in quandary
As a third year Professional Writing student in the stream of Institutional Writing, I find myself in writing dilemma. I changed my major to Professional Writing in my second year; therefore at present I’m also taking a second year course to fulfill the requirements. My 2000-level course deals with essay rhetoric. In class we are responsible to read a different personal essay each week and do rhetorical analysis on them. The course also requires us to submit our own personal essay at the end of the semester. The problem is the exercise of writing and reading rhetorical devices goes against what we are taught in this class. Digesting Technical Information is all about writing concisely in a simple and direct manner, avoiding jargons and archaic expressions whenever possible. On the other hand, rhetorical essays demand us to use figurative language and incorporate connotative meanings as to elevate its interest level.
Of course I understand that both courses exist in different writing contexts, thus it is probably unfair to view them as parallels. However, as the one who has to do the weekly assignments for both courses, I suffer from contorted writing flow. I cannot stay in a consistent writing trance each week because I have to change writing styles and the kind of lexicons I use for different classes. If you have never experienced this before, let me be the one to tell you that it is a quite uncomfortable experience.
Writing to me is a therapeutic exercise. So when I find myself pulling my hair out week after week trying to complete different writing assignments, there must be something wrong. Now, what do I do?
- Zagita T.
Zagita,
Your quandary is quite unique and while I understand your plight, I think they’re more similar then you think. I took the course you’re speaking of and enjoyed it, though I had no technical writing to worry about at the time. Although the style’s of these writings vary greatly, the purpose of both pieces (whether technical or rhetorical) is to inform and convince the audience.
Now, while technical works tend to confuse and contort a variety of facts with poor delivery and technical terms, rhetorical pieces tend to emphasize and elaborate on specific details of stories. I guess all I’m saying is generally with rhetorical writing the critique is primarily in reference to the theme and characters and mood. With technical writing we’re generally critiquing language, arrangement and wording. While I understand both styles require multiple types of analysis, generally with technical writing we ask what and where, With rhetoric we ask why and how.
I hope I’m making sense.
P.S. Have You done “A Piece of Chalk” By G.K. Chesterton? That one’s my favorite.
Hey! Thank you for your comment. Your explanation does make sense, but that’s exactly what is hard for me to do. Each week I’m required to ask and write about what and where and why and how, instead of simply asking what and where or why and how. I don’t know, maybe I’m just being a crybaby about all of this.
Anyways, it’s good to hear that you’ve taken Essay Rhetoric class as well. Maybe you can give me some pointers on how to do better in that class. And yes, I’ve read “A Piece of Chalk”, and it is also one of my favorites, along with Orwell’s “Such, Such Were the Joys”.
See you in class tomorrow!