AP Lang Annotation Chart

Read the prompt and fill as much of the rhetorical situation as you can. REMINDER: you will likely not be able to
complete the ¨Message¨ box until you have read the passage.

The Rhetorical Situation:

Exigence Purpose Audience Context Writer Message

Poverty for John He writes the letter The audience is In 1830, John The writer is John His message is to
Downe’s family in to not only check in John Downe’s wife Downe, a Weaver, Downe. He is a ask them to come to
England prompted with his wife and and children, whom traveled to the father who is trying America to live with
him to come to children but alert he left in England United States and to make a living in him and assure
America. them that he has before he could took a job so that he America. them that there will
attained a build a life for them could earn enough be no poverty when
comfortable position to share. money to allow his they come.
in America and is wife and children to
ready for them to join him.
come join him.

Next, read the passage to determine 2-3 primary points that the speaker makes to achieve his/her purpose. Don´t
forget to fill out the ¨Message” box above.

Primary Points:

The speaker emphasizes his success in America, tells of how much he dearly misses his wife and children and
compares America to England to solidify that it is a much better place for their family.

Finally, reread the passage to identify the specific choices the speaker makes to develop the primary points.

Passage Analysis:

Line/Para # Interpretation: What is happening? Purpose: why is it happening? How does it connect
(for your reference) What is the speaker REALLY saying? to the rhetorical situation?

PP1: paragraph one, The speaker is using many colored words It is important to emphasize his success in America to
lines 5 through 26 (loaded diction) and examples (imagery) such as give his wife confidence that they will have a good life if
“preserves, pickles, vegetables, meat, and she decides to immigrate to America to be with him.
everything that a person could wish” (Lines
10-12) to emphasize his thunderous success he
has already achieved in America. He describes
many things that the family could never have
dreamed of during their povertous life in England
to further convince his wife to bring the children
and herself to America to be with him.

PP2: paragraph two, The speaker's overall message is that he wants The speaker has to address his wife’s potential
lines 36 through 51 his children and his wife to come join him in resentment towards him and apologize for that in order
America. However, he is also using this to convince her to come join him in America. This
paragraph to apologize for leaving them behind connects to the rhetorical situation because one of his
and emphasizing that it was his only choice. He main ways of convincing her further than describing
makes it clear that he is very regretful of the their life in America is to emphasize that he cannot
decision and will do anything for his wife and have true success without his wife and children by his
children to join him in America. He uses side.
hyperbole when saying “I would
rather cross the Atlantic ten times than hear my
45 children cry for victuals once.” (Lines 43-45)
He further says that the cross from England to
America is not as bad as they may have
anticipated and that they can likely do it with few
inconveniences. The choice he uses here is
flashbacks as well as foreshadowing to the
future.
PP3: paragraph three, The speaker uses a repetitive sentence structure It is important for the speaker to make direct
lines 52 through 62 to address an England issue that America comparisons of England and America to further
doesn’t have. He uses juxtaposition to prove convince his wife that their life in America is more than
America’s superiority “America is not like their life in England could ever be.
England, for here no man thinks himself your
superior.” (Lines 52-53) He discusses that there
is no poverty and everyone enjoys “rational
liberty to its fullest extent.”