Rhetorical Analysis of Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”

AP Language Rhetorical Analysis of Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Directions: Read â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† As you read, underline examples of Thoreau using rhetorical devices and identify and explain the devices via annotation. Answer questions 1-4 to prepare for further work with a small group. The group will work together on questions 5 through 8. Be ready to explain your answers to the whole class. Even when you’re working as a group you should be writing the answers. 1. Based on your reading of â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† what kind of person does Henry David Thoreau seem to be? How would you characterize his state of mind and emotion as he composed this essay? Cite specific examples from the text to support your claims about†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ 2) the narration would offer background material on the case at hand †¢ 3) the partition would divide the case and make clear which part or parts the speaker was going to address, which parts the speaker would not take up and what order would be followed in the development †¢ 4) the confirmation would offer points to substantiate the argument and provide reasons, details, illustrations, and examples in support †¢ 5) the refutation would consider possible objections to the argument and try to counter these †¢ 6) the peroration would draw together the entire argument and include material designed to compel the audience to think or act in a way related to the cent ral argument a. Is there some section that clearly lets the reader know what subject the composition is about and what the writer’s purpose is? If so, where does this section begin and end? In this section, can you find an answer to the central question that the text has been written in response to, or can you find an indication of the text’s central argument? b. Is there a part that explains any background information that the reader needs to know in order to be able to understand the answer to the central question or argument that the composition offers? If so, where does this section begin and end? c. Is there some sentence or paragraph that focuses the reader’s attention on some particular issues, aspect, or theme that the paper examines asShow MoreRelatedHenry David Thoreau1930 Words   |  8 Pagescultivation of individual truth despite society’s state, and the intrinsic goodness of nature, were of great interest to Thoreau. Emerson’s values as well as his â€Å"friendship [were] a significant influence on Thoreaus writing and philosophy† (â€Å"Thoreau...† West’s). Transcendentalism became a focus of Thoreau’s work, especially in his philosophical pursuit and societal experimentation in Walden. Thoreau proved to be more than a writer-- his personal values led him to becoming â€Å"an abolitionist and one of the