Designing Compositions Rhetorically and CRAP Principles

     In "Designing Compositions Rhetorically," Wysocki and Lynch break down how to create a composition rhetorically; in other words, the steps to creating an argument and then backing it up while addressing the appropriate audience and keeping them interested. I found this to be a very interesting read, as it relates to the composition course I took last semester. Rather than just write papers on various topics, my professor gave us a variety of assignments that forced us to address all these aspects in different ways, as we presented them in different forms of media. For instance, we wrote persuasive essays, group research reports, and advertising analyses, as well as creating short movies and Prezi presentations. In each of these we were forced to recognize the audience we were trying to reach, and to design our argument around them. The key is always to have a strong, recognizable argument and keep it consistent throughout the piece. This is where rhetoric comes into play, as stated in the Bitzer reading, as you have to have the right situation to form the argument, and then you must present your argument in a way that will persuade your audience.
     Something we worked a lot with in my composition course was CRAP principles. CRAP stands for contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. These principles can and should be applied to any piece of media which conveys an argument, be it a written document or a presentation. The goal is to use them in a way that makes the argument stand out, while still keeping the supporting arguments consistent and easy for the audience to follow. Keeping the audience interested and supporting arguments with sound evidence will make it much easier to convince them that what you are saying is right, and they should share your views.
     Overall, the topic of most importance in this reading was stating your argument and having a concrete sense of purpose. If you know what you're trying to convince your audience of, and you feel passionate about it, designing the composition to fulfill this goal should come easily. CRAP principles are a great way to enhance a composition and solidify the argument to the audience, and knowing the situation to which the argument applies will allow you to formulate an argument that is strong and convincing to the audience.