. In her eyes, all her years of hard work and dedication came to nothing more than a disgruntled audience. Even in the days following the event, media outlets broadcasted waves and waves of articles about “Serena’s Outburst”, “Sexism at the Open”, and “Women’s Rights!”. Not a single shed of media attention was granted to Osaka for her hard earned win. She was forced to sit back and helplessly watch as the world stepped over her dreams in order to propel itself into another political debate.

This event is a great example of why politics and athletics should remain separate from each other. In our current political discourse, politics find their way into virtually every single facet of our lives such as school and work. In many ways, disregarding recent NFL protests to the National Anthem, athletics has been the last refuge for people to be free from political differences and just share an enjoyed sport. Regardless of how one feels about Ramos’ call and whether or not it was influenced by gender, I believe that political differences should never stop people from giving their full undivided attention and respect to the sport itself.

Serena comforts Osaka

Thinking about Passion (Passion 1)

Thinking about Passion Blogs

Experience Blog: Scouting in the Modern World

The Boy Scouts of America are not exactly an organization that many young boys are interested in joining anymore. Not only are there “taboos” associated with the organization, but, quite simply, being outdoors and spending time helping others and the expense of oneself are not things that are very popular with today’s youth.  Unfortunately, teenagers are more invested in spending their time making virtual connects and perfecting their online image. However, though society is constantly moving at a forward pace, I argue that it is essential to never forget the roots of “genuine fun” that can be found in the outdoors and helping others as well as the unique and intimate experiences it has to offer.

Scouting and how it relates to modern culture, society, politics, and lifestyle are one of my ideas for an experience related passion blog. In discussing scouting, I am able to cover both the levels of personal enhancement the program brings as well as the sense of connection and bond one is able to develop with others over time. Additionally, it will be worth mentioning how past events in the media have shaped the world’s view on the program as a whole as well as the current American political climate and how it affects the structure and patronage of its members.

Hobby Blog: Modern Society and Classical Music

Classical music is undoubtedly one of the greatest accomplishments that humans have achieved as well as one of my favorite hobbies. The way people have been able to recognize and inscribe a melodic sequence of notes and include elements of harmonic functions and tonal points is something astonishing and to be revered. Additionally, the extreme nostalgic and emotional feeling that certain melodies can have on people are one of life’s great mysteries.

As a cellist and experienced chamber musician and soloist, classical music is a topic that I am both comfortable in discussing and knowledgeable about, making it a perfect topic for a Rhetoric and Civic Life Passion Blog Post. Knowing about the topic already gives much to talk about, including history and classical music’s effect on different societies, its form and structure and how it came about, and instrumentation itself and its relation to modern genres of music and pop culture. The famous Russian composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff, once said: “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.” Knowing this quote, I hope to be able to effectively talk and write about this influential and moving topic for the next ten weeks.

That Bulletin Board (RCL 1)

The elevator door closed behind me as I reached out and hit the button for my floor. As I wait, my shoes squeaked against the ground, wet from the blocks of fresh mud and rain I had just walked in. Upon exiting the elevator, I was greeted by an enormous bulletin board. As I walked to my room, I glanced up at the signs and posters that covered the board. “Floor Dinner in the Pollock Dining Hall on the 22nd at Six”, “RA Training. Are you ready to become a Residence Assistant?”, “New Student Convocation this coming Friday”. 

Not all of the events posted on that board were things that interested me. To be frank, I didn’t even bother to read some of the signs. And since I was disinterested, remembering the messages and wordings of those signs was extremely difficult. Why should it matter whether or not I remember them?

Several days later, the new residents of our floor met to go to dinner together. The purpose was to get us familiar and talking so we could get to know each other a little better. Meeting in the lounge room of our floor, people nervously sat looking down at their phones as more people began to arrive at the lounge.

Initially, I thought that the more people that showed up, the more commonalities people would have with each other, and therefore, the easier it would be to talk to one another. Unfortunately, the opposite was true. The more people showed up, the more nervous they were to start a conversation. The situation became exponentially more awkward.

Then, out of nowhere, I remembered something I saw on the bulletin board just a few days before.

“Lol, did anyone see that sign about the Donuts thing? Is anyone going?” I said.

“What? No, that seems so dumb.” Someone else replied.

Then, more people started joining in on the correspondence.

“But the donuts are actually hand-made and spiced. I think they’re going to be really good!”

“Eh, I don’t know, there’s probably going to be so many people.”

“But they’re free. Everyone loves free stuff.”

That one question, that one simple topic, suddenly generated a room full of conversation and communication. People began talking to each other about the social event and their plans and opinions of it. Naturally, this led to more conversations between people about themselves, such as hometown, hobbies, and interests.

It surprised me at the time and continues to do so. The bulletin board, as simple as the concept was, was able to help ignite each and every one of us into new friendships and connections. The location, the imagery, and the means of which it communicated to myself and the other residents allowed us to be able to make those connections. From class, I was able to learn that in good rhetoric, being adaptable to different circumstances is not only recommended but a necessary condition. In a way, the information presented on that bulletin board was able to consider the situation of which it was to be seen and apply adequate adjustments to fit the diverse ideologies and demographics of the floor. That bulletin board was always more than just an artifact to help inform us of coming events and the like. It was an icon of community and the incarnate of forging new relationships.