Chloee Dula

RC 1000

Bret Zawilski

September 12, 2017

Rhetoric

Often times when reading a literary piece, we neglect to think about what the writers

perceived audience and situation might have been at the time when they were writing it.

However, it is important to take each of these things into account. This is because through

understanding that said authors rhetorical situation, their intended audience, and the genre to

which they want their material to relate, us, the readers, will be able to gain a better

understanding of the contextual importances of the piece.

The rhetorical situation is the context of a rhetorical event that consists of an issue, an

audience, and a set of constraints. Three leading views of the rhetorical situation exist today. One

argues that a situation determines and brings about rhetoric, another proposes that rhetoric

creates situations by making issues salient, and yet another explores the rhetor as an artist of

rhetoric, creating salience through a knowledge of commonplaces(Bitzer). A rhetorical

situation has four main components that are essential when writing an effective piece of

literature. The first of these being the speaker themself. This is important as the reader will make

note of how sound the authors meaning is based on their previous credibility. The second being

a problem that both the reader and the writer are aware of and able to relate to. The third

component is simply what form their piece is going to take. This could be poetry, a speech, or

any other means of communication. Lastly, the said writer must have an audience.
 An audience is the general population that the speaker or writer wants to communicate

their piece to. It can be a specific person, time, or group. In order for any type of communication

to be effective, the audience must be well aware of the situation at hand. This is why it is

important for that writer to have an audience in mind before writing anything or giving a speech

of any sort. Without a pre-determined audience, one is liable to get off track and possibly make

points that no group can identify with. This would weaken the effectiveness of that which was

written. It is for this reason that the writer should have an intended audience in mind.

If a writer knows who their intended audience may be, then they will surely be able to

choose the most effective literary technique towards that said population. This is where genre

will come into play. Without taking genre into account, one would not be able to make as

welcoming of a statement as they would wish. This just means that without understanding who

one is talking to, they could very easily go about addressing that said person(s) in the wrong

way. Appealing to your audience on this level is crucial when trying to make a point. The genre

is what is going to allow for those sympathetic readers or listeners to really engage with the work

of that author. If there is not a central idea for what the genre is going to be, then one may get off

track in proving their point in an efficient manner. Therefore, it is very easy to see that knowing

the genre of your piece is important.

When reading a literary piece, whether it be a speech, poem, or anything of the sort, it is

important to understand the position of the writer in order to truly pinpoint the importance of the

piece to its time. Lloyd Bitzer once said, Virtually no utterance is fully intelligible unless

meaning-context and utterance are understood Here, Bitzer is trying to make a point that

without having a reason to say something in reference or reply to, that the utterance itself is

meaningless. This is not to say that we should not write anything if we do not have good
reasoning. It instead means that if we wish to form a meaningful piece that others can take into

account when facing an issue, that we must have some sort of platform to base our writings on.

An example of a speech that was given in relation to the speakers known situation would

be that of Billy Collins in reference to his, Commencement Address at Choate-Rosemary Hall.

Towards the beginning of this speech he states, One consolation every commencement speaker

can rely on is the universal truth that no one ever remembers their commencement address.

Here he was making it well-known that he understood the position in which he was in, and that

he was also aware that his being there would not mean much to those onlookers in their futures.

This understanding of his rhetorical situation would allow him to effectively relate to his

listeners as he would make a conscious effort to have a few lines here and there that would most

definitely stand out.

It is also important to point out that Collins was doing as Bitzer would have advised in

that he is making sure that the situation in which his speech would touch others was a valid one.

The situation at hand was taken into account so that the speech could affect those listening in, if

nothing else, a small way. As he spoke to the students, he made sure that they were aware of his

intentions. He also let them know that he was positive they would not care much about the whole

speech, instead he only hoped that they would keep bits and pieces close with them in their

futures. Because he intentionally did these things, his speech was likely more capable of reaching

and touching the minds of his audience. This understanding of the importance of a situation is

crucial when looking to form a well-thought out piece of literature, no matter what the kind.

Another important aspect of literature that one should think about is the intended

audience. If the point of a speech or said writing is to make a point, then one probably ought to

have who they want the piece to effect in mind. This will allow for their work to have more
purpose and persuasiveness and it is written with the intentions of speaking to a select few and in

turn using a language of which they would appreciate. Writing something or giving a speech

with knowledge of your situation is only as inspirational as it can be without knowing who you

want to speak to. The audience is who is going to take your thoughts into account and act upon

them whether it be internally or externally.

When Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his, Letter From a Birmingham Jail, he opened by

saying, My Dear Fellow Clergymen. This not only indicates who he is talking to, but allows

the reader to understand to what morals his letter would speak to. He, at the very beginning of

the letter, allows those with whom he is trying to connect engage in this conversation he is trying

to have with this specific group of peopl. The reader is automatically able to see that Dr. King

will be using his spiritual background to further move his constituents. He makes it clear that he

is well aware of who he wants to effect with this letter based on the situation he was facing at the

time. In doing so, the reader is able to note him as a respectable man who is speaking directly to

them on a professional, yet somewhat personal, level. Him appealing to this particular audience

shows a level of intelligence as he is making a definite statement to a definite group of people.

It is also clear to see that this understanding of audience relates just as much to Collinss

speech as it does to Kings Letter. Both men were able to create something that would affect

certain individuals based on what was happening in their life at that given time. They are well

aware that in order to effectively allow the readers or listeners to engage, they must make their

intended audiences well-known. This is a crucial element in persuasive writing. It is for that

reason that we can conclude both the anticipated audience and the rhetorical situation are both

important and go hand-in-hand.

 The genre of Kings letter was definitely taken into account as he wrote his letter. This is

evident as he said, ...I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and

reasonable terms. This shows that he is taking his audience and what kind of tone they might

best identify with. He wants to ensure that the ones who are going to be reading his letter know

he has nothing but respect for them, even if he does not agree with all of their actions. His

approach to his genre through the acknowledgement of how he understands his works may be

taken proves that he is going to be firmly planted within this area throughout his letter. In other

words, he knows what kind of tone he needs to keep at all times in order to be respected and

listened to. He does this to make sure that his letter is both accepted and understood.

Understanding the genre of a speech or literary piece can be challenging or simple

depending on what the writer feels is best. In Gloria Anzalduas How to Tame a Wild Tongue,

she said, I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess-that was good for three licks on

the knuckles with a sharp ruler. This simple sentence shows that she is appealing to a spanish

speaking audience from a first-person perspective. This is her way of telling you that her genre is

going to be nonfiction and that her tone is going to be slightly negative, but personally touching.

Her situation in this piece proved to be one in which she felt that she needed to speak up against.

In this particular instance, it is clear to see how each of these literary concepts work together to

make a point.

The genre of a piece needs to be decided on before the said piece is brought to life. This

is because without a set genre, the writers effectiveness will be lacking and maybe even

obsolete. The genre is what allows a reader to identify with the piece on some level as it can be

part of the deciding factor in what key emotions are brought on by the piece. Without the reader

being able to pick up on these emotional ties that the literary work has with the world, the reader
may simply choose not fully read or appreciate what the writer or speaker was trying to say. This

is why the genre is a crucial factor.

It is very evident that the genre and intended audience go hand-in-hand, as the genre is

chosen in order to effectively appeal to that said audience. Without fully understanding both if

these literary concepts, one might have a hard time finding the right words and then using them

in such a way that their piece is fully comprehensible and relatable. The genre as well as the

intended audience can both be seen as ways to get on your reader or listeners mental level by

tapping into their emotions through use of these tactics. It is for this reason and many others that

understanding the relationship between these two literary devices is very important when writing

an effective piece.

Rhetorical situation, audience, and genre are important in their most simplistic and

advanced states. It is important to be able to understand them individually and collectively as

they work alone or together. They are the foundations of a moving piece no matter what that

piece may hold. If they are understood and applied correctly, one will most definitely be able to

compose a letter or speech that will undoubtedly appeal to many.