Rhetorical Analysis - Research Paper Example

Rhetorical Analysis The article ‘Britain’s Olympics Whiplash’ is taken from the 9th August, edition of The New York Times. It is an opinion article written by Roger Cohen in which he takes a casually witty take on the London Olympic with regards to the hosts. He talks about the change in general sentiments of the British public as the local athletes started grabbing some medals. Let us rhetorically analyze Cohen’s article using mainly the three standards of measurements: ethos, logos and pathos.

The ethos aspect, emotional appeal, of the article is significantly strong. Mr. Roger Cohen is a renowned author, columnist and journalist. (A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals . . ., n.d.). He has extensive experience in foreign correspondence and his work reflects his far-reaching credentials. Considering the writer’s authenticity and credibility, the article carries much weight and strength. However, there is a point worth consideration here. To write about Britishers’ sentiments about London Olympics, probably, is a little out of Roger Cohen spectrum of expertise.

In a way, this article can be regarded as a casual, off-road piece of writing for a usually seriously-political content-writer such Roger Cohen. His role in the article is important and provides basis for the basic structure of the writing. He sets the tone as casual and light-weighted. More importantly, using his imaginative-fluency, he carefully carves the primary style to be used in the article from start to end. He uses the indirect approach whereby he creates an opposite scenario at first in the initial paragraph to introduce the main scenario of the article that worked well in the general discourse of the whole writing.

Moving on to the content of the article, it is safe to say that he articulated this piece with a commendable choice of words and expression to produce an interesting read. He enjoyed the liberty to develop coherent pre-body scenarios and post-body conclusions. The logos aspect (The Rhetorical Triangle: Understanding and Using Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, n.d.) of it considerably appropriate; Cohen’s ability in using logic and rationality in his writing is strongly backed by his extensive experience in journalism and column-writing.

However, the one weakness that stands itself out is, probably, over-try during imaginative description. It has to be agreed that, even though it is safe to claim that the article is interest-provoking, it is also worth mentioning that it is not the most interesting read in the whole 9th August edition. If some leniency is given to the author, it can be a valid point to consider that the topic did not present much potential for a glamorous piece of writing, and it is certainly remarkable to produce such an article in which there are some interesting expressions and reader’s attention-inducing material.

He touched upon the fact that a good number of British medals are won by immigrants. He mentioned how this fact, somewhat, toned down the general air of scepticism against expats by locals, especially African immigrants and Muslims. He claimed that at the instance where numerous immigrants won medals for Britain, the British community was brought closer together and it harmonized the society. His writing also mockingly touched upon, with a good heart, the common aura of competition tossed around between US and Britain.

The audience of this article are typically sports-aware people, who would prefer to know about the internal emotional situation of Britain. Roger’s basic motive to write was to let the readers know how the emotional tide changed directions for the positive as soon as Britishers started grabbing some medals. To the audience, the article carries a positive vibe and by the end of the writing, the reader can expect to feel good about the Olympics, for the Britishers, in spirit of the games. The article is, arguably, successful in sparking off a slight sense of emotionality in the reader, predominantly because of the fact that it’s about the Olympics; the one event that brings the whole world together, even better than football.

Overall, the rhetorical analysis of Roger Cohen’s article shows that it’s a job well-done. He successfully delivers the idea that he intended to deliver. His fluency and tone of comfort stands out throughout the article. He utilized his writing talent to create an interesting article from at topic that was almost boring in nature. The ethos, logos and pathos of this writing is, arguably, well-rounded and it, thankfully, does not leave the reader with a self-introspective ‘why did I read this article?

’ therefore, the article, indeed, deserves a positive rank. Article “Britain’s Olympics Whiplash.” The New York Times 9th August 2012, English ed.: Print. URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/opinion/cohen-britains-olympics-whiplash.html?_r=1&ref=columnists Works Cited “The Opinion Pages.” The New York Times , English ed.:Print. URL:http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/columns/rogercohen/index.htl A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals . . . Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Web. “The Rhetorical Triangle: Understanding and Using Logos, Ethos, and Pathos” Indian University. Web. < http://www.iupui.edu/~uwc/pdf/Rhetorical%20Triangle.pdf>