Taking a Breather

Where do I see overlap between key terms in rhetoric and composition? Perhaps a better question is where DON’T I see overlap? For me, our key terms are all linked together, and when we start to define a certain term, we’re bound to find another one lodge in the definition somewhere. I think that in order gain a clear understanding of the key terms, we must understand each in itself, as well as how it relates and intertwines with the others. One cannot go about defining the rhetorical situation with no knowledge of how exigence, audience, and constraints are defined. One cannot begin to grasp Foucault’s panopticism without first understanding his ideas of power, discourse, and surveillance. The key terms of rhetoric act like the individual pixels of a large picture. You can focus on one or two, but you won’t see the whole picture, understand the entire concept, until you step back and take all of the pixels, or key terms (and concepts), in as a whole. You must understand what is involved in the big picture if you ever aim to fully understand it.

When it comes to knowledge, I believe it’s rather similar to matter: It cannot be created nor destroyed, simply transferred from one person to another. Of course, there are certain points of time and instances in which knowledge is “new”, but I don’t believe it can ever be entirely so. We are constantly relying on previous knowledge to form new ideas or understandings. I know that I rely a great deal on prior knowledge not only in this class, but in my day-to-day life, with friends, my parents, my coworkers, even people I see walking around campus. In this class, new knowledge is constantly surrounding us, being thrown in our direction. Just think of all these nifty new sites we’re learning about for our projects or the different theories and ideas we’re reading about. Personally, I don’t think I would be getting through this class as well as I am if it hadn’t been for taking the Rhetoric course last spring. So, even in this class, which is so new to me, I’m drawing on prior knowledge to survive.

Reflection is a major part of composing, for me at least. Every time I reach a checkpoint or finish a step in my writings or projects,I take a step back to see what I think of the finished product, the individual piece, and the composition as a whole. Reflection is extremely important because it allows me to put my work under a critical eye. Even when something is finished and turned in, reflection remains important, something I’ve realized more in this class. Reflecting on my work helps me finish the composition. Once it is out of my control, I’m able to take an objective view toward my work and see it for what it really is. I also find comparison a helpful part of reflection. Comparing my work with that of others helps me learn what I could have done differently, or see a different approach that I could have taken.