The rhetorical devices used in non-academic literatures

Rhetorical Devices used in Non-academic Literatures Name Institution Rhetorical Devices In Non-Academic Literatures College Life: Drug Abuse in Colleges This article will make use of four texts from newspaper articles and blogs. Two of the texts will be newspaper articles while the other two will come from the blogs. One of the blog articles is titled Make College Students Aware of Substance Abuse to Prevent it by Platinum, and it is dated August 18th, 2014. The other blog article is titled Drug Abuse in College Students written by Anna T, and it is dated December 12th, 2017. The newspaper articles both come from the New York Times, and the first one is titled The Adderall Advantage by Andrew Jacobs dated 31st July 2005. The other newspaper article is titled Opioids on the Quad by Kyle Spencer, and it is dated October 30th, 2017. These four articles are all talking about drug abuse in colleges a subject that is quite sensitive and critical to any country’s vision of a greater future. Apparently, drug abuse in colleges is indeed a huge menace, and it will take the entire society to help deal with this issue. However, this article is not centered on this particular issue but on how these four articles, albeit from different genres, seem to have some similarities in how they deliver the message as well as their use of logos, pathos, and ethos to move their audience. One of the differences that emerges between these four articles is the use of personification in the two newspaper articles while the blogs keep it general and never seem to want to personify. In her article, Spencer (2017) ties her story to a student by the name of Julie Linneman while Jacobs ties his to Angela. Use of personification in an article is a form of pathos because the author is simply trying to connect with their audience and making them identify with the characters in the article. Instead of going directly and tackling the issue or topic at hand, Spencer and Jacobs took their time and did some research which led them to the individuals their readers encounter in their articles. One may not have had similar experiences with the characters used in the articles but personifying an article draws the audience closer and makes them one with the characters. Aside from the above, it also gives life (makes it relatable) to the story or issue being tackled or discussed. While reading the blog articles, one does get to understand the issues being raised but not at a personal level like while reading the newspaper articles. Looking at the four articles, there is an element of logos as all authors try to make their views and discussions credible. One notes the presence of some sources which are not only credible but also reliable sources of information. For example, in Spencer’s article, she notes that “according to a 2016 national survey…by the University of Michigan, 7 percent of 870 respondents said they had misused opioid painkillers; 4 percent had done so in the previous year.” Jacobs is also highly dependent on reliable and credible courses of information. In his article, he makes use of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia as well as quotes from Dr. Robert A. Winfield as well as Dr. Robert Herman. These are people and sources t...