A Summary and Evaluation of What I Learned in Eng 111

Dec. 2008… The semester has ended and a new year starts in a matter of weeks. My first semester of college, being over is but days away, and I have learned a few things about myself. It has been years since I have been I have learned that I can survive off of two hours of sleep a night for days; I also found out that I am sleep deprived. I write papers better when I have but minutes and hours left at the latest most designated times. And all I need to do is a presentation is a basic outline and a general knowledge to bullshit for countless hours. I have also realized that this is going to be the next four to five years of my life depending on ho long I plan to stay in school.

In the English class: College Writing Composition, I have retained important skills that will help me with building my own papers, blogs, essays, poetry, and even the fanatical rant my mind constantly runs towards. I have always had a passion to write down my views, my feelings, and the random thoughts popping up in the cosmic fluidity of my brain. Yet, from taking the English 111 course I have learned how to hone my skills.

Knowing what I have learned about Logos, Ethos, and Pathos is allows me to not only to evaluate a piece of literature or media that is delivering information but also guide my own creations and convey the point I am trying to make. Thanks to Aristotle and his Rhetorical Analysis Triangle, he created the basic building block of critical thinking literature when it comes to the usage of persuasion. It now fuels everything in our media and when used it diagnoses the break up, through these three points, of articles, books, movies, songs, poetry, documentaries, or any other form of expression.

Logos is the appeal to logic and reason. Used to appeal to the thought process guiding the reader to think they are making their own interpretation when actually it is the author’s thoughts.

Pathos is the appeal to the emotional side of all readers. Used by writers and authors to convey feelings within the reader to either create emotions of happiness, sadness, pity, acceptance, understanding, or even anger. Pathos is the most crucial point to the rhetorical analysis triangle because mankind is run by their emotions.

Ethos is based on the author, based on his/her credibility and usage of words to relay to his audience. Citing different answers from people he or she interviews, statistics the author uses, the sources they research, and even through their own personal experiences. Other factors that might come into play are things like his education, race, and even religious background.

Another great use of persuasion is the incorporation of pictures. We are, after all, visual beings who need self indulging visions. Pictures are images that depict 1000 words, even within the simplest form.

I have also learned many other things from English 111 that I learned like the different forms of papers. Papers like synthesis papers, rhetorical analysis, diagnostic essays, and research papers. It also allowed me to sharpen my power point capabilities.

What I learned Mr. Paul Gasparo was to question everything. Every form of expression to see why the person preaches and believes in what they believe. Who gains from the articles and what is the true meaning behind the authors or writers point. With all the info Mrs. Gasparo has given me I will definitely use what I have learned in future reading and my own writing. I have actually used the skills I have learned in English towards other classes I am studying this semester.