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Skinnell (2018) describes his experience making chance discoveries to solve unsolvable problems during the process of research. Skinnell (2018) uses the extended metaphor of a journey to emphasize that serendipity reminds researchers to recognize that moments of aimless wandering, obstruction, deviation, and unpredictable destinations along the route rather than focusing solely on the destination or final product.

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Peter N. Goggin (2018) considers how researchers recognize accidental discovery and anticipate such moments not as happenstance, but throughout the emergence of purposeful exploration. Goggin (2018) shares an example of how an expose revealing that the US naval air base in Bermuda was being used as an upscale vacation getaway for military officers in 1992 served as a serendipitous event that built in 1995 when the base was closed and again in the late 1990’s when there was a standoff to determine who was responsible for the cost of cleanup as he was developing is research in environmental rhetoric and island studies.

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As I was reading FitzGerald’s (2020) extended metaphor of figure skating to illustrate the possibilities of using figures of speech to communicate rhetoric with force and flair I considered both how rhetorical devices can improve the style of my own writing as a student for this course and program, as well as how I can teach my students how to develop their own style through the use of figurative language. I agree with FitzGerald (2020) that rhetorical figures should be considered the fourth virtue of writing in order to adorn writing with an exuberant style. When I taught AP English Literature & Composition in Nicaragua I focused more time on teaching the technical jargon of rhetoric in order for students to recognize how these devices are used in sample texts on the multiple choice passages as well as making intentional choices to infuse rhetoric in their writing on the free response portion in order to effectively communicate their analysis with sophistication and style to stand out amongst 500,000+ student essays. In the United States my younger public school students (I’m thinking 9th grade) have struggled more with identifying the basic elements of the text so I have had to focus on genre, plot, setting, and informational text features prior to examining the specifics of rhetoric. In my college-level Public Speaking course students use rhetoric to build their arguments a persuasion of policy speech and evaluation paper.

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I agree with Meyer (2020) that imitation of exemplar texts is a powerful writing tool to improve and empower the writer through mimicry of style, voice, or pattern. As I prepare to write the final project in this course, ENG 555, and my alternate paper in ENG 694, I consider how the style of articles I read during a review the literature or assigned texts throughout the program may be applied to the assignments I am composing. During weeks 4-5 I considered how stories could be used as extended metaphors to illustrate my main points and engage the audience through a narrative style. This week I am considering how rhetorical devices can help me effectively build an argument in my writing. The structure of articles serves as examples of how I can organize the format of my academic writing. I believe my writing on summative projects in the MS Comm & Comp program have been heavily influenced by my examination of exemplar texts.

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I really like imagery.  I like using figurative language to enhance most writing I do.  I like how Fitzgerald (2020) made the point of saying that even academic and professional writing use tropes like metaphor and schemes like parallelism to communicate, argue, and persuade (p. 56).  It just makes me think that figurative language doesn't just have a place in the literature or creative writing classroom.  Presentations are made better with figurative language - less dry, more relatable.

I do like how Fitzgerald (2020) says that "when we write, we must be open to figures that suggest themselves (p. 56).  I really like this idea because sometimes as I write the words just flow and I'm not thinking about similes, metaphors, alliteration, etc.  If they show up and work, great, because it feels like my writing is more inspired.

Fitzgerald (2020) also says that when we are less confident, we reign in our figurative imagination, choose to play it straight (p. 57).  I feel this a lot.  If I don't have the confidence in my writing, I tend to not use "flowery" language and just use basic, boring language.  I don't let my personality show, and I really appreciate it when writers do.  It makes them more relatable.

There were quite a few tropes I recognized and some I didn't.  Some I didn't recognize were synecdoche, metonymy, litotes, and anaphora.  I didn't realize that Lincoln's Gettysburg Address used the anaphora technique with his repeating "we cannot."  I just assumed he was trying to make a stronger point - which he was - but I didn't read anything into it beyond that.  Other people who teach writing might be much more familiar with those stylistic tools than I am.

I did like the "Go Figure" exercise Fitzgerald had implemented in his class. I think that would be a good exercise to practice with students to get them thinking about language and different ways to say things.

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Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing (2000), "Stylistic imitation is one thing, a perfectly honorable way to get started as a writer (and impossible to avoid, really; some sort of imitation marks each new stage of a writer’s development)."

Imitation evolves.  I'm sure Stephen King had authors he read that came before him that helped influence his style and writing techniques.  Without those influences, his style wouldn't have "evolved" into what it is today.

Meyer (2020) says that by understanding how others put words together and the style or voice of ourselves, we uncover a new set of procedures, styles, and possibilities, which then cease to be imitation but creation (p. 118).

As writers write, they grow.  Their language changes.  Their style evolves and becomes more than what it was previously.  I had to imitate Wordsworth in a senior comp class and evaluate his language and imagery in his poem, "Lines Composed Above Tintern Abbey."  I still remember it and the process I went through trying to imitate his prose and structure of the poem.  I think it made me a better writer because it forced me to use different rhetorical tools and figurative language to "add color" to my writing.

Imitation isn't plagiarism. Plagiarism is where you copy something verbatim and don't give the original author credit. Imitation is taking key ideas and breaking it down and putting it back together to write it in your own particular style.

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I really like this idea - how "falling into truth" as Hirschman (1967) calls it - happens and how students can prepare for it.  Goggin's story really drives this point home as she went looking for research on a subject she found on a needlework project.  Goggin was prepared - she had done her research on the subject - so that when the opportunity, or serendipity, presented itself, she was able to see it for what it was.  If she hadn't been prepared, certain events might not have fallen into place that led her to her discoveries about her subject.

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(Caneva) This was really interesting to read, how someone looked to conduct research on a subject others’ have, but took it to the next level when she found a piece that tugged on her heart strings and delved her into a world of exploration and travel. Through a great deal of preparation and research, she was able to explore the needlework through a series of serendipity events.

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(Caneva) I really liked this chapter. Through research I have found that the more research you do, the deeper into the subject matter you get, and many times it changes courses and/or there becomes a moment of clarity – serendipity, where everything makes sense and becomes clear. Serendipity is inevitable, it is built into the preparation of research, by accident we find the answers we seek.

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(Caneva) I thought it was interesting how the author used the imagery of figure skating to display, argue, or enhance, the relevant point communicated through the writing. It shows us that we need something people can easily relate to in an effort to make our point heard and by including stories, especially personal ones, we can create imagery that is relatable and honest through the writer.