Prompt 2

This poem "Self Evident" was written by Ani DiFranco, a musician who has chosen to be independent of major labels according to her website's biography. Since it was published on the internet and written in all lower caps, it appeals to young people. Especially young people who are not fans of the government since the poem criticizes it so harshly. The imagery of the towers falling effects the emotions of the reader which would be pathos. Saying the president stole the election also rouses feelings. Ethos is also used in the end of the poem; the author calls for the reader to not let the government get away with using the tragedy of September 11th as a tool in their plan, appealing to the ethics of the audience. I find this rhetorical appeal to be somewhat effective, it appeals to my emotions but the logos of the poem is lacking. Comparing the CIA and KGB is a little too overzealous for me. The medium influences my opinion, I read the poem instead of listening to it. If I had listened, the poem probably would have had more influence on me because the voice is more persuasive than text. This analysis was different because different questions are used to examine the rhetoric of the poem.