A 10:002 or 10:003 Unit ~ Rhetorics of Portraits: Controversies of Representation

Our work in class thus far has focused on portraits, and we have defined the concept broadly to include work in many different media and genres. We have honed our analytical skills on photos, essays, and poetry. The first speech gives you the opportunity to continue using those analytical skills by examining the message and composition of a photograph of a community to which you belong.

The Details:

Your mission is to craft a 3-5 minute speech in which you:

• share with the class a photograph of a community to which you feel you belong
• tell us what message about the community or its members the photo conveys (this is your thesis, your central argument)
• tell us if the photo was planned to represent this message or if the message is captured in a spontaneous candid photo
• demonstrate what elements of the photo come together to convey the message (the composition)

Additionally, you’ll turn in an outline that contains:

• your opener
• your thesis
• the main points in the body (the elements of the composition that demonstrate your thesis—i.e. your evidence)
• your thesis
• your closer

You may bring a copy of the outline for yourself to guide your speech, or you may use note cards or a full text. The key is to use well whatever prompts you choose—maintain eye contact and vocal enthusiasm.

Evaluation: Your speech will be graded based on your success in the following areas:

Introduction: Do you have a strong opener, a thesis statement, and a preview of the main points?

Content of Analysis: Do you clearly identify several elements in the photo that contribute to the message, and describe their function and importance?

Conclusion: Do you signal the end, restate the thesis, and have a strong closer?

Delivery: How successfully you deliver the speech, based on criteria such as: eye contact, volume, posture, vocalized pauses (um, ah), smoothness of speech, reliance on catchphrases (and, so, whatever), vocal variety, and general confidence and poise.