In “A Piece of Chalk,” G.K. Chesterton recounts an occasion in which he was searching for brown paper on which to draw, and the chalk that he uses to draw it on is also examined. “I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in one's pocket; the pocket-knife, for instance, the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword.” Chesterton muses on the importance of our possessions, wondering how they inform and identify us.
The purpose of the passage is to demonstrate the art that exists in the real world, regardless of whether it is drawn on or not. When the author runs out of chalk, he realizes his own thesis: “Imagine a man in the Sahara regretting that he had no sand for his hour-glass. Imagine a gentleman in mid-ocean wishing that he had brought some salt water with him for his chemical experiments. I was sitting on an immense warehouse of white chalk.” He determines that Southern England is that piece of chalk he had been looking for – a virtuous piece of art.
The audience for the passage is assumed to be the readers of his own personal thoughts; those who are interested in art and the pursuit of it. The author’s style is incredibly relaxed and colloquial, speaking to the reader as though they were a friend. Thoughts are shared in a friendly, conversational manner, as the author discovers the fact that Southern England is a piece of art along with the reader.
Rhetorical Analysis – “The Miracle of Grass”
Joseph Wood Krutch’s “The Miracle of Grass” begins with the thesis statement he wishes to explore – “Of all the green things which make up what Goethe called ‘the living garment of god,’ grass is one of the humblest, the most nearly omnipresent, and the most stupidly taken for granted – a miracle so common that we no longer regard it as miraculous.” The author wishes to explore just how wonderful grass is, and how it plays into the wonderfully intricate nature of life.
The audience for the passage includes those who were not completely aware of grass’ wonder; those who take nature for granted, and need to be reminded exactly where we live, and how incredible it is. The purpose is to inform novices and the ignorant as to how amazing and transformative grass can be. The abundance of grass is compared to modern human history – “abundance has been democratized or, that now as never before nearly everybody can have rather too much of many things not worth having.” In light of this, Krutch wishes to show that abundant grass is a fantastic thing to behold.
Krutch’s style in presenting his argument is very comprehensive and relatable. He uses detail and the nature of change and transformation to demonstrate the miraculous nature of grass, stripping it to its basest nature (even calling it “that thing called grass”) in order to make it as clear as possible that it is amazing. Different perspectives are employed to offer their opinion on grass, from botanists to poets. This is meant to show the comprehensively amazing way that grass informs and fascinates us.
