Welcome back to English 1302!
Another week has passed within the English 1302 writing course. This week we discussed the deeper meaning behind lyrics, and how the distribution of ethos, logos, and pathos, enhances the meaning of the song.
We first began this topic by reviewing the definitions of these persuasive writing techniques. Ethos, we were reminded, is the ethics of a statement and is important for credibility within a work. Pathos is based on emotion and how it effects readers personally. Logos is based on factual evidence that is reinforced by credible sources. We discussed as a class the positives and negatives of writing a work based on emotion rather then facts. After hearing a multitude of opinions, we determined that the credibility of the work would decrease, and there would be a larger chance of conflict with the readers personal beliefs. There is also a chance of swaying from the original topic, and coming off as a rant from the author as opposed to an academic discussion.
Our professor gave us the assignment of analyzing examples of ethos, logos, an pathos in the song “My Shot” from the world wide musical success, Hamilton. We were first able to recognize the placement of ethos within the piece. Hamilton discusses the oppression of King George on the people and gives factual evidence to support his accusations. He frequently displayed pathos by relating back to his difficult childhood, and creates excitement for the future of the country based on his personal goals. This assignment is preparing us for our future essay topic, where we will analyze a song from Hamilton and recognize forms of argument within the lyrics.
Throughout my daily life, I was able to experience argumentative rhetoric in regular conversation. My sister and I had an argument in regards to who we felt deserved to win the Super Bowl. We discussed both sides of the conflict and decided we both like Tom Brady, but we are tired of the patriots winning the Super Bowl and would like to go for the underdog. However, we do not want the Rams to win either because we feel the Saints deserved to be there and are not because of one bad call. The discussion ended on a very neutral note, but we were able to discuss and evaluate looking at all our opinions and facts from previous games.
I am beginning to realize that arguments are everywhere. They are present in the media, essays, books, and even in everyday conversation. Learning to distinguish between emotion and facts will be extremely important when trying to obtain credible information.
Stewart, Charles. “Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.” Backdrops by Charles H. Stewart. 2018. <https://charleshstewart.com/ethos-logos-and-pathos/>.
English 1302 