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Make a Change Through Rhetorical Reading

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Make a Change Through Rhetorical Reading

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By: Maame Aba Paintsil, Yesenia Mejia Rubio, Andrea Clara Villacorta, and Robert Campusano.

Part A. Our initial thoughts on the song are, that the song is trying to raise awareness within people in general, and more specifically within the African American community. The song intends to let people know that even though African Americans have been struggling for a long time, a change to their situation will eventually happen through perseverance and consistent work towards a less injustice society. The artist is Lauryn Hill, who is an African-American songwriter and singer. The stakes that she has in performing this song is that she is an African American, therefore, she has a personal experience with the struggle African Americans go through.

Part B. The lyrics helped us to better understand the feelings being transmitted by the author about racism towards African Americans. It brings an emotion of sadness and helps us to better understand how African Americans feel, and it gives a clearer picture of their real-life struggles. Even though we are not African Americans, we still relate and feel what African Americans feel, or at least try to sympathize with them.

Part C. The artist is Sam Cooke, an African-American singer, and songwriter. The stake he has in composing this song is that he is part of the African-American community. He is taking a stance against the racism that his people have gone through and were going through at the time, as well as, voicing his personal experiences with racism.

Part D. At the beginning we thought that the song could not go beyond the African-American community. but now we think that besides it was written specifically for the civil rights of African Americans, its powerful lyrics and emotional context encompass the struggle that many communities have been subjugated to. Our original interpretation of the song is just as important as how we interpreted the song after reading the background on why the song was composed and listening to the original song. The reason why this is important is because we created an idea of why the song was written based on our previous knowledge and the lyrics of the song. After doing the background check, our ideas correlated with the actual purpose of why the song was written. We can connect the artists and the songs because they are both African Americans trying to speak against the injustices perpetrated on their people. This is because the African-American struggle is a generational struggle, rather than a one-time struggle.

Part E. This activity relates to the lecture material from this week, and the Haas flower article in several ways. Haas and Flower talk about the concept of rhetorical reading, meaning that people should read to create a multi-faceted scheme of what they are reading. Their study says that readers should "construct meaning" of what they are reading rather than just extract information. The activity and the article also relate because when we started reading and listening to the song, we came up with ideas about the history, and the why of the song. It was necessary for us to construct meaning from the lyrics to get a better understanding of what the singer was referring to. We did that by relating past experiences with the lyrics. We connected the dots of why Sam Cooke created this song, and why Lauryn Hill created her own beat with the same lyrics years later. We employed rhetorical strategies while reading before we even knew what the song was about.

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By: Huynh Ngọc Nguyen, Sarah Conover, Karen Virreira, Nana Aba Paintsil

Part A: These initial thoughts of ours represent a range of emotional reactions to the song, but the similar emotions we had when listening to this song were about the themes of hope and struggle. Additionally, the group members also acknowledged the African-American cultural context and changing themes in the song.

Part B: Many group members feel connected to the historical struggles their communities have faced. We also pointed out that the lyrics have a more realistic and darker edge, emphasizing the trials and tribulations of life. Although we shared a common understanding of the song's theme of hope amid adversity, we had different understandings of the specific challenges and emotions conveyed in the lyrics. Overall, the group's thoughts in part B revolve around the themes of hope, resilience, and recognition of hardships conveyed by the lyrics.

Part C, after we googled the song to find information about it, learned about the historical context, events, and personal motives that inspired Sam Cooke to write this song. We now understand the author's deep social and emotional aspects when writing about it. The artist of the song "A Change is Gonna Come" is Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke contributed significantly to this song with the aim of sparking the fight against racism for himself and those around him. He used the lyrics to make a strong statement about racial inequality in society at the time.

Part D: After delving into part A-C, our understanding and feeling of the song A Change Is Gonna Come has deepened significantly, it has changed our perspective on the song through each step: listening to the song, reading the lyrics, and then learning about the song's history. It led me from one surprise to another, perhaps Karen and Nana’s thoughts guessed what the song was about through listening and reading. However, my thoughts were quite unsteady and ambiguous before learning about the history of the song because the words the author used were so foreign that I had to wonder what they meant. For example: "It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die ‘cause I don't know what's up there, beyond the sky". It's really difficult to understand because he's talking about a difficult life and suddenly talked about something far beyond the sky that made him afraid of death. However, after passing part C, I now understand the social and deep emotional aspects of the author when writing about it. We saw it as a song that conveyed a strong message for social change and racial inequality in society at that time.

Both parts A and B are important here because when looked at step by step, it will help us understand the song as a whole. In part A, we rely on the singer's voice, every word and emotion of the lyrics. In part B, we read the lyrics more carefully and think more deeply about each sentence in the song that the author is trying to talk about. Part C, we researched the history and information of the song and learned that the song was intended to evoke racial grievances of the time and advocate for change. Going through each section will help us learn more about the topic. Although parts A and B are just speculations, it will help us expand our ability to think in a complex way.

The connection between both artists/song renditions is important because it emphasizes the song's overall message of hope and change in the face of adversity, emphasizing the importance of the song in solving social problems and inspiring other audiences.

Part E: The activity of listening to "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke and analyzing the lyrics can be related to this week's assignment and the concepts discussed in the Haas/Flower article. As argued by Haas/Flower, "For instance, trying to construct a well-articulated statement of the “point” of a text may require active searching, inferencing, and transforming of one’s own knowledge. The reason such transformations are constantly required can be explained by the “multiple-representation thesis” proposed by Flower and Hayes (“Images” 120). It suggests that readers’ and writers’ mental representations are not limited to verbally well- formed ideas and plans, but may include information coded as visual images, or as emotions, or as linguistic propositions that exist just above the level of specific words." I went through every step that Flower and Haas mentioned. At first, the teacher only asked to listen to the song and feel it based on the singer's voice and lyrics related to the type of emotion. Emotionally, this song has a sad, hopeful tone about their difficult situation. The next step, the teacher brought out the lyrics, I began to read each word carefully and analyze and reason about them to see what the author wanted to say in this song, which is in the form of analysis. As a final step, the teacher asks Google to search for information about the author, the song's history, and view the original version of the song. Based on the original information and video, I have a deeper understanding of each sentence the author wrote for the song in a more general and accurate way because it is not only formed in the form of lyrics but can also include other information, historical information in the form of visual images. In sum, the activities of listening to "A Change Is Gonna Come" and analyzing the lyrics engage with the lecture material and Haas/Flower's writing by demonstrating how readers and listeners actively engage with the text and translate the knowledge into interpreting and feeling the emotional aspects of a song.

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By: Tyla Matthews, Jimmy Quintero, Archana Buddhiraju, Ryu Gray

1. Lauryn Hills singing of “A Change is Gonna Come, incited feelings of sad, struggling times where one is only held together by their feelings of hope. Struggling but surviving, at the precipice of hope, only a few good events away from thriving. It provided a complex mix of feelings of struggle, and hope, letting the song live up to its name and sharing feelings of changes to come.

2. The artist Lauren Hill was 40 years old at the time of the 2009 recording. A time period filled with economic struggles due to the housing market crash of 2008. She had her hope at stake, that the struggles of those that came before her would only continue on, rather than improve for her or the generations.

1. Our initial interpretation of the song was one of maintaining hope and the bleakest of times. A call for perseverance and strength to continue on. That the song was about a communal struggle, between generations and backgrounds, something anyone could empathize with.

2. Reading the lyrics the song felt more personal to Lauren Hill, seeing that her struggle is not hers alone. A generational struggle, that she is facing the struggles her mother did, with the added hardship of being turned away and pushed down by her brother. That she was truly alone in her struggles and  fervently clinging to hope .

3. After reading it memories of difficult times were brought to mind. Where we were alone. Where it felt like everything in the world was against us. Being in a position where only you can do is hope and have faith that “A Change is Gonna Come”.

1. The Original artist of “A Change is Gonna Come” is Sam Cooke, who wrote the song about the struggles of racial discrimination in the south during the 1950s- 1960s.

2. Cooke’s life was at stake with this the topics it touched on, providing a generation of discriminated against american black people with hope, and a generation of oppressive individuals with disdain, hatred and a fear of losing their superiority.

4.

1.  The backgrounds behind each rendition of the song, showed the timelessness of hope, and the longing for a change to come.

2.  It highlighted struggles that are still faced in more recent times. They differed in intensity of the darkness they were in. Sam Cooke feared for his life and was surrounded by loved ones, why Lauryn Hills was alone and abandoned by her family.

3. Both versions are important because they create the same feeling, hope, and how the light will come after darkness. Both sing from a place of pain, desperately wishing and clinging onto hope.

5.

1.  Rhetorical reading is understanding the conditions the “text” was made in. Creating a meaning that is “off the page”. Searching for the conditions each singer was in when singing their version of their song (i.e. who the artist was, what their motivation for creating their verison, what did they have at stake). After we found out the background behind the struggles each artist was facing we developed a more complex and deeper understanding of it. The background of each version changed what was at stake for each artist, their livelyhoods v. their lives. We did this activity in a group setting where we as a group used the “think aloud  protocol”, much like in the experiment run by Hass and Flower. In this thinking process we participated in the constructive process mentioned by Hass/Flower. Building up an understanding and meaning as we continued to delve into the contexts of both interpretations. We also used feature based reading strategies as we noticed the differing imagery that each version used. Where the video of Lauryn Hill’s was an image of her, while the version for Sam Cooks’ singing used impactful imagery of people struggling. We Constructed a rhetorical context and developed a meaning that we would not have if we just used contextual reading strategies. Taking the songs at “face value’ would not have given us the impactful, chest tightening reaction we had.

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By: Aaron Maksud, Marta Edwards, Aqila Sultani, and Cameron Hall

Part A: The song was very personal in the sense that it was written for herself to express her feelings. The song goes on about the singer's struggle in her life how change is gonna come and how she hopes for better days. Lauryn Hill is the singer and by performing the song we all agreed that it was a form of exposing her vulnerability and expressing herself to the public. Our final thoughts on the song were that the tone was giving a melancholy mood and a little bit of hope.

Part B:  Our initial thoughts of the song were that she was expressing herself and asking for help from her brother who happily obliged. That wasn’t the case as the lyrics written showed that the brother actually knocked her down and how she stood up by herself in hopes of a better day. We all agreed that when we read the lyrics it made us question what we initially heard because we all interpreted the lyrics differently compared to what was actually written. We also came to a consensus that the written lyrics gave us a better visualize the song. How we visualize the song is a cycle of hardships and how we must pick ourselves up in order to keep moving forward in hopes of a better day.

Part C: The song A Change Is Gonna Come was originally made by Sam Cooke in 1964 and the song above is a rendition of it. The purpose of this song was to show that the civil rights movement in the 1960s was going to bring about a change that would come to that current day. By writing this song Sam Cooke expresses his feelings about the civil rights movement and how this could be used as something to resent him for.

Part D: Our feelings didn’t change about the song but the image of who did aligned. Our thoughts about how the song is about struggles and how change is gonna come didn’t change but who sang it did like how Sam Cooke did for civil rights and a change of a better future, but for Lauryn Hill was for her own personal change. Both interpretations are important because they take us through a constructive process. It lets us see different aspects and lets us identify with the song on different levels which helps us to build the nodes of information to understand the meaning. The connections between the two singers show how this song changes meanings for different people. It shows how the struggles of everyday life and the hope of a better day can be applied to anyone in any walk of life.

Part E: The activity A Change Is Gonna Come helped stretch our brains by giving us more and more information about the song in parts to help us question the meaning of the song. It was essentially a step-by-step process of rhetorical reading, a concept discussed in the Haas/Flower article, forcing us to think beyond the song lyrics as a group. By not looking through the full context of the song we all interpreted it differently and shows how our imagery of the song changed with more context and information outside of the song. This also is mentioned in the Haas/Flower article written as “It is useful to see rhetorical reading not as a separate and different strategy but as a progressive enlargement of the constructed meaning of a text.”. This entire assignment could be summarized in that single sentence. Also, the fact that this was a group assignment correlates with the thinking-out-loud method study by Haas and Flower by making us speak out loud about what we thought and question our thoughts. While working in a group it simulates a version of the multiple representations thesis, from the Haas/Flower article, by being able to talk to others with different information. This activity showed that the text isn't just limited to a verbal or written idea but can be visualized, listened to, and connected emotionally. The questions the activity asked us to answer were setting up a method to teach us rhetorical reading and how to properly use it. While making us as a group use the multiple representation thesis to come to conclusions by not only using our background knowledge, experiences, and beliefs but also our groupmates. The talk-out-loud method was used to make all of us question our own thoughts and analyze what we were saying by communicating with one another.

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Collaboration and Connection using Rhetorical Reading Strategies 

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Collaboration and Connection using Rhetorical Reading Strategies 

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By: Daniel McCarthy, Estefania Alvarado, Khanh Huynh

Part A: By the end of the song, we felt that Lauryn's optimism and positivity expressed how she overcame the obstacles throughout her early childhood. Our initial thoughts on this song were that the song was descriptive about Lauryn's life experiences, and that the song was emotionally driven through the way she was singing it. We believe that the artist who wrote this song uses the art of music to spread the message of hope and change, and the stakes they have include emotional connectivity to past experiences.

Part B: The initial interpretation we had on the lyrics was that we could interpret the lyrics as a story that uses literary devices to emphasize the poverty and hard life that the author grew up in. We see in the lyrics that the expression of optimism through the repetition of the phrase "But I know a change is gonna come, yes it will". What we also see is the contrast of negativity and positivity throughout the lyrics. Our personal relations to the song stem from personal struggles, via through family, mental/physical health, and economic struggles.

Part C: We felt that during the time of the Civil Rights Movement, Sam Cooke felt compelled to write about his experiences and the experiences of others. His expression of the song showcased solidarity but also compassion and peace among those that feel oppressed and are fighting for their cause.

Part D: We learned that the story within the song itself does not have to interpret one specific issue, but instead represents the struggle that many people experience throughout the world. We also gained more insight on how to interpret the songs lyrics through different perspectives. The interpretation of the word "Brother" also changed for us because instead of it being the literal meaning, it instead signifies the brotherhood between humans regardless of their other standpoints. The reason our response in part A and B are important is because it developed the foundation of what we interpreted in the song. We believe that the connection between the artists and the songs still represent the same idea of finding a positive outlook throughout all the tough moments in life.

Part E: This assignment has related to the lecture material by introducing a song in different forms of context and allowing us to rhetorically analyze the content in different ways.  The first rhetorical strategy we used was passive reading to gain a basic understanding of the song. As we went through the different parts, we were able to develop an awareness of the structure and meaning of the song. What we have analyzed throughout the assignment includes the emotional examples regarding obstacles throughout life, as well as a de-centralized meaning behind certain words and phrases used throughout the text, such as "brother" or "But I know a change is gonna come, yes it will." In the reading, it is described that we need to have the ability to read on different levels and multi-faceted representations, which was how we were able to discern these different meanings. Another way we see a relation is that it helps us practice rhetorical reading in a collaborative manner. We had discussions where we each constructed our own representation of the song. Throughout this discourse we were working through a complex cognitive activity to be able to find all of the meanings from the song. There were multiple steps we took to further analyze the content using the recursive process, and it demonstrated how we can approach our own writing. The multiple steps we took were first to listen to the song and gain a general understanding. After we had our own interpretations of the initial song, we went more in depth about the writer and the meaning behind the song, and learning how he wrote about his experiences throughout the Civil Rights Movement. The video added a deeper meaning to the song lyrics because we were able to connect his emotion of the song to other people facing different and similar conflict situations.

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By: Rania Beg, Thalia Hilton, Abobaker Bushara, Hasan Sevgin

Part A: Our group interpreted that Lauryn Hill was singing about her personal pains and hardship, while telling her listeners the importance of pushing through these struggles in hopes of things changing for the better in the end. Lauryn Hill is singing in an inspirational tone and we believed her to have an uplifting undertone in her emotions.

Part B: While our initial interpretation of the song was to be inspirational, our groups' perspective shifted a little bit after reading the lyrics. It seemed like Lauren was singing from a place of desperation instead of hopefulness. Her constant repetition of "a change is going to come", after referring to different hardships in her life is almost a way to sooth herself during rough times. She talks about difficulty with her brother and not being able to go to parts of town without getting thrown out. During these moments, she's clinging onto the idea that things might change for the better in the future.

Part C: The original artist Sam Cooke was an African American during the the civil rights movement. Sam writes about the difficulty of living as an African American and how his presence alone wasn't something wanted in the US. This was ignited by an event where Sam was refused hospitality in a hotel due to his skin color. Being vocal about the African American struggle during this time was life threatening and could have led to repercussions.

Part D: Our feelings, knowledge, and interpretation of the songs only slightly changed between each rendition. With Lauryn Hill it felt as if her song was more focused on her struggles and looking toward a future of personal change. Sam Cooke was focusing more on the problems of all African Americans during his time period, and was wishing for a future for them to live as equals. The original responses in part A and B are just as important in part C because we are still focusing on how these artist are striving for a future of change but just on different scales. Lauryn's inward thinking and struggles still directly relate to Sam's outward wishful thinking and race struggles. With both artist being of the same race it's inevitable that they've had similar experiences growing up. Whether Lauryn is singing about her personal family experiences and Sam is voicing the struggles of racism both artist are speaking for people that are striving for change.

Part E: First, we used a content based approach to get a general understanding of the lyrics. We wanted to figure out what the song was about. We used functional reading strategies to know that their repetition of the words "its been a long time coming" and "change gonna come" were used to drive this point to the listener. Our initial interpretations were based on how we felt after hearing the song and reading the lyrics. However, after doing outside research we were able to infer the lyrics Sam Cooke wrote were meant to speak to those who have endured similar injustice and pain he has experienced. During the research experiment we read about during class, different readers and their way of processing texts and rhetorics were analyzed. A memorable candidate for us was Kara who was considered to be a "linear" thinker while analyzing text. This was something that we kept in our minds while trying to deduct the meaning behind the different song renditions presented to us. We attempted to gather our (already known) outside knowledge and incorporate it with what we were listening to during the songs. This allowed us to think critically about the messages the artist were trying to get across, and attempt to avoid taking everything for face value.

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Group Collaborative Rhetorical Reading for "A Change is Gonna Come"

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Group Collaborative Rhetorical Reading for "A Change is Gonna Come"

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By: Alvaro Farfan, Jonathan Perch, Charles Neve, Jacob Sebastian

Part A: Our Initial thoughts based on the title of the song were about a change happening in a community. By the end of the song, we felt inspired by the emotions she conveyed through the lyrics about the struggle she was going through. The artist is risking her safety by using her platform and music to try and spread a message about the issues she has in her community.

Part B: Reading the lyrics reinforced some of our previous ideas about her passion for this message. Our initial interpretation of the song mostly stayed the same after reading the lyrics. One of the ways that we can relate to this song is by emphasizing the feeling of facing difficult times and looking forward to a better future. The song tells us to stay hopeful and determined even when life is hard, and it reminds us that change is possible with the right mindset.

Part C: Sam Cooke was a well-known African-American singer from the Deep South, who reached the pinnacle of his career during the civil rights movement. Cooke’s stake in writing “A Change Is Gonna Come” was high, as he did not want to alienate his majority-white fanbase, however, his purpose was to broadcast the struggles of him and his people, on the strain that race relations created for them.

Part D: After hearing the original, it made us feel melancholy, and put into context how culturally important the song is. The song has more meaning knowing it was written in the civil rights era, and stylistically felt more powerful. Our original response and interpretation in part A and B is just as important as our interpretation in part C. Our response in parts A and B shows our initial reaction to the song and part C shows us the difference between having background knowledge vs. not having any prior knowledge about the subject and how this affects our ideas on the song. Both versions of the song came at pivotal times for the African-American community (Civil Rights Movement, Obama’s first term). This context adds more meaning to the lyrics and feelings of the song.

Part E: The assignment took us from being beginning readers in the beginning to more experienced readers in the end. The questions that were asked in this assignment were the types of questions that experienced readers should be asking themselves when they read. It had us answer questions that a beginner reader might only look for like “Who is the artist” and then it slowly progressed into more rhetorical questions like “Why were your earlier responses important to the current question and how do they relate to each other?” This entire assignment is essentially a walkthrough of what we learned in Studio F while applying what we learned in each step along the way. Firstly, Step B allowed us to read the text already on another level, multi-dimensionally, as listening to the song beforehand gave us context to the feelings portrayed by the lyrics. Next, Step C we take a big step in reading rhetorically by researching using the wiki on the original song a change is gonna come. Through this research, we learn about the passion and inspiration of the song a change is gonna come. We do this all before listening to the original song allowing us to relate certain moments.

The wiki allows us to understand the history, culture, purpose, and function of this song. For example, we learn that this song was originally written in 1964 during the civil rights movement and the song was written right after the artist was declined a seat in a restaurant and was arrested because of his race. Finally, in Step D we combined the knowledge and inferences made in Steps A/B and Step C and, as the article instructed for good reading, looked more at the meaning of the text (lyrics) and cross-examined how both authors intended their songs to be heard. Putting both songs and their lyrics into context also better helped us create mental representations of the songs and analyze their meanings together as one entity.

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By: Adriana Guzman, Izabel Hoyos, LaShay Kenny, and Elli Cusson

Part A

Our initial thoughts of Lauryn Hill’s version of, “A Change is Gonna Come”, was that the song was hopeful. She made it sound hopeful and warm. She sounds passionate and probably comes from a working class family based on the first few lyrics. Throughout the song she is telling her own story and reassuring herself and others who can relate to her that a change will soon come to their life that will make things better. We feel that there is not much at stake for Lauryn from performing this song, other than how other people can view her music if they are or were more privileged growing up.

Part B

Our interpretation of the song is that the singer knows what hardship is. Despite the tough paths in life people have to go through, the lyrics further the meaning of demonstrating she understands life can get hard but she also truly knows things will be better and work out how they are supposed to. Being able to read the lyrics allowed us to dissect the wording, but at the same time it takes away from the impact of how it is sung. The lyrics sound a bit more straightforward while when it was sung, it sounded more hopeful. One member in our group relates to this song because she is dealing with her mother dying and having to deal with the repercussions of that and how eventually once everything is settled, things will get better. Our other members relate to the song by going through tough life moments and feelings but knowing in the end things will get better. Like the lyrics mention, getting knocked down but continuing on because there will be a change.

Part C

The original artist of the song, “A Change is Gonna Come”, is Sam Cooke. Due to the time he was living in of discrimination towards people of color during the Civil Rights Movement, he was at stake of losing his white audience. This song however, gave hope to the people who were being discriminated against that one day situations would change and everything would be better since they would not give up on their fight.

Part D

Our interpretations of the song changed when we researched the information behind the artist and the song. Initially we thought the song was about artists' lives and situations they go through in their personal lives. After researching we found out that the song has a deeper sympathetic feeling towards when it was written during a time in history where people of color were being discriminated against for no reason. The interpretations of the songs were still just as important however. It shows that anyone can relate to this song based on how hopeful it is regardless of their situation.

Part E

This activity relates to the reading by demonstrating how to compare and contrast (rhetorical reading strategies) two similar works of media. This activity also challenged us to critically think actively instead of passively. It helped try and figure out what the artist was trying to say in a deeper sense, the message behind the lyrics. The media we analyzed also appealed to the three rhetorical appeals- this specific media appeals to pathos, the media appeals to the emotional sense of your critical analyzing skills. When we looked up the artist's intent of the song it changed our feelings about the song. For example, when we look up the song, the story information behind it was completely different from the views we had initially. Relating this activity back to the Hass/Flower article we read, we used more experienced reader thinking skills because we tried to dissect the song, then the lyrics and then researched the information. By thinking the way we did, we were able to compare the difference between how we interpret the song based on our own life experiences and what we know to what the song was originally created for, under which circumstances. It also shows how the media can impact us without having to be straightforward and logical. We can take the time to ask ourselves, “why did this affect me?” As well as, “how does it inspire me?”.

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By: Alejandro Arnao, Tho Bui, Atiana Diaz, Amiira Mohamed, Fatima Seddiqi

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A.

How did you feel by the end of the song? What are some of your initial thoughts?

By the end of the song, one could feel a transition from sadness to empowerment . As well, the calming effect of the music despite the tones of melancholy and sorrow convoyed through slow rhythmic tunes and soft instruments, resonates with the listener. As well this takes place during the civil rights movement, during a dark time in america. Which invokes a profound understanding of the historical injustices faced, yet the overall experience becomes uplifting through its a message of hope.

Who is the artist and what stakes do they have in performing of this song?

Lauryn Hill is known for her wide range of R&B songs. Her music has gotten lots of recognition and attention throughout the African American community and even those who can relate to her music.

B.

What is your initial interpretation of the song?

Our initial interpretation of the song was that it was a song with sad lyrics but transitioned towards some uplifting ones at the end. The beat was very mellow and soft, but the lyrics spoke differently, hearing mentions of death and needing help.

How did reading the lyrics change or deepen your initial feelings?

After we read the lyrics, we were able to confirm our initial interpretation as the last line stated “but now I think I’m able to carry on” after reading “It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die.” Lauryn Hill's energy shifted drastically as she went from a tired and drained person to a person willing to keep going and finding strength within. Reading the lyrics deepened our understanding of the song as we were mostly paying attention to the beat and instruments when we listened to it. Having the lyrics in front of us allowed to pull out deeper meaning which seemed that she was finding strength and motivation within herself and community.

How do you personally relate to the song?

As this was made during the Civil Rights Movement, there is no way we could directly relate to this song. But taking the lyrics “I am able to carry on” after feeling like “It’s been too hard living” several days prior is something we could all relate to. Whether it's school wise, work, or even home and community life. Things get hard and we are left to find the strength within to help pull ourselves out of that mindset.

C.
Who is the artist and what stakes do they have in writing this song?

The artist responsible for the creation of 'A Change Is Gonna Come' is Sam Cooke, a figure in the realm of American soul music. This particular song served as an expression of his encounters with racial injustice and his unwavering support for the broader Civil Rights Movement. It represented a departure from Cookes musical style signifying his deep emotional investment in the ongoing battle against racism. Driven by a desire to contribute to the cause and amplify the voices of those fighting for equality Cooke took a step by releasing this politically charged anthem. In doing he willingly risked sacrificing his commercial success demonstrating his unwavering dedication to social justice over personal gain. Hence 'A Change Is Gonna Come' transcended being a song for Cooke; it embodied an act of bravery during a tumultuous era.

D.
How has your feelings, knowledge and interpretation of the song changed?

By listening to this song, first we felt it gave a relaxing vibe, full of emotions. Our initial interpretation about this song was that this song is only talking about empowerment and happiness, but after I read the lyrics which stated as “but now I think I’m able to carry on” and “It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die.” Our interpretation, feelings and knowledge shifted because it contains deep lines which mentions being tired of life and trying to find a way to get out of it.

Why is your original response/interpretation in part A and B just as important here as part C?

Our original response/interpretation in part A and B is just as important as part C because by the end of the song, it makes you go from feeling sad to feeling strong and it really connects with the person who listens to it. The same interpretation is in part C as well as this song happened during the civil rights movement, which was a difficult time in America. It helps us understand the historical unfairness people face so the experience gives us hope and makes us feel strong at the end. So overall both songs are talking about the hard times passed in life and talking about a new hope and a way to have a better future.

How can you connect both artists/song renditions, and why is this connection important?

Lauryn Hill's music is popular and well-known among African Americans and has gotten attention even from those who can relate to her song and Sam Cooke who is an American music artist, is the one who made the song 'A Change Is Gonna Come'. This song was made to show how he experienced unfair treatment because of his race and how he strongly supported the Civil Rights Movement. Both artists are connected in a way they want to explain what things they suffered in their life and how it affected them, but still, they talk about empowerment and hope in future, this connection is important because their aim is the same and they both want to talk about being strong, having hope and thinking positive.

E.

This assignment was related to rhetorical reading strategies in the sense that we were comparing and contrasting songs but also finding the overall meaning with active research from multiple sources. The point in rhetorical reading strategies is to construct, build, analyze, and examine all sources and their information in order to actually understand what the author is trying to deliver in their message. This assignment gave us 3 sources to analyze and they were all similar in each one, they were communicating similar things/ adding on to what the previous artist was saying. Using all of those sources helped in coming up with one meaning. In conclusion to the explanation, we figured out that opposed to Sam Cooke’s song, Lauryn Hill sang that song to keep the purpose of “a change is going to come” alive and she was redelivering that same message to keep the motivation and education on the original piece. As we were working through the assignment, we were able to pick up a couple details from each source and start constructing the multiple purposes from each and make it into an one. Each source had a different level in the way their audience was going to understand the concept. From Haas/Flower, it is said that readers should come up with a “multiple-representative thesis” which is also how this assignment relates to their article. This is because analyzing all of these sources were similar but also differed in their own way having us come up with multiple prongs toward the thesis. Overall, this assignment helped us in rhetorical analysis from building from multiple sources, examining based on all of the information combined, and simply it into one big meaning to help us understand the message as a whole.

F.              The Eyespot

We chose the picture of this beautiful peacock as a symbol for what we have learned through this activity. The peacock sparks and shows its charisma if and only if all of its eyespots are in full view. The more we observe and admire a peacock, the more amazed we are. Furthermore, admiring a peacock is the same as exploring a piece of art, no matter what it is, a song, a book or a picture. If and only if we look close enough into the materials, the artist who created it, the context where it was made, can we truly appreciate and understand its value. Each and every “eyespot” is important and connects coherently to each other,and these very “eyespot” make the uniqueness of each wonder.

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By Jackson Summers, Namratha Bhimavarapu, Nicole Stanton, Ryan Maloney, and Patrick Rebar

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Part A:
We all shared similar thoughts that the song, despite sounding down and depressive, ultimately invoked a positive message. While the song was about how difficult things currently are, it was about how things can change. It invoked thoughts about real life struggles, such as civil rights, and how those can change for the better.

Part B:
We shared the notion that the song’s lyrics evoked emotions similar to sadness, such as pain. We all shared the thought that the song was meant to show that we need to keep moving, and that the song was meant to portray this. In the same vein, we also agreed that it was also portraying the difficulties of life, and to hold hope for change. The song showed the intention of hope for change and portrayal of struggle.

Part C:
The songwriter, Sam Cooke, wrote “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 1964. He wrote this song after he and his family were turned away from a whites-only motel, within the context of the larger civil rights movement. The song was written to portray not only his own struggles but the struggles African-Americans had to face from the prejudice against them. This artistic representation was meant to show how change will come, and how it will continue to come.

Part D:
Our feelings changed in a multitude of ways, the common ground being that our view of the scale changed. We initially viewed it as an individual, then after viewing the artistic rendition viewed the scale much more broadly. Our perspective went from a single person, to representing an entire community and culture. We can connect to the song in that we all live around those who are struggling. We see people on the side of the road holding signs that have nowhere to go.

Part E:
The activity is similar to our lecture in that it employs a rhetorical reading strategy. This rhetorical reading strategy has us read into the music. We are to decipher what the lyrics mean, how they make us feel, what they were meant to invoke. This song in particular, “A Change Is Gonna Come” is culturally important since its own release. The song has been covered numerous times over the years, and has remained significant to this day due to its message.

Yet all the same, listening to a song and listening to its lyrics are two separate things. A song can contain any number of things, from just being something fun, to being a full commentary on their surroundings or the world. “A Change Is Gonna Come” portrays a message of hope, and that change will come, we just have to wait. This message may have been dampened through the many different iterations of the song, but the message still lingers. The message of a song is what evokes the emotions as a whole, and is the spirit of a song, no matter its iteration.

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A Coming Change for Marginalized Communities  

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A Coming Change for Marginalized Communities  

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By: Samantha Cortez, Hanna Orozco, and Bristol Bowman
A:

The group felt the more melancholic undertones in some of the lyrics from Lauryn’s song. Her storytelling of the struggles she faced, especially telling it with emotion, as well as the emotion she put into the repeated line of, “It’s been a long time coming, but I knew the change was gonna come.” We could feel the emphasis of her struggles as well as her hope and optimism.

B:

The whole group agreed on the song hinting at the struggles of the black community. Hanna and Bristol had an interesting interpretation of the lines, “Then I go to my brother, and I say brother help me please, but he winds up knockin’ me back down on my knees,'' where she relates it back to the idea of reaching out to a community you trust for help but who are unwilling to. The whole group felt more connected and understanding to the struggles of the black community because of the lyrics.

C:

Samantha and Hanna had the same approach to the question of who had stakes in this song, whereas Bristol’s view was different. Samantha and Hanna both thought that the group who had stakes with this song was primarily the black community who was fighting against racism, Sam Cooke being a part of that group. Whereas Bristol viewed what Sam Cooke would risk by releasing this song, which was profit and his primarily white audience/following.

D:

Everyone in the group’s original interpretation of the song was that it was focused on a single individual’s struggle. After learning more about the song, reading the lyrics, understanding who Sam Cooke was, and his intention with the song, it allowed us to better understand what the world was like with racism at that point in time in American history. We all also agreed that by watching the video with Cooke’s song, it showed the vastness of the lyrics and how it’s really aimed for any community that’s struggling. How it gives hope for change for any marginalized community, whether it’s politics, cultures, or laws that need to change. Overall the connection between both Hill and Cooke was that the song was respectively focused on struggle and hope for change. This connection is important for the audience because in both songs, people can relate to these themes, and it allows them to connect deeper to the themes present in the song.

E:

Everyone in the group saw the connections between the Haas/Flower article to this assignment because of how we had to analyze the lyrics and break it down line by line and find what the deeper meaning of the song was. Samantha primarily focused on her knowledge of historical context to make connections to the song. She also commented on her analysis of the impact of the song by pointing out the fact that there’s other renditions of this song as well as the fact that we as the audience are still talking about it years later. Hanna primarily focused on the intention of the song towards the audience, and what Cooke was trying to provoke with his song, as well as historical context. A difference Bristol brought up was as she was analyzing the lyrics, she found a lot of areas that could have double meanings when comparing the lyrics from Hill’s version and Cooke’s lyrics. The group as a whole used their knowledge of American history and the society/culture at the time this song was written to understand the racial undertones of the lyrics and to find what the writer’s purpose was and how this song could affect American culture.

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By: Janet Quezada Gutierrez, MingYao Yin, Kateryna Kovalchuk

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Part A

As a group we decided that the initial thoughts on the song reflect the helplessness of facing the difficulties in life. We also agree on how after listening to the song it gives off an uplifting feeling and emotions. The artist is Lauren Hill; how we see the connection between her and the song is that she may be trying to overcome the difficulties she went through in her earlier life.

Part B:

Our initial thoughts together could have been due to conflict the singer has faced at some point in her life. We also came up with the idea that the song could interpret some sort of racism. “I go to the movies and I go downtown Somebody keep tellin’ me don’t hang around” sort give the initiation that it could be segregation. Agreeing all together that the author has no choice, but to face these difficulties and eventually overcome them in the end.

Part C:

The original artist, Sam Cooke, was an African-American man and he sang “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 1964, right as the Civil Rights Movement was in full bloom. We all decided how the song was a call for equality and positive changes for all races and countries. From what we noticed during the video is that they are advocating for change in the most major events. Racism, war, LGBTQ rights and many more marches and events were displayed on the video advocating for a change. Even though he was scared at first that the song would cost him his white audience and people in his life warned him that the song might not be as successful as his other hits because of its political stand, Cooke still released it more for himself than others because he wanted to show the world his struggles and the struggles of people around him.

Part D:

We all do agree that the song does interpret the difficulties it is for people going through a certain situation. The song does advocate for changes; positive changes and acceptance from everyone. As for the rhetorical strategies we all agreed how we had to do further research on the song and the author/singer in order to get a better understanding of the song. The rhetorical strategy mostly used is Pathos due to the emotion that the lyrics portray in the song and makes the audience have an emotional connection. “I go to the movies and I go downtown Somebody keep tellin’ me don’t hang around” the lyrics here represent what is being said and interpreted.

Part E:

As for the Meta-reflection we agree that certain parts of the activity have to do with us using the strategies in the textbook. As in part A and B is a little bit like the think-about-protocol method that Haas used in her experiment. Because in her experiment, she also asked her students’ thoughts about a text immediately after reading it. And possibly , that’s the process that helps us to find the motivation of the author. And for part C I think we are exercising rhetorical reading strategies. We read the background of the author and the song, and the radiation of the song. We combine these materials with the former knowledge from part A and B. And we find we have bias between these two parts, and then adjust and construct them. Finally, we found a deeper meaning inside of that song. This is a little bit like the rhetorical reading strategies which requires us to think about the texts with many other aspects. This activity is related to the lecture material from this week because of the skills and action students had to take in the assignment. Students had to use context clues and really listen to the song in order to piece together what the message the author/singer was trying to interpret.

Part F:

The title we chose is “Growth Will Come”. Due to the fact that the song is advocating for changes why the tree was chosen for the image was significant in the process. A tree goes through many stages of changes in life as do all people. A tree must absorb the right nutrients in order for its growth and healthy life, which is in a way people also need the right resources for a healthy life as well as happiness. The song describes the changes that need to be done in order to see an improvement in the future.

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By: Angelica Marquez, Nataly Navarro, Elijah Alvarez, and Christopher Baca

Part A:
By the end of the song, our initial thoughts were that it was very soulful and emotional, in that we felt sorry for Lauryn Hill, even though she was hopeful her situation would get better. It seemed that the subjects she was singing about were chosen such that she would be able to bring awareness to these living conditions, and allow people to relate to her. The way she discusses fear of the unknown and fear of everyday life is a topic that has consistently been relevant throughout the ages.

Part B:
Our initial interpretations of the song were generally unanimous, in that we all agreed that, while her situation is difficult, she is hopeful for the future. Throughout her life, Hill has experienced consistent hardships, which she is absolutely not alone in. She has been through the same feeling of hopelessness and depression and been able to overcome those by reminding herself that there is hope. Further than general hardship though, is the song’s highlighting of discrimination and hostility of differing and similar groups of people.

Part C:
The artist is Sam Cooke, who highlights racial discrimination and prejudice during the American Civil Rights movement. He was inspired to write this song during the movement, after experiencing consistent discrimination and observing similar experiences for those around him. His perspective seems more broad here than the Lauryn Hill song, as the context for the song’s writing show that he is attempting to highlight a history of discrimination rather than discrimination against a particular person.

Part D:
Initially, our thoughts were that the song is attempting to highlight the hardships of Lauryn Hill’s life, which had changed once we fully understood the context of the original writing of the song. The song is less about one individual, and more about the many marginalized groups of people that were being oppressed during the American Civil Rights movement. While the two artists have similar intentions in their renditions of the song, understanding the context under which they were written is important such that it allows for the recognition of subtext under each lyric. We were in agreement that our initial interpretations of the song are equally as important as our later interpretations with context, because seeing the difference between interpretations with and without context allows us to understand the difference between surface-level interpretation and deeper, rhetorical and informed interpretation. While both artists are highlighting difficulties, and using the same lyrics to do so, they were both highlighting difficulties of different time periods with different weights. This is an example of lyrics transcending a time period, and being applicable in various contexts, each with different meanings to the same lyrics.

Part E:
Relating to this week's lecture this shows that you have to be careful to understand that the interpretation of something could mean something else. You may think something in the beginning but as you read more into it, it's going to change your mind. One thing we went through this week was the importance of being a critical thinker, in that you should always question the author's intent. As a reader we always have too many interpretations of what we read, just because it is written doesn't always make it right or it means that certain definition. Without critical thought, and understanding of the best practices through which to implement it in relation to the type of media (i.e. writing), one cannot expect to understand more than just the words on the page. The experienced readers in Studio F were able to relate writing to outside concepts and ideas, which not only made it easier for them to understand, but allowed for them to formulate their own opinions based on the external context. This exercise can also relate directly to Rhetorical reading in the way it connects the effects of people and history, and credibility. Words alone can’t always capture the true essence of the story or picture; thinking deeper and investing thoroughly are also a must. Looking at the big picture requires Rhetorical functioning, and that is a skill advanced readers have a better understanding of. As a reader we have the right to our own interpretations of what we read, just because it is written doesn't always make it true! The culmination of  Rhetorical reading, research, and supportive facts (Recursive process) is what makes a statement true and convincing.

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A. Listen to Lauryn Hill sing "A Change is Gonna Come,"  hereLinks to an external site., while paying close attention to what feelings and thoughts arise as you listen to the song. (3-4 sentences).

How did you feel at the end of the song? What are some of your initial thoughts?

I have heard this song plenty of times by different African American artist of all kinds. The song for me inspires hope for change, knowing that whatever you're going through those things are bound to change. My initial thoughts are that the song is deep and emotional that invokes strong emotion of faith. This song being about faith is no surprise to me, this is due to African American culture. Most AA people identify with the common faith of Christianity and this song reflects that. Fun fact this song “A change is gonna come” by Sam Cooke is a rendition of a Negro Spiritual.

Who is the artist and what stakes do they have in performing this song?

The artist is Lauryn Hill, I'm unsure of the stakes that would be involved with performing a cover rendition of Sam Cookes a change is gonna come. I do think this song fits Lauryn Hills aesthetic and her voice accentuates the song.

B. Read the song lyrics here. Links to an external site. Then in 4-5 sentences: (Do not do any outside research beyond reading the lyrics, in this section).

What is your initial interpretation of the song? I think this song emphasizes difficulties concerning being black in America. A specific lyrical line that stood out to me was

How did reading the lyrics change or deepen your initial feelings? Section four of the lyrics. The lyrics stated that he went to his “brother’ for help and was left worse than he had come. I'm sure this is in reference to how brotherhood has been destroyed in the black community.

How do you personally relate to the song?

The song makes me very emotional, But I only think because I have heard this song all throughout media. This specific song has been used in movies, sampled on song, and etc.

However, the song has deeply emotional themes no matter how it's interpreted.

C. Conversational Inquiry (2-3 sentences)

Let’s say you Googled the song to find information about it and the original author. Visit the wiki here.Links to an external site.

Now watch a digitally artistic rendition of the original version of the songhereLinks to an external site.

Who is the artist and what stakes do they have in writing this song?

The artist is Sam Cooke, the original writer of the song. I really don’t know how to define stakes; however, I think writing about the controversial changes currently going on historically when the song aired in 1964 was a stake.

D. Synthesis: The creation of new meaning – After working through parts A-C (5-6 sentences)

How have your feelings, knowledge and interpretation of the song changed?

My feelings on the song remain the same, however the interpretation is not due to newly found historical context.

Why is your original response/interpretation in part A and B just as important here as part C?

How can you connect both artists/song renditions, and why is this connection important?

E. Meta-reflection: How is the activity in anyway related to the lecture material from this week and the Haas/Flower article? (10-12 sentences) Be specific. I will be looking for a most substantial response in this section. This is where much of your grade will come from. Cite specific concepts from the lecture AND the text and how you applied them in this activity.

I learned a lot of things that can be implemented from this article with Mrs. Hass and Mrs. Flowers. Starting from Rhetorical reading strategies and the construction of meaning. Stated during a passage on page 853, Reading rhetorically is an act of discourse. This statement entails that reading is much more than a simple task, it is more of a cognitive rhetorical exercise. This is what first peeked at the writer's interest to research this topic; however, this statement here emphasizes the difficulties of rhetorical reading and constructions of meaning when reading and how it correlates to writing. I applied this method when doing the lyrical exercise in section B. As an example, in section B the using the old/next contract to make my responses as cohesive as possible so I could convey my emotions concerning how I felt about the song and how I personally related to the song. I applied the more rhetorical method explained in the article in lecture to section A as well. The question of “how do you feel at the end of the song? and “What is your initial reaction”. It was kind of difficult to describe my initial reaction, I kept overthinking it. When I thought about it rhetorically, I was able to express it simply. To circle back to the question of “how you feel’’ at the end of the song. I approached this question kind of apprehensively due to the song not being used in context to a form of media. Hearing the song by itself during the assignment was the first time for me. It was harder to build a personal conclusion however, using two concepts we have been learning about made it simpler for me to elaborate my feelings about the song. I used a rhetorical method called the ladder of abstraction and a newer learned concept called cohesion and unity. Reading the article was kind of difficult but once I applied the methods, we have been learning about has made me rethink how I have been writing but more importantly reading. So, this assignment with me trying these newer concepts has been challenging.

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By: -Manjila Alam, -Alejandra Carroll, -Maria Rios, and -Justin Bialecki.

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Grateful to be here. An Rhetorical reading group collaborative For "A change is gonna come" by Sam cooke

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Grateful to be here. An Rhetorical reading group collaborative For "A change is gonna come" by Sam cooke

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"thinking out loud" sometimes our days become monotonous, life becomes a routine because of school and work, and the days go by. I always think we will never repeat today; we will never be this age again. Yes, it is true; time flies! We are lucky to be here and now, to have what we have, to be surrounded by beautiful nature. We must create memories because, at the end of the day, what we will remember most will be the good things, those stories of life that we will tell our children. Disconnecting our phones for a while, going for a walk, enjoying what we have around us, spending time with friends and laughing so hard, loving your family, and never being scared to say "I love you".. give the best of you, constantly. Technology is fantastic, but it does take away valuable time in our lives. Take care of yourself, buy that particular item that you wanted for a while, and wear that item of clothing that perhaps you are saving for "that special occasion." Be grateful every day to be here and now.

A: As a group, our initial feelings were empathetic. We knew some background information on the artist Lauryn Hill and connected the song to her struggles growing up in a poor family. We believe she sang the song to show resilience through those times as she knew through hard work and determination, “a change was gonna come.” We felt the tone was upbeat but expressed sadness mixed with hope. After all she’s been through, she’s gone on to become an influential powerful singer.

B: As we mentioned earlier, we felt empathetic toward the artist, but reading the lyrics helped us have a deeper understanding of what the song was talking about and helped us build a stronger connection. It evoked strong feelings because you can feel the emotion behind the lyrics and knowing she went through a lot. She’s been running since she was young and has felt like giving up but believes a change is going to come. Several of us personally related to the song, connecting it to growing up in different situations and having it hard while waiting for a change.

C: Sam Cooke wrote the song inspired by the struggles he and his fellow peers faced as African-Americans. It took a lot for him to write the song and at the time during the civil rights movement, it was a very courageous thing to do. He was afraid it would cost him parts of his fanbase but knew it was the right thing to do.

D: The visual in Step C made an even bigger impact. Though our original interpretations were fairly close to the emotion in the song it makes it more real seeing it in visuals. You can see that the world we live in can be violent, racist, and surrounded by poverty but hopefully one day it can be better, and we continue to fight various forms of oppression and hope for a change to come. It feels more powerful after watching it. The connection between the two singers is so important because, as African-Americans and singers, they have both faced a lot in different time periods and you can feel their pain mixed with hope that things will get better. You can see the differences between the two songs because they don’t have the same lyrics Hill cut the part “I go to the movies I go downtown, somebody keeps telling me don’t hang around.” Yet the rest of the song remained the same.

E: This assignment, in a way, is related to the think-out-loud technique of Hass and Flower. We each completed our own reading and assessment and then got together and talked out loud through our thoughts. That way, we each could see how the other interpreted the song. By knowing what each other was thinking, we were able to come up with a group comment for the Padllet wall. We examined the rhetoric of the song, lyrics, and images to have discourse constructively. Then, we came to a conclusion on our thoughts and feelings. Just as Hass and Flower stated, “When readers construct meaning, they do so in the context of a discourse situation, which includes the writer of the original text, other readers, the rhetorical context for reading, and the history of the discourse,” though we didn’t meet with the writers of the song we completed the other steps for our analysis (Wordel and Downs, 2029). This included an analysis of the tone, style, and historical contexts of the songs and the individual singers' situations.

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Part A: Immediately, listening to this song brings a feeling of hope that a change is going to come, The oppressed will finally be free and people will finally wake up. Initial thoughts and feelings consist of, hope, optimism, and the feeling of finally feeling free. The soulful and passionate performance inspired me to believe in the ability to overcome challenges and obstacles in my life. The uplifting and empowering tone of the song made me feel a sense of strength and resilience, motivating me to face difficulties with determination. "A Change Is Gonna Come" has the power to evoke a profound emotional response, as it addresses themes of change, resilience, and the collective human journey toward a brighter future.

Part B: My initial interpretation was that the song "A Change Is Gonna Come" conveys a deep sense of longing, struggle, and hope. The lyrics narrate the singer's personal real life experiences. Being born by the river, running, facing hardship, and seeking change. The repeated phrase "It's been a long time coming, but I know a change gonna come" suggests optimism and resilience in the face of adversity. Reading the actual lyrics made the song deeper as, the lyrics deepens the emotional impact of the song. The songwriter used vivid imagery of "being born by the river" and the metaphorical use of the river as a symbol of life's journey add layers of meaning. The repeated acknowledgment that change is coming builds a powerful sense of anticipation. On a personal level, the song can resonate with anyone who has faced challenges, discrimination, or have experienced the feeling of being oppressed. The lyrics may particularly resonate with individuals who have experienced social injustice, discrimination, or a sense of being knocked down but finding the strength to carry on. The idea of seeking help from a brother and facing both external and internal struggles is something many can relate to in their own lives.

Part C: Sam cooke is an African American singer and songwriter. The song released in 1964 which was very relevant to the civil rights movement time period. The 1960s was a turbulent time for civil rights in the United States. Cooke was likely inspired by the collective struggle for civil rights and the quest for a more just and equal society. He wrote this song likely to showcase his compelled feelings towards the movement and to stand in solidarity but also in a peaceful way. In summary, Sam Cooke likely wrote "A Change Is Gonna Come" as a response to the social and racial climate of the time, drawing from personal experiences and a desire to contribute to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality.

Part D: After diving deep into the roots of the origin of the song and the songwriter, my interpretation and feelings of the song has changed drastically. Initially it was seen as a struggle for a woman and it has now opened my eyes into seeing its truly a struggle for an entire people. All interpretations are just as important because it makes you realize things can root a lot deeper than you may think. You can connect both artists and their renditions of the song by linking it to the reason why they chose to make the song in the first place. That is because whether it's 1960's or 2000's people still feel oppressed, people may still feel like they're chained, and they may feel like freedom isn't exactly how it sounds. This song is a peaceful way to spread hope and optimism that a change will come.

Part E: This activity resonates with the lecture material from the past week by having myself decipher song lyrics in a rhetorical way. The activity aligns with our recent lecture on rhetorical reading, as emphasized by Haas and Flower. This rhetorical reading approach encourages a nuanced interpretation of music, prompting us to decipher lyrics, understand their emotional impact, and discern their intended evoke. In the context of the exercise, we focused on the culturally significant song "A Change Is Gonna Come," delving into its lyrics to construct meaning and connect past experiences. This process mirrors Haas and Flower's idea of "constructing meaning" rather than extracting information. Despite the song's numerous covers, its enduring significance lies in the timeless message it conveys. Listening to a song and comprehending its lyrics, as exemplified by "A Change Is Gonna Come," are distinct yet interconnected aspects. The song serves as more than just entertainment; it provides a commentary on the world, delivering a consistent message of hope and imminent change. This central theme remains the emotional and spiritual core, transcending variations in interpretations across different renditions. The exercise revealed the application of rhetorical strategies even before fully understanding the song's content, aligning with the broader concept of rhetorical reading discussed in the lecture and Haas and Flower's article.