Rhetorical Analysis: First Attempt — Base Material: Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich

In this invaluable book, the author shows mastery over rhetoric. Just a few impactful quotes from his book, which has aged well because of his usage of this sort of language, include:

"The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat."

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

"You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be."

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal."

"If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way."

I believe I have identified several key instruments Mr. Hill has harnessed particularly well here to make his words resonate and continue to be remembered through generations: repetition, rhythm, rhyme, and analogy. 

In this book, the author's aim is to inspire and teach the reader to attain the mindset of a go-getter through passion and confidence in his or her own ability. This is made evident through his insistence that success lies in one's own mindset. He frequently reminds the reader to envision his or her goals vividly and precisely on a regular basis in order to instill in his or herself the strong desire needed to stay focused in pursuit of them. He also offers repeated examples of the triumphs of famous men, unlikely to excell in their time, who achieved great success in the end due to little more than their own perseverance. He explains that they were so able to persevere in the wake of great opposition solely because of their strong desire and confidence in their ability to overcome whatever obstacles stood between them and their goals. He then summarizes the ideas from these short stories into key takeaways, such as those quoted above, which are near-impossible to argue with after the provision of such strong evidence of their virtue, especially when combined with the aforementioned linguistic tools he empowers them with. By this point, his claims are as concrete as a sidewalk in the snow.

*Note: This was my first assignment submission for Harvard's online course on rhetoric, created prior to receipt of any course material and meant as a short assessment of pre-existing knowledge only. Needless to say, the extent of my understanding of rhetoric at the time was next to non-existent. Since this writing, my understanding of rhetorical devices and their functions has expanded significantly, though I still have vast amounts to learn.