American Literature / Unit 5 AML 0411 short lesson, about 20 seconds
*The American Crisis* and the Rhetoric of Emergency
Captions available
The idea
The Crisis began in seventeen seventy-six with the sentence about times that try men's souls, distinguishing the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot from those who stand now. Written to be read aloud to troops, it uses short clauses, direct address and a contrast a listener can hold.
In practice
Written for reading aloud to soldiers.
Where people slip
The style is designed for the ear.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it