Department of English

The purpose of this course is to develop skills in persuasive writing and speaking. We will think of “persuasion” broadly, and we will focus particularly on exploring the potential for the artful use of language not merely to influence outcomes but also to fashion audiences. Our primary resources will be historical and contemporary exemplars of persuasive public communication. We will analyze these texts closely with an eye toward extracting from them an archive of effective rhetorical tactics. And then we will draw upon this archive as we compose and improve our own writing. Students should expect to write several papers throughout the semester, and likely will be required to deliver some compositions orally.

• DUS
• IW
• What are CASE requirements?