We will analyze Edgar Allan Poe’s use of rhetorical language in the short storie

Posted: October 28th, 2023

We will analyze Edgar Allan Poe’s use of rhetorical language in the short stories The Black Cat and The Fall of the House of Usher, focusing specifically on how he creates a sense of suspense. We should observe Poe’s usage of rhetoric in violence and horror to explore paradoxes and mysteries of love, grief and guilt. Essentially, we are studying how Edgar Allan Poe communicates effectively within his content. For instance, as read on page 3 in The Fall of the House of Usher:
The many chairs and tables had been used for a long, long time. Books lay around the room but could give it no sense of life. I felt sadness hanging over everything. No escape from the deep cold gloom seemed possible.
We can see that Roderick Usher is a man of culture (chairs, tables and books). However, it appears that he hasn’t found comfort in any of this. We will see that Usher has a nervous condition that leaves him debilitated.
Now, to help us move smoothly in developing content for our Rhetorical Analysis, it is important to identify some of the basic elements in fiction such as identifying the Three C’s of Storytelling – Conflict, Catalyst and Climax. In doing so, we should be able to recognize that Edgar Allan Poe commands the reader’s attention then rewards us with intense and a singular experience – our own. This is Poe’s Unity of Effect. The Unity of Effect goes hand in hand with the purpose of your essay to the reader. What do you want us to see and understand about how Poe communicates? What do you see in his words? We also must identify the Protagonist and Antagonist. As discussed in class, there could be several characters.
Rhetoric is a strong driving support in Poe’s work.
How will we do this with both titles The Black Cat and The Fall of the House of Usher? Compare and contrast both titles and relate how the content flows the same. What is Poe’s writing signature? Do both short pieces have the same style of communications?
There are many ways to write this essay. Be creative and comfortable with your approach. I am giving everyone free-range as long as we stay within the perimeters of academia.
Audience:
Your reading audience will be your instructor and classmates. Your writing tone should be academic and respectful, and you should seek to keep the reader’s interest.
REQUIREMENTS:
Students are expected to read all the resources and participate actively in the classwork assignments leading up to the due date of this essay.
Engagement with the content throughout the class is key to understanding what makes a Rhetorical Analysis essay strong.
Read feedback. Read example essays. Active engagement increases your chance of success.
SOURCES: Three Academic Sources are needed.
Your essay should be approximately 850 words.
Format & Documentation: Your essay should be formatted according to MLA. The entire essay should be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Your MLA first page heading and running header should be present. The entire essay should be double spaced.
Grading: All essays are assessed using the holistic Reinhardt Writing Rubric, explained in the syllabus.