Almost all writing responds to something, and academic writing commonly responds to texts that the writer has read and discussed with peers.
To enter an ongoing conversation, a writer listens long enough to understand the argument, contributes a position, responds to others, and eventually leaves while the discussion continues.
A late guest enters a heated parlor conversation, listens, and adds a response.
1. What does Kenneth Burke’s metaphor of an unending conversation suggest about argument?
2. Which action best demonstrates how a writer enters an ongoing conversation?
3. Which set of elements collectively makes up a rhetorical situation?
What is Kenneth Burke's metaphor for ongoing arguments?
The unending conversation.
Who introduced the metaphor of the unending conversation?
Kenneth Burke in The Philosophy of Literary Form, 1941.
What do almost all writings respond to?
Something that precedes the writing.
What does academic writing commonly respond to?
Texts the writer has read and discussed with peers.
What is the first step for a writer entering an ongoing conversation?
Listening long enough to understand the argument.
What must a writer do after understanding an ongoing argument?
Contribute a position and respond to others.
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