SIGNIFICANCE OF WRITING

Significance of Writing
Matthew Macedo
University of Texas at El Paso

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2
Introduction:

Some people often dismiss poetry as irrelevant. With conflict at every corner of
the globe, one might wonder how a few flowery words can make a difference. Author
Roger Housden posted an article titled Why Poetry is Necessary on the website The
Huffington Post. This text explores his life as a poet, and the significance poetry has on
the world. Also, a piece of art posted to the Deviant Art website depicts a woman
wielding a large fountain pen as if it were a sword. The background is splattered with
blood or what could be red ink. The woman is wearing what seems to be newspaper with
visible text. Username illegalalien2000 posted this digital art with the title The Pen is
Mightier than the Sword. Both genres aim to convey the significant of writing and how
it is relevant to the world. Each genre targets different audiences through different means,
but deliver the same message: Writing is a wonderful thing.
Audience and Purpose:
The primary audience for Why Poetry is Necessary would be people from ages
18-30 who are either students or have a career in writing. A more specific audience
would be men and women who are a fan of Roger Housden and poetry. Since the article
is posted on The Huffington Post, which has a large variety of topics of interest, some
people may wonder and encounter the article being curious about poetry because they
have not touched too much on it in the past. Students who are contemplating studying
creative writing would be an ideal audience too. The primary purpose of the article is to
persuade the reader that poetry is in fact necessary. At times, even poets might question
what they are doing. Sometimes, while sitting alone in front of my computer, I have
wondered whether I was wasting my time (Housden, 2011). the article aims to persuade

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poets that poetry is worth pursing, and inform others of its relevance. Some of the
audience will know of Housden and his work, and will be familiar with the metaphoric
language he uses, as well as some famous poets he mentions. It will take the reader about
5-10 minutes to read and re-read the article. In that amount of time, the audience will
likely read through the material well and pay attention to the authors message, especially
since it is in a blog type format. The language used is formal, and contains a lot of poetry
style since the audience will likely be poetry enthusiast and poets alike. They come from
an undiscovered country; they are shaped into form by the power of language, and set
free to fly with wings of images and metaphor (Housden, 2011).
In contrast, the audience for the digital art The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
would range from ages 15-25. The age difference differs because most art on this site is
that of science fiction and fantasy. The art itself has its own influence of Japanese martial
arts and animie fantasy. The purpose of the image is to put a modern twist on the old
saying, The pen is mightier than the sword by depicting a female warrior holding a
large fountain pen that resembles a Katana. She is wearing clothing that resembles a
newspaper, and has purple hair. The background is splattered by blood or what could be
red ink. The middle of the background is circular and red as well which looks like the
Japanese flag. It is because of these subtle Japanese influences that the audience would be
those who know about anime and martial arts and take more interest in the photo and the
meaning behind it. It takes a few seconds to admire the image but when further analyzing
it, the audience can recognize its details and agree with the message because of how it is
depicted in a modernized manner. The main gender would be male because of the images
use of blood, weapons, and a semi nude female. The image achieves its purpose by

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attracting a certain audience and conveying a saying that will simulate an importance in
writing.
Both genres emphasize a significant emphasis on writing, but in entirely
different ways. The article is more thorough and has a specific audience for poetry while
the photo targets a broader audience but while still trying to advocate writing with the use
of imagery and its websites user interests.
Rhetorical issues:
The article written by Robert Housden is credible because he is a successful
author of several books, a few of them being about poetry. I wrote more books in
my Ten Poems series (Housden, 2011). The audience reading his article can trust what
he is writing about because he has been writing for some time now. His article is further
credible because it is found on The Huffington Post website which is well known for
informative pieces. This is important because the audience reading his work can trust
what he is saying more than if it were on a satire website and if the author used bad
grammar and an unstructured format. Housden strikes emotion in his readers not so much
because what he says, but from what he mentions about other poets and poems that
changed his life. And suddenly (you) find yourself blown into a world full of awe,
dread, wonder, marvel, deep sorrow, and joy (Housden, 2011). He uses the experiences
that he has had with poetry to emphasize the importance of it, and to persuade the reader
to read a good poem to have an emotional experience and possible change their life.
Logically, Housden explains how poetry is language everyone knows, yet its rearranged
in a way that can evoke awe in the reader. It uses words that are known to all of us, but

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in a sequence and order that surprises us out of our normal speech rhythms and linear
thought processes (Housden, 2011).
The credibility of the artist who created the digital artwork The Pen is Mightier
than the Sword is shown by his/her other works posted at the bottom right corner of the
page under More from: illegalalien2000. Other vibrant artworks are shown here so the
viewer can get a taste of other works he/she has created. This is important because you
can see the artists talent and appreciate the artwork he made based of the old saying the
pen is mightier than the sword. The red background with splattered blood will evoke a
sense of anger. Seeing the woman holding the pen that resembles a sword in a battle
stance will excite the viewer and feel that they too will be powerful when they write. The
website Deviant Art supports the artist by stating Proudly showing 293 million pieces of
art from over 32 million registered artists and art appreciators. Thus, further increasing
the credibility of the artist. This supports the purpose because the artist can convey
his/her message while also being presented as a credible artist. The viewers will more
likely take time to appreciate the piece because it is on a recognized site.
The picture can evoke more emotion than the article because of its vibrant colors,
use of martial arts references and its message of power in writing. The article relies more
on other poets words to convey emotion, and the authors experience writing to prove his
point. Housden is a credible writer of the article because he is a well-known author. The
artist is credible as well because he is posted on a well-known site. Although the image
targets a young male audience because of the violence and partial nudity, the website is
open to a broader audience as a whole. The article caters to a more specific audience

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because the content is aimed at fellow poets and poet enthusiast because of the use of
colorful words and references to poems.
Structure and Delivery:
The information conveyed by the article is shaped by the blog style format in that
it is easy to read because it feels casual. However, just because the information is
presented in such a way does not hinder the authors message because he is a highly
credible author. Because of his experience writing and studying poetry, the audience can
absorb the information more willingly while taking in the vital message: poetry is
important. Communication features include organized blocks of text with italicized titles
of poems and authors and even isolated poems presented in a paragraph of their own. The
authors professional yet easy to read methods of conveying his message make it easy
and not time consuming for the reader to digest. The post is presented on a professional
website with good organization. The appealing color and structure of the website makes it
easy to read than if it were on a website with a black background, crazy fonts, and
flashing animations.
The picture is presented in more informal way. The website is know for
professional digital artists, however the site is riddled with various other pictures, and
animations on pictures of users, and comments. The pictures are presented in a less
informal way because the site is used as a recreational site. Users browse the content for
entertainment, but at the same time like and comment on their favorite works. This is a
good site for someone who wants to show his or hers work to get casual feedback from
an artist population. This method of delivering content is good because it reaches a
broader audience and can evoke a stronger importance in writing across various people.

SIGNIFICANCE OF WRITING
The article has a more specific discourse and is structured in a way where the
readers and easily find and read the content. The picture has a more broad discourse of
younger people; yet can capture the specific attention of people who enjoy writing. The
picture is also observed for less time, but also has the potential to have a big impact
because of the message it is conveying, and how the author coveys it.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the article is more effective at conveying the message because the
author has a convincing argument about his personal experiences with poetry and
persuades the readers to give poetry a chance if they do not already love it. Although the
image conveys a powerful message at a glance, it is less effective because the viewer will
most likely spend less time on it than the article. The article has just enough content to
get the message across, but not too much to bore the reader, and not to little lack a lasting
impact. Messages can be conveyed across to certain discourse through a variety of
genres. Some are more effective than others depending on the situation. In this case,
Housdens article is more effective because it targets poetry specifically, and it is in
written form. Written form being best since the topic is writing, poetry specifically. The
more specific, the better concentrated the message.

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References
Housden, R. (2011). Why poetry is necessary. The Huffington Post. Retrieved September
15, 2014.
Jasper, (2011). The pen is mightier than the sword. Deviant Art. Retrieved September 15,
2014.