Redfern 1

Megan Redfern

Dr. Miss

UWRT 1104

02 February 2017

Rhetorical Analysis

This speech, written during my senior year of high school, is a testimony, or a public

recounting of a religious conversation of experience, of the events that took place on a week long

mission trip with my hometown Baptist Church. Before analyzing the speech, it is important to

first understand the speakers background. I grew up in a small town outside of Raleigh, North

Carolina, in a family that valued religion. My closest friends were always members of my

church. Though I never felt that religion was pushed on me, I always saw it as something I could

lean on, making church feel like a safe place in my life.. In the first paragraph of my monologue,

I state, On Senior Sunday I sat in the front row and listened as my friends, Becca Perry and

Brooks Hill, shared their testimonies and felt called to share mine (Redfern 1). This shows that

my friends have a great influence on my life and play an important role in the motivation of this

piece.

Ethos, a rhetorical strategy used to establish the credibility of an argument, is often used

in public speech. I have effectively used this technique in the beginning of my speech while

recounting the events that had taken place throughout the week. I informs the audience, We

worked with habitat for humanity on a house where in one week we turned a carport into a

bathroom and washroom and so much more. (Redfern 1). By referencing a well-known

volunteer organization such as Habitat, I am able to develop a sense of legitimacy surrounding

the volunteering they did while on the trip. This section is the most informative and helps give
 Redfern 2

background information to illustrate our week. By employing ethos here, a sense of trust is

created between rhetor and audience. In doing this, I boost the credibility of my argument and

emphasizing the legitimacy of the volunteer experience.

I share with the audience that the reason I am speaking to them on this day, is because I

felt called to do so by God. In an attempt to express my feelings toward the youth group, with

whom I spent a majority of my adolescent years, I speak directly to them saying, For those of

you who I was able to get to know and consider some of my closest friends (Redfern 1). This is

meant to praise them for what they have done for me over our time together. When digging

deeper into the objective, I begin to make connections with the audience, I have seen many

people come into this youth group and quickly find a family, including myself. (Redfern 2). By

speaking on my friends and family, and further how my friends have become family, I create yet

another emotional connection with the audience. Members of my Church and youth group are

able to relate on a personal level that an outsider may not.

Diction and tone both play a vital role in the presentation of this piece. Specific word

choice, such as cherish and impact, are what allow me to convey my purpose and emotion to

the audience. In a very personal piece of writing such as this, tone also becomes vital in an

effective portrayal of thoughts, ideas, and emotions.Here, the tone is serious but presented in a

sentimental way. For example I say, The friendships formed within a group like this are so pure

because they are built on a foundation of God. (Redfern 1) and I have seen this group come

together in times of need, I have seen them help people find christ, and even witness miracles.

(Redfern 2). In both of these quotes, a combination of effective tone and precise word choice

allow for a powerful experience for the audience. In some instances, the author could have used

diction in a more persuasive manner to persuade the audience to share in her emotion. With more
 Redfern 3

diction and details this speech/testimony could discover an audience I may not of realized exists.

There is always something to be read between the lines and with some editing, it is possible that

a lot of people could be touched by this piece of writing.

There are qualities of this writing, such as its informality, that make it clear that it was not

done as part of an academic assignment.. It is very obvious that it remains unedited, which, in

this case, is okay for it is written to be spoken and not for academia. An example of this can be

found in the introduction when I begin with Hi, My name is Megan Redfern and I recently

graduated from Heritage High school (Redfern 1).This is not how one would typically begin a

piece of academic writing. When someone reads this, the style of it automatically makes it seem

more personal and raw. This is an advantage in this instance considering the goal of the writing.

This would not be the case if this was a formal informative piece such as a science report. Pieces

written for academia usually have a format to follow and certain requirements. If this was going

to be formally evaluated, it would have been very different.

Through analyzing my own work I have noticed that I tend to have an informal and

casual discourse. I have learned that this is likely why it is hard for me to write within an

academic setting. As a writer, I am somebody who writes how I would speak. Because I am

someone who writes informally in a daily journal, this style of writing has become habitual. For

this piece in particular, I did not have to mushfake because it wasnt meant to impress and all that

was said was completely genuine. It was important for readers to understand my background

before reading this piece because by understanding where I come from and how personal this is,

the writing and the emotion behind it become much easier to understand.
 Redfern 4

Works cited

Redfern, Megan. Testimony July 2016.