about english 015

Rhetoric, loosely defined, is the art of persuasion. To study rhetoric is to consider how we communicate with each other across a variety of situations—how we approach an issue, construct an argument, interpret a message, or move others to action. Rhetoric will inform the way we, in this course, approach the art of composition. Our work will give you the opportunity to construct arguments across multiple styles and forms, based on various sets of evidence and types of research. Successful writing is more than just solid content or beautiful prose. With careful attention to the flexible capacities of language, you will learn to consider your audience, the context in which you are writing, and yourself as a rhetor as you make choices about what to say and how to say it. In addition, you will learn that the art of composing is not limited to the written word, but it is multimodal. At the end of the semester, not only will you be able to interpret arguments with a sophisticated and critical eye, but also you will have the skills necessary to craft your own arguments appropriately and effectively.