March 11

Rhetorical Introductory and First Body Paragraph

I noticed some of period two did not label the strategies posted in the class introductions. Everyone, write your rhetorical introduction and first body paragraph for “At Seventeen.”

Place in parenthesis, before you write each element, exactly what category it falls in. For example, (subject) for subject. Or (strategy) for all of the specific language devices you decide to include.

Do the same for your body paragraph; you can use the standard labels: (CD) (CM), etc.
Proofread and revise before you submit please. This counts for half an essay grade!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email


Posted March 11, 2013 by tashak38 in category Uncategorized

About the Author

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area--Big Up to the East Bay

81 thoughts on “Rhetorical Introductory and First Body Paragraph

  1. Sidney

    Sidney
    Keeble
    AP English
    In the song “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian (speaker), she relates to the insecurities of young girls. (Occasion)Reflecting back to her times as a seventeen year old in high school, Ian adopts an audience of socially aware and cautious people. (Audience) Her personal anecdote and commentary (style choice) on adolescent angst appeals to others insecurities and self cautious ways by using imagery, and diction. (Strategies)Ian’s tone is Sincere and lyrical in the way that she criticizes herself (Tone) in attempt to connect to those who have or are going through this phase and help them through it.(purpose)
    Through diction Ian is targeting the female audience. (TS) Ian specifically chose terms such as “Pity please” and “Beauty queens” (CD) that are words more commonly used to refer to girls. The fact that she chose the word girl as oppose to woman, indicates a certain age group as well as gender. (CM) although many could connect from all walks of life, Ian specifies this group, connecting to them by using words such as us. Ian’s term of beauty queen shows an extremity to want to be beautiful in order to be loved and accepted into “social graces.” Ian’s song connects all the girls and woman who feel or have felt alone when it came to social acceptance but now they know they are not the only ones. Through her use of diction, Ian exemplifies how society has really nurtured itself into believing in the importance of appearances.

    Reply
  2. Jhoann B.

    Jhoann B.
    Ms. Keeble
    AP Eng 11 Period 2
    11 March 2013

    American singer and songwriter, Janis Ian (speaker), in her lyrical song, At Seventeen (occasion), exhibits the challenges she confronted as an ostracized and unpopular teenage girl (subject). Through rhetorical strategies, Ian reveals the alienation most developing teenagers experience growing up to ultimately develop a connection between teenagers treated as social outcasts and reassure them that they are not alone in their struggles towards achieving societal acceptance (purpose). She adopts a universal and simplistic tone (tone) in order to appeal to melancholic emotions and experiences in teenage misfits (audience).
    Ian opens her song by describing the happiness of pretty, popular girls and the frustrations of average, female adolescents (TS). She appeals to the saddened emotions of the audience by stating that “love was meant for beauty queens,” and “those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in social graces, desperately remained at home, inventing lovers on the phone (CD).” Ian shifts from the happiness of popular girls to the sadness of average teens, using the term “us,” in order to convey a sense of unity among insecure, teenage girls and acknowledge their anguish at not being as socially successful as popular teens (CM). Despite its projection of a discouraged tone, this familiar feeling demonstrated by Ian comforts young girls because it reassures them that there are other young girls enduring similar insecurities (CM). In essence, Ian uses details to appeal to her audience’s emotions of sadness, making girls aware that they are not alone in dealing with their hardships growing up as adolescents (CS).

    Reply
  3. Oscar G.

    Oscar G.
    Period 1
    11 March, 2013
    In (Speaker) Janis Ian’s song, “Seventeen”, she reflects back on the insecurities of being a teenager(Occasion). She tells about the interferences that stop a girl from rising above. She does so by using a (Tone) down tone, through uses of personal experiences, dicton and some repetition. All for the soul purpose (Purpose) to show what goes on with high school girls.
    (TS)Through the use of a down tone Ian is able to give the the listener an insight of an ugly woman. (CD) “At seventeen I learned the truth… And those of us with ravaged faces…”(8-9) (CM) WIth the use of Ian’s personal experience, she was able to make a connection with her self and the prettier girls from school. As the “prettier” girls were often getting more attention than the girls on the side, the ugly girls.

    Reply
  4. Adiam habtay

    Adiam h
    APENG
    Period 5
    March 11,2013
    In the song ” At Seventeen “, Janis Ian ( A) (S) describes the challenges a girl faces at seventeen. (O)Ian alludes to young adolescent girls (A)who face the similar obstacle of insecurity. She adopts a sincere,melancholy and patient tone,(T) in order to let her audience grasp the pain that “the girl” endures. By using emotional uplifting appeal, (RD)Ian portrays a vivid and raw emotion of “the girls” insecurities. She also contrast (RD)the protagonist with her audience, that many goes through a gloomy stage of hateroud toward themselves.

    By establishing a melancholy tone, Ian gives her audience a vivid feel of the pain “the girl” faces. She appeals to the emotion by stating,(CD) ” And those of us with ravaged faces/lacking in social graces.” (Lines 9-10) (CM) While Ian conveys the word “us”, she is giving her audience an example of an universal experience, that all girls with ravaged faces are being rob from their social freedom. (CM)By creating a blunt tone, she is making us feel doleful for the girls with ravaged faces as a whole.(CS) Through empathy Ian gives us the knowledge that one is never alone, from her uplifting song.

    Reply
  5. Andrea O

    Andrea O.
    AP English Per.2

    In the song “At Seventeen”(S) (1975), singer Janis Ian (S) highlights the despairing experiences she had at the young age of seventeen(Ocassion) when she learned the learn the truth about love in order to connect and relate(Purpose) to those young women who feel insecure and those older women(Audience) who have already lived through such times . Through assonance, repetition and a personal anecdote ,(Rhetorical Strategies) Ian evokes a nostalgic mode as she describes to both young and old the trying time she encountered at seventeen when she faced insecurity and disappointment because she was disappointed in love.
    Ian begins her song by employing a personal anecdote to illustrate how she feels compared to those whom she believes are better looking. (Topic Sentence) . For example , Ian sadly states that “Friday night charades of youth were spent on one more beautiful” .(CD) Ian sadly suggest that she was not worth enough to have someone spend “Friday night charades” on her and thus evokes a sense of sympathy from those who have also felt like they are not worth enough to have someone love them .(CM) The outpouring of Ian’s troubles creates a connection between the singer and her audience as she uses the anecdote to make herself more humane and relatable.(CS)

    Reply
  6. Abraham N.

    Abraham N.
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English 11
    Period 5
    11 March 2013

    In Janis Ian’s hit song, “At Seventeen”, (Subject & Speaker)Ian speaks about, and gives insight on suffering from anxiety and what other teenagers are doing at an age where you learn the most about yourself and life.(Occasion)Ian writes this song for the girls who feels ugly at times because of people around them, as a way to say that you are not alone. (Audience)The song is intended for people that are coming of age and people that suffers from anxiety coming from other people or themselves.(Tone & Purpose)Ian uses a somber tone for the song to make the audience feel sorry and sad for her, and to make them have a connection to the song if they have ever been talked about in a negative fashion.

    Ian describes the sad situations that occurs in her everyday life, in this case, her teenage years, to make music that her intended audience likes, and relates to.(CD)For example, when Ian says in lines 30-34, “To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came, and those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball.”(CM) Ian enumerates some things that her audience can relate to, either on a somber romantic way when talking about valentines, or a everyday way in referring to choosing sides for basketball.(CD)Another sad situation that occurs in the song and Ian’s life is from lines 9-10, which says, “And those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces.” (CM) Ian utilizes another sad lyric to connect with a fraction of her audience that have, in her words, “ravaged faces”,(Line 9) and who weren’t lucky enough to be sociable.

    Reply
  7. Bilguun Batdorj

    Bilguun Batdorj
    Ms.Keeble
    AP English 2*
    March 11 2013

    (s) In the song “At Seventeen,” Janis Ian sings about the daily struggles that girls that are not considered “worthwhile” have to face in high school (o).Through her parallelistic song, she reaches out to young teenage girls who felt that they “did not matter”(a). Even though the song has a sad, gloomy tone, it achieves it’s purpose of putting this unfair social belief that attractive females deserve better treatment then their lesser comrades to the public (p). The use of parallelism and imagery helps convey the importance of the theme.

    Ian uses the crushed dreams of high school girls who never got a prom date as a way to appeal to the audience’s senses and moral. She illustrates “To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came” as a way to insure to the audience that a lot of women were ignored in a romantic, loving holiday. Ian uses the word “pain” to express the feeling of loneliness that she and millions of other teenage girls experienced during their high school years. She also writes “That love was meant for beauty queens” as a way to convey that unattractive were considered inhuman and showing affection to these unfortunate women would be a waste. Emphasizing the fact that women were treated like books and were mostly judged by their covers lets the audience members feel sympathy.

    Reply
  8. Caitlin H.

    Caitlin Huie
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English Per 2
    11 March 2013

    In Janis Ian’s (speaker) song “At Seventeen,” (subject) she expresses the distressing experiences she lived through while at the age of seventeen (purpose). Through her use of extended metaphors (RS), personal memories (RS), and a depressing tone (RS/tone), Ian distinguishes the similarities between her experiences and that of her young audience (audience).
    Ian uses extended metaphors to emphasize her memories as a seventeen year old (TS). She calls herself “an ugly duckling” (CD) which causes her audience to reminisce the popular tale. The metaphor highlights the feeling of loneliness she sensed at seventeen because she wasn’t one of the “pretty” girls (CM). Her audience compare themselves with the tale and recognizes the resemblance between themselves and Ian. She sings, “We cheat ourselves at solitaire,” (CD) comparing the game to life. In solitaire, everyone wants to win and most cheat to achieve that goal. She’s relating the cheating in the game with cheating in life. The situation in the song describes the way girls do whatever it takes to be “pretty” and “beauty queen” so that they could live a successful life (CM). When Ian uses the extended metaphors, it helps her audience understand her experiences and relate them to their own (CS).

    Reply
  9. DaJohn Wade

    In the song “At Seventeen” (1975) By Janis Ian she reminisced about her high school years, specifically when she was 17. Ian’s purpose was to form a connection with younger women who are struggling with confidence in high school. She uses devices repetition, personal experiences, and tone to connect with her audience.
    The use of repetition stresses the importance on how the obstacles that girls endure through high school are discovered at a certain age. She states, “at seventeen I learned the truth . . . it isn’t all it seems at seventeen . . .” (line 8 & 15), to discuss her epiphany about the reality of high school.

    Reply
  10. Haley R.

    Haley R.
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English per. 2
    11 March 2013

    In the song “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian,(S) written in the 1970’s, a time of women coming to be their own persons, (O) appeals to teenage high school girls (A) about their self esteem. (P) Ian created this song to express her feelings on the topic of the “ugly duckling” teen girl (S) through a very melancholy as well as thoughtful tone.(Tone)
    Ian purposely uses repetition of how difficult it is for “ugly” girls to live life at seventeen. (TS) For example, Ian uses the line “At seventeen I learned the truth”, at the end of every stanza with different wording. (CD) the core of the song describes the life of a desolate high school girl, begging something above for a chance to be the “beauty queen.” (CM) By the end of the song, Ian writes: “At ugly girls like me, at seventeen…” (CD) This not only illustrates the repetition that Ian used, but also concluded her personal experience that was foreshadowed to the end. (CM), (Conclusion)

    Reply
  11. Rebekah Novak

    In the song, “At Seventeen”, by Janis Ian, The author sustains a melancholily tone throughout her piece while also showing her audience that she understands the struggle they might be going through as a seventeen year old(intro). Emotional and expressive choices of diction help Ian achieve her purpose of appealing to the teenage audience as intended while also adding rhythm and does not deteriorate into a doggerel(ethos).

    Janis Ian develops a melancholic tone to relate to the self pity and feeling of rejection of the typical teenage patrons(TS). Ian reveals this by abruptly beginning with “I learned the truth at seventeen/that love was ment for beauty queens…”(assertion/CD). The artist also successfully relates to the audience by giving personal experiences, “and those of us with ravaged faces/lacking in the social graces…”(CD). By encompassing herself in her work, the tone is shifted from melancholy, sorrowful, and a self pity tone to an understanding respected work of art(CM). With this outpouring of emotion exemplified in the ballad the deep conclusion that is drawn is that one may never be alone in such a big world(CS).

    Reply
  12. Jasmine J.

    Jasmine J.
    AP English
    Period 1

    In the 1975 song, “At Seventeen”, (subject) Janis Ian (speaker) used several rhetorical strategies to express memories of the changes she experienced once she turned seventeen (occasion). She described a gloomy time that most teenage girls (audience) can relate too (purpose). By using an appeal to feminine social insecurities (RS), personal experiences (RS), and colloquial diction (RS) to convey a morose and depressing tone (tone) that appeals to her audience emotionally.

    Ian used an appeal to feminine social insecurities to evoke emotion from her listeners (TS). This emotion allowed her audience to connect and relate to her words. She sings, “To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came.” (CD) For girls who never have had a valentine or have had less valentines than others, this line could possibly strike a nerve. It can remind them of the loneliness they felt on Valentine’s Day, creating an emotional attachment between the listener and the song (CM). Also, Ian wrote, “Repenting other lives unknown that call and say: ‘Come on, dance with me’ and murmur vague obscenities at ugly girls like me…” (CD). Every female, matter of fact, everybody has some insecurity about the way he or she looks and everyone has felt ugly at some point in time throughout her life. By Ian calling herself an ugly duckling, the listener recalls upon a time where he or she felt like an ugly duckling his or herself. This leads to her audience becoming more into the song because of the relationship Ian has now created (CM). So, when Janis Ian includes appeals to social insecurities, her audience is able to relate to the experiences illustrated by her words thereby evoking emotion from them (CS).

    Reply
  13. Sarai P.

    Sarai P.
    AP English
    Keeble
    3/11/13

    In “At Seventeen,” by Janis Ian, various rhetorical appeals chronicle the misfortunate coming of age of a troubled seventeen year old through song. Ian retells the struggle of this seventeen year old to offer readers a different perspective they might not have witnessed before. Consistently through the song, Ian uses vivid imagery as well as inclusion to bring to light the difficulties of the coming of age.

    Throughout her song, Ian expresses what most teens have gone through, moments of low self-esteem and insecurity, thereby making it personal to witness inclusion such as, “And those of us with ravaged faces/Lacking in the social graces/Desperately remained at home.” By providing such inclusion,Ian brings to light that everyone suffers from a different pain, but yet even though they suffer, they do not suffer alone. This shared emotion of suffering unifies listeners into remembrance of their own Calvary.

    Reply
    1. tashak38 (Post author)

      Good job, Sarai. If you are going use a Biblical reference, you may want to add an appositive phrase that defines or hints toward what it means.

      Reply
  14. Joelynn D.

    Joelynn D.

    Ms. Keeble

    AP English – 2nd period

    11 March 2013

    In the song “At Seventeen,”(Title) by Janis Ian(author)(1975), she reminisces about her sorrows as a seventeen year old in high school(purpose). Through repetition(subject), epithet(subject), and tone(subject), Ian emphasizes her experience as an “ugly ducking” during high school(purpose).

    One rhetorical strategy that Ian makes use of is repetition(TC). Throughout the song, she repeats the phrase, “…at seventeen”(CD) which depicts her transition from naivete to maturity(CM). By applying emphasis on the specific age, Ian shows the difference in her cognition before and after the age of seventeen(CM). Before, she believed in fairy-tale loves, happy endings, and equality for all young women. But after, she begins to comprehend the truth that only girls with “clear-skinned smiles” and “rich relationed hometown[s]” obtain love(CM). Through Ian’s use of repetition the reader better understands the epiphany Ian experienced at age seventeen which completely changed her views on true love(CM).

    Reply
  15. Angelica G

    In her song, “At Seventeen”(Subject), Janis Ian (Speaker)uses various rhetorical strategies to bring attention to the glorification of the physical beauty of women(purpose). Ian adopts a ballad style, uses appeals to social fears, and sings with colloquial diction (strategies) to convey her ideas to women(audience) who have had similar experiences. She uses a lyrical tone (tone) to further appeal to inner emotions of her audience.

    Reply
  16. Kiloni D

    Kiloni Driskell
    11 March 2013
    AP English
    2

    In Janice Ian’s song “At Seventeen” (1975), she remininses about her stages of being a teenage girl in high school. The author first discusses the type of girls who have it easy when having a pretty face using metaphors. Then the author appeals to emotions by emphasizing the hardships of finding true love as a ugly duckling. Ian’s tone are depressing and gloomy and her purpose is to inform her audience about the hardships of the loneliness years of not being acknowleged at seventeen. Ian’s audience are teenage girls who faced this everyday.

    Ian exploits her personal experiance being a seventeen year old girl dealing with her insecurities.(CD) She states “That love was meant for beauty queens…skinned smiles.”(CM) Ian reveals that unattracted girls could not get any affection from men. She also reveals that these girls lack a social life feeling less confidence in themselves. (CD) Ian also states “…knew the pain…valentines that never came” (CM) Ian implies the special holidays like Valentines day, can only be celebrated by beautiful girls who has that special one but for the ugly ducklings, it is a day to feel loneliness and sorrow. On these days, teenage girls do not feel wanted and feel extremely unattracted. (CS) By pronouncing her personal experiance, her audience can relate and make connections of a everyday life being a seventeen year old in high school.

    Reply
  17. Aaron C

    Aaron Chon
    Ms Keeble
    APENG11 P2
    12 March 2013

    In the song “Seventeen”, songwriter Janis Ian describes the years of high school in which the unpopular gaze upon those that live the social life in the light. The author uses a personal narrative dripping with depressing imagery and metaphors to accomplish this. Her purpose is to describe what was, and still is, a reality for many people that do not enjoy the social atmosphere to the extent that others do. She seems to have a young audience in mind, namely individuals who feel alone in their struggles because they are misunderstood.

    Ian’s use of somber images in her song creates the same miserable reality suffered by the unpopular within the mind of the audience. She attests, “And those of us with ravaged faces lacking in the social graces desperately remained at home inventing lovers on the phone”. The audience can immediately assume that the loneliness of individuals like the author is one so much that they have deluded themselves into believing that they have lovers. This in itself is an extreme act, but it is even more important to notice the level of unpopularity, or lack of attention, one must have to turn to nonexistent individuals. She also quotes, “To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came and those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball”. One can interpret the first example as having nobody that truly feels any kindness towards them, so much that even a valentine of pity would have worth to them. The example of not being chosen in basketball demonstrates the way that friends would choose each other and those who are athletic, which can mean that she did not possess any abnormal or special qualities, making her completely normal and conformist for the worse. Ian’s images depict a world that would otherwise remain a mystery to those who are not familiar with the loneliness and emptiness held by some.

    Reply
  18. Areli S

    Areli S
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English 11, 2nd period
    March 11, 2013

    In the song, “At Seventeen” (1975) Janis Ian (S), uses a personal anecdote to contrast her experiences at seventeen to those of beauty queens(S).She reaches out to all who have been “ugly” at the age of seventeen(O). Ian’s purpose is to suggest that if one does not have a clear skin smile, social grace, or rich relations they will be unimportant(P). Ian uses uses emotional appeal and diction (RS) to achieve a gloomy tone. (T)

    Ian begins her song “At Seventeen” by emphasizing the struggles of an unloved girl by expressing her personal hurt(TS). She appeals to the emotions of the audience through the comparison of her life to that of beauty queens, “to those who knew the pain”(CD). Ian shares her personal story causing an intimate realtion with the reader, triggering emotion. The painful emotion that lingers throughout her song, conveys the gloomy tone that Ian attempts to achieve(CM). Through emotional appeal, Ian is able to provide insight into the struggle of an ugly teenaged girl.(CS)

    Reply
  19. Yarelli Lopez

    Yarelli Lopez
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English Language & Composition
    Monday, March 11, 2013
    Singer, Janis Ian (Speaker), in her song, “At Seventeen”, emphasizes on teenagers (Subject); their popularity, their relationships, their status and their years throughout high school (Occasion). Ian’s purpose is to convey the idea that, at seventeen, she felt like an outsider and someone who did not fit into the society of teens (Purpose). Ian begins her song by acknowledging that love was not meant for her but rather for pretty girls. She adopts a sentimental tone (Style) in order to appeal to various similar experiences and feelings (Appeals to pathos and logos) in her young, teenage readers (Audience).
    Ian begins her song by acknowledging that love was not meant for her but rather for pretty girls with sun-kissed skin. She appeals to various emotions of the audience by admitting that, “That love was meant for beauty queens… with clear skinned smiles” (2-3 lines) (CD). She suggests that love did not come to her because she was not one of those pretty, popular girls that every guy wants (CM). She uses her own personal emotions in order to make a comparison with the reader. This effusion of emotions from Ian conveys a sad tone that creates an emotional effect on teenagers (CS).

    Reply
  20. Dennise Vazquez

    Dennise Vazquez
    Period 2

    In the song (s),”At Seventeen” (s) Janis Ian (p) emphasizes how those who were not beauty queens were treated (o) when she was seventeen. Ian targets young ladies who have felt rejected by society because of their looks. she uses a (t) reflective tone to connect her past to those of young ladies who have experienced the feeling of rejection.

    (Ts) Ian uses her personal story to show that society sets a group of women aside from the rest because they do not look like beauty queens. (cd) “I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens”. (cm) Like Ian there is many young ladies who feel that they can’t or will never be loved because they don’t have the perfect smile, they are not light skinned or they don’t have the perfect body.She has the feeling that no one will ever notice that she even exists.(concluding sentence)By repeating her emotions and the line “At Seventeen” Ian makes an emotional connection with the reader.

    Reply
  21. Ryan C.

    Ryan C.
    Period 1

    In Janis Ian’s song, “At Seventeen”, (subject) Ian (speaker) compares her experiences of not being as popular as the other kids in high school (occasion). Her song is toward teenagers around the age of seventeen that face the same insecurities Ian has gone through (audience). Ian sings in a slow and sad tone (tone) to connect to her audience (purpose).

    Ian relates to her audience by using words similar to “us” to get to the same level as her audience (topic sentence). For example, she says “And those of us with ravaged faces…” (cd). When she sings this part using “us”, she implies that she faced hardships of beauty as other girls when she was their age (cm). Ian also implies that she feels the same pain as so many other girls when she says, “To those of us who knew pain…” (cd) . By using words similar to “us” Ian was able to get down to the same level as her intended audience.

    Reply
  22. David .D

    David Delgado
    Ms. Keeble
    Period 2
    AP English
    11 March 2013
    Artist,(speaker) Janis Ian , in her song, “At Seventeen” recounted a moment of a lonely schoolgirl. Ian uses a (tone) morose tone through the use of (strategy) personal experience, repetition, and diction to show (purpose) what high school girls go through.
    (TS) Through the use of a morose tone Ian describes a life of a hideous woman. (CD) “At seventeen I learned the truth… And those of us with ravaged faces…”(line 8-9) (CM) Ian with her personal experience describes a life of an ugly woman. She says only preety girls get all the attention and ugly woman just stay out on the side line.

    Reply
    1. tashak38 (Post author)

      Wonderful start. Revise to be specific about what type of diction. Then change the phrase “go through ” to a more academic phrase.

      Reply
      1. David .D

        David Delgado
        Ms. Keeble
        Period 2
        AP English
        11 March 2013
        Artist,(speaker) Janis Ian , in her song, “At Seventeen” recounted a moment of a lonely schoolgirl. Ian uses a (tone) morose tone through the use of (strategy) personal experience, repetition, and word choice to show (purpose) what high school girls have experienced.
        (TS) Through the use of a morose tone Ian describes a life of a hideous woman. (CD) “At seventeen I learned the truth… And those of us with ravaged faces…”(line 8-9) (CM) Ian with her personal experience describes a life of an ugly woman. She says only pretty girls get all the attention and ugly woman just stay out on the side line.

        Reply
  23. Dominique

    Dominique N
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English 11 Per 2
    11 March 2013

    Songwriter, Janis Ian (speaker), in her poetic song, “At Seventeen,” (occasion) presents the insecurities seventeen year old girls experience (subject). Ian’s purpose (purpose) is to demonstrate to the readers that they are not alone and she can personally relate to their experiences. She adopts a despairing, gloomy tone by the usage of personal experiences, repetition, and metaphors, in order to grasp the attention of average high school girls (audience).

    Ian appeals to the audience on an emotional level by developing a personal connection (TS). An example is demonstrated in her lyrics, “…who knew the pain of…and those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball…”(CD) By these lyrics, Ian exhibits the anxieties of being an unpopular teenage girl (CM). She suggests the embarrassment a teenage girl might feel as being an irrelevant last choice (CM). Ian also incorporates herself in the song, “to ugly duckling girls like me…” (CD) This demonstrates to the audience that Janis herself was once in that situation and she can relate to the pain (CM). She uses herself to describe how it personally felt to be a girl at seventeen (CM). This outpouring of emotion from Ian’s personal experience conveys a gloomy tone that reassures her targeted audience of teenage girls that she can relate (CS).

    Reply
  24. Elisha Hussain

    Elisha Hussain
    AP English 11,Period: 5
    Ms. Keeble
    March 11,2013

    In Janis Ian’s song, “Seventeen”, she reflects back on the insecurities of being a teenager(Occasion)She tells about the obstacles that common teenage girls have to go through in order to percieve the world in a better way, so they can rise above all. (Purpose)Ian uses emotional appeal to bring up the raw emotion of the insecurities the girl in the poem has to go through. (Rhetorical Device) Ian also uses a somber and melancholy tone which helps intertwine the audiences’ insecurities with those of the girl in the song.(Tone) Throughout the song, Ian targets people who have gone through, and currently are going through the isolated and insecure phases. (Audience) Ian also contrasts the insecurities of the girl in the song to those who are fortunate in social graces.

    Ian uses emotional appeal to draw us into the song and reflect on our pasts. (CM) For example, “And those of us with ravages faces, lacking in the social graces.” (Lines 9-10)(CD) Ian uses really touching and eye-opening lyrics in these lines, because she gives off the somber tone which makes us feel for the ones who never got the chance to live life without social insecurities.(CM) Also, Ian captures our attentions because she compares beauty with social grace, and that helps us to imagine and get a feel for what this girl in the poem was experiencing.(CM)

    Reply
  25. Gonzalo Haro

    Gonzalo Haro

    In Janis Ian’s (S) song, “At Seventeen”, Ian reflects about her realization regarding the role of beauty in high school as a teen(O). Ian’s purpose is for the audience to relate to what she experienced in high school (P). Ian appeals to the audience by adopting a sad, melancholic tone (Strategy) which makes the audience relate to their own experiences with insecurities. She also makes the listener (A) relate to their own experiences through the use of syntax.

    Ian appeals to the audience by making her lyrics relatable to the audience (TS). “And those of us with ravaged faces, Lacking in the social graces, desperately remained at home, inventing lovers on the phone.” (CD). Ian uses words like “us”, which leaves room for people to relate to what she is saying (CM). “To those of us who knew the pain” (CD). Again, Ian is using language in a way that makes the audience relate to her by making a connection to the audience through a shared experience (CM). By using language that is easily relatable by the audience, Ian is able to achieve a deeper emotional connection with the audience (CS).

    Reply
  26. Alexia G. (period 1)

    In her(SUBJECT)song, “At Seventeen”, (SPEAKER)Janis Ian (PURPOSE) expresses the way the world changed her eyes (OCCASION) at age seventeen. She writes to (AUDIENCE) young girls in that stage to imply they are not alone while facing the same struggles of insecurity. Ian uses (RS) imagery, personal experiences, and a morose (TONE) tone to reflect on her teenage years.

    (TS) When Ian uses imagery, her audience gets a taste of the real-life issues she faced. (CD) In the beginning of the song she says, “That love was meant for beauty queens And high school girls with clear skinned smiles” (line 2-3). (CM) Ian compares herself to that “beauty queen” like every other teenage girl does. (CM) The imagery makes it easy for the audience to understand the type of girls in high school who are most popular and get all the attention and love. (CS) There is a bigger interpretation of how Ian really feels about herself through the pictures she depicts in her song.

    Reply
      1. tashak38 (Post author)

        Also, you have to tell us what kind of imagery. Remember didls requires you to use an adjective fin front of your language device.

        Reply
  27. Maliko P.

    Maliko P.
    March 11, 2013
    Period: 02
    In the song “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, the award winning song writer reflects the struggles of a desolate high school student.(subject, speaker, occasion) With a severely depressed tone, Ian addresses her audience of high school students by using personal experience , metaphors, and repetition.(audience, strategies, tone, purpose)
    In Ian’s song, she uses personal experiences to display the hardships that a homely teenage girl goes through. (topic sentence) For instance she states ” I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens”, this depicts that in order to be loved you have to look like a beauty queen, in other words beautiful. (concrete detail and commentary) This also shows that teenage girls that are unattractive don’t get to experience the feelings of love. (Commentary) Another example of this is when Ian professes ” To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came”, this demonstrates one of the many challenges lonely teenage girls have to go through. (Concrete detail and commentary) This also exemplifies that ugly teenage girls in our society do not get to experience the holiday of love the way pretty girls do. (Commentary) Through Ian’s personal experiences we have a better understanding of what the average ugly teenage girl goes through. (Closing sentence)

    Reply
  28. Alicia Gonzales

    Alicia Gonzales
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English 11
    12 March 2013
    In the song (text) “At Seventeen” (title of text) by Janis Ian (speaker), she narrates teenage girls’ experience of feeling insecure and doubtful about who they are. Ian’s purpose of writing this song is to describe the many internal challenges girls face as a teen, and to demonstrate how teenage girls in general feeling inferior and down on themselves is actually a common thing. Ian adopts a depressing, emotional tone purposely in order to establish similar feelings that the audience may encounter as well, along with displaying the internal scenarios teenage girls deal with on a regular basis.
    Ian describes the struggles that teenage girls face because of their insecurities by including emotional appeals in which the audience and people in general could relate to. She appeals to the emotions of insecurities and internal doubt by explaining (CD) “To those of who knew the pain Of valentines that never came And those whose names were never called…When dreams were all they gave for free to ugly duckling girls like me” (lines 30-38). (CM) She implies that they felt inferior, less than, and unable to experience love compared to those that were actually considered beautiful “I learned the truth at seventeen That love was meant for beauty queens” (1-2). (CM) Ian supports the idea that there were unfortunately some girls that believed they weren’t beautiful, furthermore; that others who were beautiful had the chance of love, the chance for others to accept them, while the girls that “thought” they were ugly and “thought” they didn’t have a chance at love, did not.

    Reply
  29. Alicia

    Alicia O.
    Ms Keeble
    AP English
    11 March 2013

    In her song “At Seventeen”, Janis Ian (S) emphasizes the way women are seen in terms of beauty (O). On her song she outlines what different stereotypes have made of women (P). She targets women who have passed through this phase (A) with her reflective tone to appeal to her audience’s inner emotions (T). Ian adopts a colloquial diction and a ballad style to convey her ideas about women.

    Janis Ian uses colloquial diction to lend credibility to her ideas towards women (TS). For instance, through her song she describes the story of women in colloquial diction. In her song she sings, “ To those of us who knew the pain… of valentines that never came”(5)(CD). Her use of colloquial diction creates a sense of credibility since the audience sees that Ian uses conversational diction (CM). Ian not making her diction formal and academic lets the audience have more connection to her, making Ian’s purpose be portrayed and believed (CM). As she goes on in the song she also mentions, “We all play the game, and when we dare”(6)(CD). Ian use of colloquial diction here catches the reader to see that Ian is a normal woman like them (CM). The way she phrases the lyrics lead her audience to relate to her seeing that what she conveys in this song fits her audience too (CM). This colloquial diction assures the women that many women have gotten brainwashed by the many stereotypes out there leading them to care more about beauty, making the audience see that they are not alone or the only ones (CM). So, when Janis Ian uses colloquial diction through out her song, the audience is able to experience the realities of various women passing through this phase, thereby creating credible ideas (CS).

    Reply
  30. Natasha R

    Natasha Ramirez
    Keeble
    Ap English
    Period 5
    11 march 2013

    In Janis Ian’s (speaker) song, “At Seventeen”, the singer states how society focuses on outer beauty ( purpose), by recalling her high school experience. To the use of her lyrics and imagery, Ian exhibits how society looks appearances and how a girl feel because she doesn’t fit into society image of beauty.(audience/occasion)

    Ian start to mention how are the just seventeen , she noticed that only pretty girls. were loved.(intro) ” I learned the truth at seventeen, that love was meant for beauty queen.”(1-2)(CD) Ian describe how beautiful girls were only wanted. This part of her lyrics brings up how to society believes that beauty can only be loved (CM) She also says, “The Friday night charades of youth were spent on one more beautiful.” (6-7)(CD) which points out how all others were ignored. Send the forties off until now, women are supposed to be beautified, otherwise they’re not wanted or seen different. (CM) Ian prove that view of society as well as a girls’self image.(CS)

    Reply
    1. Natasha R.

      Natasha Ramirez
      Keeble
      Ap English
      Period 5
      11 march 2013

      In Janis Ian’s (speaker) song, “At Seventeen”, the singer states how society focuses on outer beauty ( purpose), by recalling her high school experience. Through the use of her lyrics and imagery, Ian exhibits how society looks appearances and how a girl feel because she doesn’t fit into society image of beauty.(audience/occasion)

      Ian start to mention how at the just seventeen , she noticed that only pretty girls were loved.(intro) ”I learned the truth at seventeen, that love was meant for beauty queen.”(1-2)(CD) Ian describes how beautiful girls were only wanted. This part of her lyrics brings up how to society believes that beauty can only be loved.(CM) She also says, “The Friday night charades of youth were spent on one more beautiful.” (6-7)(CD) which points out how all others were ignored. Since the forties up until now, women are supposed to be beautified, otherwise they’re not wanted or seen different. (CM) Ian proves the view of society as well as a girls’self image.(CS)

      Reply
  31. Jose Prado

    Jose Prado
    3/11/13
    Period 5

    In the song “At Seventeen” by (speaker) Janis Ian,(purpose) she appeals to(audience) young teenage girls who are insecure. She makes them understand that they are not alone and everyone is the same. (strategy)Ian uses her experiences from her youth to gain the appreciation from the teenage girls who have gone through the same thing. (purpose)This helps people create a connection between Ian and themselves.

    (strategy) Ian appeals to these insecure teenage girls by stating in her song that only the good looking are accepted. (Cd) Not only does she state that, but she uses life lessons. For example she says “And those of us with ravaged faces/ Lacking in the social graces”, which means that the ugly girls have trouble socializing while the pretty ones. (CS)She just wants people to understand what she and these girls are going through or will go through.

    Reply
  32. Jonathan v

    Jonathan V
    Ms.Keeble
    Period 1
    Ap Eng and Comp

    In the song, “At Seventeen”, Janice Ian (S) portrays what living in her time was for the “ugly” unattractive teenagers (O). Through her song, she reaches out to the teenagers (A) that are near her age that feel like the ugly duckling of the pack (P) letting them know that the feeling of loneliness they are going through is not only for them to bear. (S) Ian’s sympathetic and understanding tone lets the lonely teen feel like they have someone to share their time with.
    Ian compares her life experiences and makes a blend with society views of social classes that were big in the separation of appearances in her time (TS).(CD) For instance she said, “those of us with ravaged faces ,lacking in social graces, desperately remained at home”. (Cm) She explains that those of them with ravaged faces, ravage usually refers to a hideous person not dignified to be in public, had to stay home inventing friends who wanted to be with them. (CM) When someone lacks social graces it may refer to money and how in her days money was needed for someone attractive to come forward and hang out.(CD) She also says, “when dreams were all they gave for free, to ugly duckling girls like me”. (CM) As everyone knows nobody had to pay to have dreams, maybe even the beauty queens had dreams that put them in the position of the ugly duckling girls, no money no spotlight. (CS) By expressing her thoughts in a lyrical way the audience knows that even though they are lonely, did not mean there was no an escape from it.

    Reply
  33. Thomas T

    Thomas T.
    Keeble
    Ap English
    Period 1

    In Janis Ian’s (speaker) song “At Seventeen,” (subject) Ian discusses her life being a teenager in high school (occasion). She is targeting teenage girls (audience) with a depressing voice (tone) in order to appeal to her audience (strategy). Ian is making an attempt to assist her audience in reaching the same revelation she had reached that our society is heavily based around appearance (purpose).

    Ian connects to the audience through her diction by writing lyrics that are blatantly showing insecurities teens face(Topic sentence). Ian refers to herself in the song as “ugly duckling girls like me” (CD) in attempt to gain pity from her audience. Within society today, we base a majority of American culture on people’s appearances (CM). Ian also says “The Friday night charades of youth were spent on one more beautiful” (CD) as another example of how appearance preferred our society really is. As a teenager or young adult, the general conception of that age is to go out often with groups of people and the most attractive people are almost always the center of those social groups (CM). Through repetition and diction, Ian’s use of her personal experiences reveals how heavy our society is centered around appearances.

    Reply
  34. Kiana Ledda

    Kiana Ledda
    Keeble
    AP English, Period 5
    3/11/13

    In her song (text), “At Seventeen” (title of text), artist (speaker’s cred.), Janis Ian (speaker), accentuates the insecure emotions of teenage girls (subject). Ian’s message is to reassure her young listeners that they are not alone because many people share the same insecurities (purpose, audience). She adopts a meloncholic tone (tone) in order to relate to the feeling of rejection and loneliness that many young teenagers obtain.

    Janis Ian develops a meloncholic tone to relate to the self pity and feeling of rejection of the typical teenage audience (TS). Ian reveals her sorrowful tone by abruptly beginning with, “I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens. (CD)” The artist also successfully relates to her audience by providing them with her personal experiences. She asserts, “And those of us with ravaged faces lacking by this social graces. (CD)” By including herself in her own poem, the tone is shifted from a sorrowful and self pity tone to an understanding, respected work of art (CM). This outpouring of emotion amplifies Ian’s desire to understand her insecure audience (CS).

    Reply
  35. Heather H.

    Heather H.
    Ms. Keeble
    
AP English, Period 2
    
11 March 2013

    Grammy winning singer and songwriter Janis Ian expresses her emotions regarding her high school years in her 1975 song “At Seventeen”. With this song, Ian tells her personal story with the intent of expressing herself as well as letting people, both young and old alike, know that they are not alone in their feelings of sadness and rejection. Ian’s tone is reflective, wise, and melancholy.

    Ian uses repetition of ideas throughout the song in order to emphasize key points. An integral aspect of Ian’s song is the physical insecurities of young women. She phrases this in different ways throughout the song with wordings such as “love was meant for…girls with clear skinned smiles”, “those of us with ravaged faces”, “ugly duckling girls”, and “at ugly girls like me”. Simply stating “I am ugly” would not have had quite the poetic feeling or the impact that this repetition allows. Emphasizing her physical unattractiveness in this way gives the listeners a chance to fully absorb how truly hideous she feels.

    Reply
  36. Caleb M.

    Caleb M.
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English, Per. 2
    11 March 2013

    In the song “At Seventeen” by singer/songwriter Janis Ian, specific rhetorical strategies are used to illustrate her struggle to feel important in a surrounding focused on beauty during her high school years. (Speaker/TS/O/Sub) The song is is relatable to young girls in their adolescence who are experiencing similar situations or women who have been through the same thing. (A) Ian achieves her purpose of reaching out to girls like her through a depressed tone, a soft voice, and various appeals. (Tone/P)

    Ian focuses on using appeals to other people’s experiences to achieve her purpose.(T) In the song, she sings “And those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces, desperately remained at home”. (CD) In this part of the song, Ian shifts the focus on herself to the audience by using the word “us”.(Strategy/CM) This allows her to relate to the audience through creating a setting of community.(CM)Ian also sings “So remember those who win the game lose the love they sought to gain”. (CD) By reaching out to the young girls who have already been through the same experiences and were left in despair, Ian is able to connect with the audience’s similar experiences.(Strategy/CM) Through communal appeal, Ian is able to reach her purpose of reaching out to her audience. (CS)

    Reply
    1. tashak38 (Post author)

      I need you to revise this. Remember, when you write assuming the speaker is the protagonist you make a false connection. It’s actually a fallacy.

      Reply
      1. Caleb M.

        Caleb M.
        Ms. Keeble
        AP English, Per. 2
        11 March 2013

        In the song “At Seventeen” by singer/songwriter Janis Ian, specific rhetorical strategies are used to illustrate the common struggle to feel important in a society focused on beauty. (Speaker/TS/O/Sub) The song is is relatable to young girls in their adolescence who are experiencing similar situations or women who have been through the same thing. (A) Ian achieves her purpose of reaching out to girls like her through a depressed tone, a soft voice, and various appeals. (Tone/P)

        Ian focuses on using appeals to other people’s experiences to achieve her purpose.(T) In the song, she sings “And those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces, desperately remained at home”. (CD) In this part of the song, Ian shifts the focus from one person to the entire audience by using the word “us”.(Strategy/CM) This allows her to relate to the audience through creating a setting of community.(CM)Ian also sings “So remember those who win the game lose the love they sought to gain”. (CD) By reaching out to the young girls who have already been through the same experiences and were left in despair, Ian is able to connect with the audience’s similar experiences.(Strategy/CM) Through communal appeal, Ian is able to reach her purpose of reaching out to her audience. (CS)

        Reply
  37. Brittany-Ann D.

    Brittany-Ann V. Dela Cruz
    Keeble
    AP English
    12 March 2012
    (Subject)In her song “At Seventeen” Janice Ian expresses the struggles and insecurities of young teenage girls.(Audience)She speaks to those who never experienced the chance to be noticed and looked upon as beautiful.(Strategies, Purpose) Ian appeals to these young teens by using personal experiences, melancholy diction, and repetition to let the audience know they are not the only one fighting this battle.

    (TS)Ian uses personal experiences in order to prove most teenage girls are not confident about their looks.(CD)She states, “I leaned the truth at seventeen. That love was meant for beauty queens.” (CM)This shows many teenage girls did not have the chance to be loved. If love was only meant for beauties, the less attractive were always left out. (CD)Ian also states, “To those of us who knew the pain of Valentines that never came.” (CM) This illustrates that Ian went through the same insecurities as the audience. She knows how it feels to feel lonely and invisible because her looks were not good enough.(CS) Ian uses personal experience to reveal many teenagers fight the battle of being unsure of yourself.

    Reply
  38. Valeria Diaz

    Valeria Diaz
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English
    Period 5
    11 March 2013
    In author Janis Ian’s song (speaker)”At Seventeen, she sings her feelings about why she feels rejected and put down by other better looking girls.(ocassion) Ian sings to the girls that feel the same way like she did when she was seventeen. (audience) Her lyrics bring out a depressed and an un confident girl who wishes to be someone else but her. (tone)
    Ian openes up to her audience in letting them know that she is not confident in who she is. She sings her lyrics “It was long ago and far away the world was younger than today when dreams were all they gave for free to ugly duckling girls like me…” (34-37) Ian admits that she is not the most beautiful girl out their and suffers from accepting it because it damages her confidence as a strong young woman she should be. She moves her audience closer to her by appealing to them that this all happened when she was seventeen. Most girls will turn seventeen at one point and can relate to what she went through in high school. Ian constantly repeats “at seventeen” to remind her audience that she was not the most confident teenager when she was seventeen. Therefore, Ian’s point was to connect to girls that are not confidents and relate to every rejection they have felt.

    Reply
  39. Efrain E.

    Efrain E.
    AP English
    Period 1

    (Subject) In her song, “At Seventeen”, (Speaker)Janis Ian uses various rhetorical strategies to (purpose)bring attention to the glorification of the physical beauty of women. Ian adopts a (RS)ballad style, uses (RS)appeals to social fears, and sings with (RS)colloquial diction to convey her ideas to (audience)women who have had similar experiences. She uses a (tone)lyrical tone to further appeal to inner emotions of her audience.

    (TS) Ian appeals to the social fear of being rejected by one’s peers because of appearance. She makes this appeal to accentuate the affect that the glorification of physical beauty had on girls that were not considered beautiful. (CD) One example Ian uses is in the lyrics, “when dreams were all they gave for free to ugly duckling girls like me…”. (CM) Ian points out that girls who were considered ugly were not given as much attention as beautiful girls. They did not feel as appreciated as other girls that received praise for their looks. (CD)Another example that Ian uses is “I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens”. (CM)Ian felt that she would not be loved because she was not as beautiful as other girls. She reaches out to other women that feel their appearance is to blame for their inability to find love. (CS) Ian uses personal experiences to give examples of moments when she felt rejected in order to connect with other women that may have had similar experiences in their past. This allows her to convey her message in a convincing manner.

    Reply
  40. Desiree N.

    Desiree N.

    Ms. Keeble

    AP English ll

    March 11, 2013

    The songwriter ,Janis Ian,(S)shares her experience of being an ugly seventeen year old girl in her song “At Seventeen.” Ian informs girls who are seventeen or not yet seventeen(A) about the struggles an ugly teenager has in this society (O). The use of sorrowful diction and imagery creates a depressing tone (T).
    The doleful diction Ian uses creates a very sad, gloomy tone(TS). She uses the words ” Lacking and Desperately”- to give a sense of melancholy (CD). These words makes her audience think of a time when they were lacking specific looks or traits trying desperately to fit in(CM). The lines “To those of us who knew the pain, Of Valentines that never came”- causes the reader to think of painful memories (CD). Ian creates a depressing tone mentioning the pain from a loverless Valentine’s Day(CM). BY using sorrowful diction, Ian builds off of her depressing experiences to show that in this society, looks will make you happy in terms of companionship (CS).

    Reply
  41. Rachael B.

    Rachael B.
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English 11, Per. 2
    11 March 2013

    In the song “At Seventeen,” Janis Ian (S) reminisces her experiences when she was seventeen (O). She compares the lives of rich, pretty girls to herself through the usage of metaphors. Ian describes her anguish of feeling as if she was never conformed with the higher social class with her recollection of the past. She wants teenagers (A) around the same age as she once was to relate to her song so they realize they are not alone when it comes to insecurites in life (P). Ian’s sympathetic tone (T) lets the listener feel understood.
    Ian compares her life in metaphors to those whom she feels intimidated and subjugated by (TS). Her lyrics say, “That love was meant for beauty queens… with clear skinned smiles… the valentines I never knew…” (CD). Ian feels that she is not able to be in love or be loved by anyone because she is not what people would call a “beauty queen” and surely did not have the features of one such as the “clear skinned smiles” causing her to feel alone (CM). Due to her flaws, she never found a love, or in this case, she called that type of person a “valentine” (CM). Most teenagers, boys or girls, have felt that type of affliction and could relate to what Ian says (CM). Ian tells of her experience, allowing listeners to realize that there are people who understand that exent of heartache and loneliness (CM). She sympathizes with the teenagers through her similar, metaphorical experiences (CS).

    Reply
  42. Tanzeel H.

    Tanzeel Hak
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English, Period 2
    11 March 2013

    (Topic sentence, subject) In Janis Ian’s song “At Seventeen” (1975), she discusses the experiences teenage girls go through if they aren’t the best looking. (Strategies) The author adds personal obstacles she overcame as a teenager to build credibility and capture the readers’ hearts. Ian’s use of a very gloomy tone helps her achieve the purpose, (Purpose) which is to make everyone think about how society bases a woman strictly on her appearance and the effects of that in high school. (Audience) She seems to have a young woman audience in mind because her song can be relatable to teenage girls as they might be going through the same experiences Ian endured.

    (Topic sentence) Ian illustrates how she had similar experiences as many other teenage girls. (Concrete detail) She explains, “I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens” (Ian lines 1-2). (Commentary) Just like many teenage girls Ian was singled out for not being the cutest. Due to that Ian believed that she would never be in love because the men around her would always go for the more beautiful girl. (Concrete detail) She also states, “…those of us with ravaged faces lacking in the social graces desperately remained at home” (Ian lines 9-11). (Commentary) Many teenage girls across the world have felt a sense of loneliness. Once again the beautiful girls were the ones with boyfriends that they could hang out with whereas the not so beautiful girls would be stuck at home. (Concluding sentence) By expressing she endured similar pain in high school, she builds a huge amount of credibility.

    Reply
  43. Dartise

    Dartise
    March 11, 2013
    Ms. Keeble, 1st period

    (Subject) In her song, “At Seventeen” by (Speaker) Janis Ian, (Occasion) she retraces her high school years where she was not considered the typical “beauty queen”. (Purpose) Ian’s purpose is to inform (Audience)teen girls with insecurities that they are missing out on life if they let others characterize who they are. (Tone) She uses a bitter, lonely tone to express her experience of when she was seventeen and was left out of teenage activities.
    (TS)Ian explains her hardships and insecurities as a seventeen year old girl which led to her self-esteem to lower. (CD)For example, “And those of us with ravaged faces, Lacking in the social graces, Desperately remained at home,” (stanza 2). (CM) She speaks for many girls who are struggling to have a social life due to their looks or lack of beauty. (CS)Throughout the song, Ian reminisces on her past days of when she was not popular.

    Reply
  44. Ross Hatlen

    Ross Hatlen
    Ms.Keeble
    AP Lang. & Composition, Per. 3
    11 March 2013

    In the song “At Seventeen” by the acclaimed song writer, (speaker) Janis Ian, (purpose,audience, occasion) she exposes the hardships of being an homely high school girl. Ian uses a(tone) melodramatic tone through the use of (strategy) personal experiences, metaphors, and repetition, to help achieve her goal of explaining what high school girls have face everyday.
    (TS)Ian uses personal experiences to show the sad life of a unattractive person. (cd cm)”I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens”, this line from the song shows that ugly students have a problem, that love was only meant for pretty people. This is a statement that reveals that being unattractive will only bring you a life full of loneliness. (cd cm) Also, “to those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came”. shows how bad American society is with dealing with the unsightly masses. Their is a whole day devoted just for pretty people, the uglier people are to left alone to rot by them selves. It is a discrimination to repulsive people that make up more of America.(conclusion) Ian with her personal experiences reveals what ugly people have to deal with in life.

    Reply
  45. Veronica

    Veronica
    March 11, 2013
    AP English

    (Subject) In her song, “At Seventeen” by (Speaker) Janis Ian, she reminisces about (Occasion) her high school years where she was not considered “pretty” and how critical judgments lower a girls self-esteem. (Tone) Ian creates a bitter, upsetting tone to express her resentment towards the insecurities she felt. (Audience) Ian appeals to young teen girls who are facing the same insecurities she felt due to not being classified as a “beautiful”. (Purpose) Ian’s purpose is to share her story that appearance is not everything and categorizing people can lower their self-esteem.
    (Topic sentence) Ian lyrically expresses her experience where she was not classified as a “beauty queen” which lowered her self-esteem. (CD) She sings, “I learned the truth at seventeen, That love was meant for beauty queens,” (stanza 1) and “And those of us with ravaged faces, Lacking in the social graces, Desperately remained at home, Inventing lovers on the phone,” (stanza 2). Ian explains when she was seventeen, she learned the hard way as to figuring out that appearance was key to having a social life or gaining a partner. She recreates her past experiences with specific factors that affected her and the way she views society.

    Reply
  46. Niauni

    Niauni Hill
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English, Period 1
    11 March 2013

    In the blue song “At Seventeen” Janis Ian (speaker) uses several strategies to sympathize (purpose) with an audience of average high school girls and an audience of insecure girls who may be dealing with hardships (audience, occasion). Janis Ian adopts an unfortunate, glum tone through her use of caressing stanzas (RS) and soft phrases and expressions (RS).

    Janis Ian uses caressing stanzas to sympathize with an audience of average high school girls and insecure girls who may be going through hardships (TS). “We all play the game, and when we dare We cheat ourselves at solitaire Inventing lovers on the phone Repenting other lives unknown That call and say: “Come on, dance with me” And murmur ague obscenities At ugly girls like me, at seventeen…” (Ian, Janis. “At Seventeen”. 1975) (CD). Janis Ian showcases this stanza in the song to show that she too dealt with troubles and hardships of feeling invisible and insecure (CM). Not only is Janis Ian writing a tell-all song, but she is also in fewer words with a glum tone telling the young, insecure girls, “everyone goes though practically the same events” (CM). Janis Ian’s tone of glum and caressing stanzas gives the audience insight on how her life was and makes the audience feel comfort knowing someone else besides them go through the same exact situations and they are not alone.

    Reply
  47. Johan Ocegueda

    Johan Ocegueda
    Ms. Keeble
    AP English
    11 March 2013
    In the song “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, a number of rhetorical appeals are used to understand the struggles many teenager go through. (S)The song describes the life of the average teen which is very far from perfect. (O)In his occasion, she describes herself at seventeen and how she began to notice that life was not so pretty. (A)like Janis, many teens are impacted like this. They finally open their eyes to see that life is nothing like its thought. (T)Its not a happy world, the song sounds depressed and disappointed of how life truly is.
    (TS)Janis uses real life examples of the thoughts of seventeen year old teens to create sense sympathy towards these young women. (CD)For example, Janis says “Desperately remained at home inventing lovers on the phone.” By doing this, Janis creates an image in our head, an image that imagines a sad girl, desperately wanting someone to care for her, but never getting that one person. We feel sympathy, we feel sad for this girl. We feel closer to understanding how it is that the teenage girls feel inside.

    Reply
  48. Jessica A

    Jessica A.
    Ms. Keeble
    AP Lang. & Composition, Per. 5
    11 March 2013

    In songwriter Janis Ian’s (A) song “At Seventeen,” Ian details the struggles teenage girls face by appealing to the emotions of a typical teenager girl. (O) The author first appeals to these emotions by conveying the common stereotype that only physically-appealing girls can find true love. (RD) She then implants a feeling of sadness within the reader by providing instances where girls are frowned upon by society solely because of their physical appearance. (RD) Her aim is to show young girls that these insecurities are commonplace amongst teenage girls to unite them and show them that they are not alone. (P) She adapts a dejected tone to (T) to direct her lyrics to young, teenage girls. (A)

    Ian appeals to the audience’s common insecurities by presenting instances where only the attractive are accepted. (TS) For example, the speaker says, “…that loved…skinned smiles.” (CD) Ian conveys how this common misconception frequently makes girls feel as if they are not beautiful. (CM) During a girl’s teenager years, it’s easy to conform to the mentality that they are “ugly ducklings.” (CD) By stating her thoughts, Ian expresses that all teenage girls an insecurity, therefore appealing to our common emotion of not feeling confident. (CS)

    Reply
  49. Jashleen Singh

    Jashleen Singh
    Per 2

    In the song,”At Seventeen” by Janis Ian(1975), she reminisces about her sorrows as a seventeen year old girl in high school. Through Repetition, epithet, and tone, Ian emphasizes her experience as an “ugly duckling” during high school.
    One rhetorical strategy used by Ian is repetition. Throughout the song, she repeats the phrase, “…at seventeen..” which depicts her transition from naivete to maturity. This emphasis causes the reader to reflect upon the experiences a seventeen year old girl is challenged with in high school. By constantly using the phrase “…at seventeen..”, Ian is able to take her audience and put them in her position. After being in this position, her audience gets a sense of how it might feel to not be one of the more noticeable and popular girls in high school. Every time she states “…at seventeen..” she refers to what it feels like at seventeen and how there’s more than that. Through repetition, Ian reveals her epiphany of how there’s more than life than what it may feel like during the experience of high school.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Brittany-Ann D. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *