Self Evident

Normally, I don't like reading poems. However, Self Evident by Ani DiFranco is an exception. This poem has crazy swings in tone and changes the emotions of the reader from part to part. It was very deep, but completely understandable.
After doing some research on Ani DiFranco and reading the poem itself, I was able to get a good general understanding of the type of person she is. She is not afraid to express her feelings in words whatsoever. Controversial/touchy subjects are something she looks to exploit. She seems to have a very strong dream of America and the rest of the world.
The poem would definetly be a good read for any American. However, I feel it would favor Democrats over Republicans due to many stands on random issues expressed in the poem.
Throughout the reading, there are many examples of pathos. Emotions stirred for me as I read the part
"on the day that America
fell to its knees
after strutting around for a century
without saying thank you
or please"
In this, she attempts to adjust the reader's emotions at the beginning of the poem.
Another example is when she is talking about the actual burning of the towers. This visual through words appeals to emotion.
There are uses of logos as well. She tries to reason throughout the poem that the dream of America has not been realized. She demonstrates through examples that America is not as different as it seems when compared to other countries.
"cuz take away our playstations
and we are a third world nation"
I believe that her rhetorical uses really add to the poem as a whole. Her message is better conveyed using the evident Logos and Pathos.
The media has a relatable influence on how these rhetorical uses influence us as readers. As Logos is used by many corporations while the media uses a great deal of Pathos, we are subject to fall for this use of rhetoric.
My analysis is similar to others I have made regarding works discussed in class in that there has been a great deal of Pathos and Logos. However, I was unable to find much Ethos as DiFranco used first person to describe the poem itself. There was not an reliance on the reputation of DiFranco.