AP English Language - The Whistle
Read Ben Franklin’s “The Whistle” twice - once just for
basic comprehension, and a second time while taking detailed
notes on the key elements of each paragraph.
Work either individually or with partners (two or three
people per group max) and describe:
1. What you believe Franklin’s purpose to be
2. What are the major stylistic elements Franklin employs
(think diction, syntax, rhetorical devices, selection of
details)
3. How he intends those elements to help him accomplish his
purpose in the essay.
AP English Language - The Whistle
Today’s presenters should in the order Ms. McCormack
dictates. You’ll be filmed, so that your presentations can
be viewed later by Mr. Nelson. At the end of your
presentations, Ms. M will ask you to read a random passage
and describe how it fits into the book’s overall narrative,
and to discuss how the passage represents notable elements
of the author’s style.
AP English Language - The Whistle
At the end of the period,you’ll get a collection of
presentation slides from Sensei Nelsonius’s lecture on
parallelism, accumulation, juxtaposition, and varying
sentence structures.
Read through the lecture, taking note of the definitions for
each of these rhetorical elements. Then, complete the three
prompts from Thursday, utiling these new terms. Work to
identify all these elements in Franklin’s writing over the
weekend.
AP English Language - The Whistle
Have out your responses to Thursday’s prompt,
your copy of The Whistle, and the lecture
slides you were given on Friday.
We’re going to go over that lecture in class,
and answer questions you may have about
sentence structure, parallelism,
accumulation, and juxtaposition, and where
you found those things in Franklin’s essay.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Accumulation: to “pile up”. It is a stylistic
device that is defined as a list of words which
embody similar abstract or physical qualities or
meanings with the intention to emphasize the
common qualities that words hold.
● “These students are the absolute best. Polite,
charming, daring, brilliant, talented - almost
too talented - and funny beyond belief. They’re
stars.”
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Juxtaposition - placing two things close
together, either for the purposes of
comparison or (more often) contrast, can be
used as a rhetorical device. An author may
wish to demonstrate a sharp and stark
contrast, or point out the total similarity
between two different things.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Parallelism is the use of similar patterns of words
(or grammatical forms) to express similar or related
ideas.
Parallelism can create rhythm and balance in your
writing. Parallelism can help a writer emphasize
information or make a powerful point. It can also
just help you streamline your sentences to be more
pleasing to read.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Not parallel:
Yoga requires coordination, flexibility, and to be able
to concentrate.
In parallel:
Yoga requires coordination, flexibility, and
concentration. Don’t try it, Gary.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Not parallel:
Before we go on our road trip, Yasin is responsible for loading
the trunk, cleaning the seat cushions, and the engine check.
Sorry, Yasin, but get to work.
In parallel:
Before we go on our road trip, Yasin is responsible for loading
the trunk, cleaning the seat cushions, and checking the engine.
Sorry, Yasin, but get to work.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Not parallel:
Bobbie will always be remembered for her sharp wit, her violent
outbursts, and for behavior that was self-destructive.
In parallel:
Bobbie will always be remembered for her sharp wit, her violent
outbursts, and for her self-destructive behavior. Man, Bobbie is
super scary.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Since parallelism exists to create relationships between words,
sentences, and ideas in writing, it’s important to note the
conjunctive terms used in that writing:
● and, but, or: (coordinating conjunctions)
● either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also (a pair of
correlative conjunctions)
● than, as (a word introducing a comparison).
You’ll often find parallelism going along with the rule of threes, with
variations (including pairs for juxtaposition or addition, or more
than three for purposes of accumulation, accent, or humor).
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Not parallel:
J.J. is a genius when it comes to playing with his
meat. His new ingredient will reduce the fat in our
burger patty, and the meat will have more taste.
In parallel:
J.J. is a genius when it comes to playing with his
meat. The new ingredient will reduce the fat and
increase the taste of our burger patty.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Not parallel:
Tuan always believed that giving was better than to
receive.
In parallel:
Tuan always believed that giving was better than
receiving. Pretty dumb, Tuan.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Parallelism comes in many different shapes, not just in
pairs or in lists of three things. Identify the elements
of parallelism in these examples:
●
●
●
"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some
of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the
people all the time." - Abraham Lincoln
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you
can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy
"We are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied
until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness
like a mighty stream." - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Parallelism comes in many different shapes, not just in
pairs or in lists of three things. Identify the elements
of parallelism in these examples:
●
●
●
"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some
of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the
people all the time." - Abraham Lincoln
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you
can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy
"We are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied
until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness
like a mighty stream." - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Periodic Sentence: A long sentence
that has the main point at the end
Loose Sentence: A long sentence
that has the main point at the
beginning
Balanced Sentence: A sentence that
uses parallel structure and has
clauses that are equally long and
equally important
Between the brutal ringing of my
alarm, dragging myself from under
my covers, and realizing that I
have to go to school again, I find
waking up to be one of the most
unpleasant parts of the day.
The Internet provides an endless
source of entertainment, because of
Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and
Wikipedia. And, uh...other stuff.
Vision without action is daydream,
and action without vision is
nightmare.
~Japanese Proverb
AP English - Literary & Rhetorical Devices - The Whistle
Go through The Whistle and identify elements
of parallelism, accumulation (and its
cousin, repetition),juxtaposition, and note
any uses Franklin makes of loose, periodic,
or balanced sentences.
Once you’ve identified these elements, take
notes on what those specific rhetorical
devices are helping Franklin accomplish.
AP English Language - The Whistle - Analysis - Journal
Describe what Franklin means by “whistles” in
his essay. Are the whistles in his essay
literal or figurative? If they represent
something, what is it? Support your claim
with reasoning and evidence.
AP English Language - The Whistle - Analysis - Journal
Describe Franklin’s tone throughout the
passage. Hopeful? Bleak? Superior? Kindly?
Biting? Whiny? Wistful? Salty? Support your
claims with reasoning and evidence.
AP English Language - The Whistle - Analysis - Journal
Describe all similarities and differences
within the examples Franklin gives of those
who “gave too much for their whistle”
(paragraphs 6-11).
Use your work on Franklin’s tone, and your
work here, to add to your description of what
Franklin’s “whistle” represents, and how that
impacts his message to the reader.
AP English Language - The Whistle - Analysis - Journal
Describe the purpose of the final paragraph
of Franklin’s letter. What does he mean in
the passage referring to the “apples of King
John”? How does that relate to the essay as a
whole?
AP English Language - The Whistle - Analysis - Summative
Final Assessment: You’ll get into groups of three, and each
group will create a response to the prompt:
●
Write an essay in which you analyze how Franklin’s
distinctive style reveals his purpose in this passage. In
your analysis, consider Franklin’s word choice, his
manipulation of sentences, and his selection of details.
Each member of the group should design an outline for an
essay that would respond to this prompt. That essay should
include textual support and strong rationales, but doesn’t
need to be written out as a refined essay.