
Rhetoric: What Is It and How Do We Use It?
A Seminar for Undergraduate Fellows of the Advanced Institute
Nanjing University
May 2018
Cheryl Glenn
Distinguished Professor of English and Women’s Studies
Penn State University
This week-long seminar will focus on the quality, character, power, and plasticity of rhetoric. Whether delivered in print, in images, by voice, or through the body—from the page, the stage, the podium, pulpit, or grandstand—rhetoric holds possibility and power. Rhetoric can do something; it can make a personal, community, national, or global situation better. Rhetoric provides us the way to “find things out” for ourselves and then “get things across” to an audience, a rhetorical audience who can help us make things better.
Professor Glenn’s daily lectures and explanations will anchor the seminar, but much of the class time will also be spent in discussion, small-group work, and individual presentations so that students will learn to analyze rhetoric as well as to produce it purposefully and self-consciously. For these reasons, the course itself calls on students to come prepared to class by having done the assigned reading and writing homework each day and by being prepared to speak. In addition to Professor Glenn’s lectures, we will refer to two historical readings (supplied) and from one of the following English-language newspapers (also provided to you): Global Times, China Daily, or New York Times International. The newspaper(s) will provide us with contemporary examples of—and exigencies for—rhetorical response.
Rhetoric: The faculty of observing in every given situation the available means of persuasion.
--Aristotle
Class Schedule
Monday, May 28, 2018: What is rhetoric? Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric. The rhetorical situation. The rhetorical appeals. Rhetorical principles and practices. What do you already know about rhetoric (in-class exercise and presentations)? What do you want to learn?
Distribution of English-language newspaper for reading and writing assignment.
Tuesday, May 29: Review of rhetorical situation, appeals, principles, and practices. More on what you already know about rhetoric (in-class exercise and presentations). Discussion of homework, practice of rhetorical analysis.
Distribution of English-language newspaper for reading and writing assignment.
Read Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” for Wednesday.
Wednesday, May 30: Rhetorical analysis of “Ain’t I a Woman” as well as an analysis of a newspaper story (or stories). Practicing rhetorical nimbleness (in-class exercise and presentations).
Distribution of English-language newspaper for reading and writing assignment.
Read Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” for Thursday.
Thursday, May 31: Rhetorical analysis of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and of a newspaper story or two. Analyzing your audience, re/shaping your message, leveraging the rhetorical appeals. Writing from different points of view. In-class exercises and presentations.
Distribution of English-language newspaper for reading and writing assignment.
List of issues, questions, challenges students want to discuss on Friday.
Friday, June 1: Analysis of newspaper stories, full-class discussion of issues, questions, and challenges. In-class writing and presentations. Wrap-up and final overview of rhetorical principles and practices: what have you learned about rhetoric? About yourself as a rhetor? About the possibilities of rhetoric?