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Messaging in "On the Pulse of Morning" by Maya Angelou and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

This rhetorical analysis examines how two authors convey similar warnings against complacency in the Anthropocene. The student analyzes Daniel Quinn's Ishmael and Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning" and finds Angelou's optimistic messaging to be more persuasive than Quinn's doomsaying.
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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

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ishmael
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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

ishmael
Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"This is an interesting and productive pairing. You create a conversation between the two texts that introduces some good points on purpose and communication, showing control over the rhetorical analysis project. (Please double-check the title of the poem in your copy of the text; including a works cited can help clarify any discrepancies.)

My first comment is to recommend incorporating a thesis statement at the end of your introduction that also mentions Angelou, showing the reader that your approach will use both texts. As I read the body paragraphs, I see opportunities to streamline the argumentation, both in terms of tightening up the writing and sentences (e.g., consider: "...a talking gorilla, ironically named Ishmael.") and making sure details from the text function as evidence and not just description of what is happening in the text (summary). Keeping the focus on analysis will enhance persuasiveness and the reader's focus.

I notice punctuation issues in the Angelou paragraph when presenting quotations: this makes for a very bumpy reading experience. To keep the reader from becoming distracted, proofread and fix up those minor but impactful errors."

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