Rhetorical Recap: In Love & SOTU

This week, I’ve been reminded of that strange transition that takes place between work and class. I almost feel as if I become a different person during the skyway walk, bus ride, and entry into the old brick building on campus. I am a student once again, listening and soaking up everything I can in a short 90-minute class before returning to my outlook and calendar and pile of requests.

I’m in love with my class. In love. It’s a bit intimidating, yes, and I don’t know all the rhetorical terms flying around. I’m currently looking for a “cheat sheet” for rhetorical criticism, so let me know if you find one. Words like enthymeme, metonymy, and prosopopoeia are fair game nowadays.

I’m reading a plethora of speeches, too. This week was comprised of The Declaration of Independence, Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence in 1945, President Richard Nixon’s “Vietnamization” speech on November 3, 1969, Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech on March 5, 1946, and subsequent reviews, critiques, and discussions on all. It’s fascinating.

I turned in my paper proposal yesterday (see previous post) and the first draft is due in a week. I can feel that “first paper anxiety” returning, and this morning I was thinking about “real” graduate students and how they know what they write is really intelligent and well-reasoned and worth reading. How do they start out? Of course they research and gather evidence and talk to others and get support. But when they put their thoughts on paper out there for the world to read, are they afraid? Or is it just me? The critiques I’m reading are so definitive and strong and sure. Will I ever get there? I hope so. I suppose it all takes time.

Reading through the reactions to President Obama’s State of the Union, a few stand out: