1. Bring a children's tale or nursery rhyme to class tomorrow
2. Complete the persona analysis
How does the rhetorical devices used (vocab, syntax & attitude) convey the speaker's persona?
Example
Einstein
Did the chicken cross the road or did the road cross under the chicken?
Analysis: The speaker's combination of questioning and simplistic diction simultaneously captures the intellectual persona associated with the scientist, Einstein, and subtly hints at the speaker's sense of humor through the use of childish diction ("did", "road" and "cross"). The persona of youthful genuineness is further portrayed through speaker's syntactical arrangement of simple auxiliary verbs ("did") used to balance the parallel structure of the questioning dialogue. The reversal of the question at hand ("did the road cross under the chicken") provides insight into the speaker's intellectual capabilities and his ability to see situations through multiple perspectives. The word choice and arrangement conveys a spirited, yet serious tone as the first question conveys a lightness through the use of the common children's question ("did the chicken cross the road") while the latter focuses on the obstacles present, suggesting that it is not the chicken's choices that should be questioned, but factors concerning the external environment ("the road"). Despite the serious reversal of question, the repetition and use of the common children's joke reveal that the speaker is capable of managing problems through the use of humor and intellectual perspective.
