Students in Dr. Nicole Pfannenstiel’s summer 2025 writing seminar crafted blog posts exploring Rhetoric & Composition. Over the next several weeks, we will share their work in this space to bring visibility to their posts and offer a variety of perspectives on pertinent topics within Rhetoric & Composition. These posts are written by graduate students currently in the MA and M.Ed. English programs.
Contemporary Rhetoric: Kinneavy
By: Keani Hindle
James L. Kinneavy (1920 – 1999) is one of the world’s most renowned contemporary teachers of rhetoric and composition, widely known for his published work A Theory of Discourse: The Basic Aims of Discourse. Within this text, he explores his theories on composition and teaching composition. His views on the art of composition and its connections to rhetoric heavily influence the contemporary definition of rhetoric as a whole.
In an interview discussing his publications, Kinneavy shares his own definition of rhetoric: “I would define rhetoric as the study of composition. Consequently, it seems to me, I am a rhetorician who uses that study to teach people how to write” (Gale et al. 32). To him, rhetoric and composition are intertwined, which is slightly different from the beliefs of ancient teachers of rhetoric. Based on his beliefs, rhetoric is the art of discourse, but can best be learned through the means of writing. Rhetoric at the hands of composition heavily focuses on how writing is dependent on a variety of factors, similar to other rhetoricians. In his text, The Aims of Discourse, he details composition written in a triangle. The text written or spoken is influenced by the Encoder (author), Decoder (reader), and Reality (situation). He explains when discussing the aim of discourse:
“I think that the author had something to do with [the aim]-he had a certain purpose and then he incorporated that into the text and so on-and so the text, if it’s read just in a neutral situation, can be interpreted as having some kind of an aim… It’s clear too that each reader brings his own meaning to a text and finds his intent embodied there; maybe that meaning is only partial, or maybe it is actually a distortion of the text, but he brings some meaning to the text…there is the situation of the moment-exigencies of the situation as they call it in speech communication theory. That also influences the aim of the text: kairos, the situational context” (Gale et al. 35).
The combination of these three factors ultimately impacts the comprehension of the message. Therefore, it is vital for a speaker/writer to consider these factors during composition, especially as they try to get a specific idea across to their audience. As a result as well, a skilled compositionist can become a skilled rhetorician by thinking of these factors as they read other works or speak their work aloud.
Kinneavy also goes on to link those three pieces of the triangle to varying types of compositions. Works that rely heavily on the Encoder are often expressive like conversations, journals, or manifestos. Those that rely heavily on Reality are often referential, such as textbooks or reports. Finally, those that rely on the Decoder are often where we see traditional persuasive pieces, like advertisements or political speeches. Such knowledge can allow for the composer to reach for intentional rhetorical tools to correspond with the needs of that piece.
As the world of communicating ideas evolves, so too must the communicator. Contemporary rhetoric calls for speakers, writers, and any form of creators to identify both their message and audience before composing their piece for their readers to consume. These Kinneavy ideas calling for the writer to understand the complexities of their role as a “specific writer for a specific audience” can help those newly emerging writers along the way.
Works Contributed / Works to Explore for More Information
Andrews, Richard. A Theory of Contemporary Rhetoric. Routledge, 2014. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=d6db4d28-feac-319c-95e4-75b06405f37f.
Gale, Fredric G., et al. “Speaking of Rhetoric: A Conversation with James Kinneavy.” Rhetoric Society Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 3, 1997, pp. 31–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3886202. Accessed 23 June 2025.
Kinneavy, James E. “The Basic Aims of Discourse.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 20, no. 5, 1969, pp. 297–304. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/355033. Accessed 23 June 2025.
Miller, Thomas P. “Memorial Tribute to James L. Kinneavy, 1920-1999.” College English, vol. 62, no. 3, 2000, pp. 313–16. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/378933. Accessed 9 July 2025.
Worsham, Lynn, et al. Kinneavy Papers, The : Theory and the Study of Discourse. SUNY Press, 2000. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=499bb748-dfaa-3a8c-91c2-a351cd471a06.