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.
Modern Definitions of Rhetoric and Composition
By: Michaela Wagner
Modern rhetoric is made up of multimodal and multi-purposeful theories used to
effectively create and communicate information. Composition, then, is the application of those
theories as practical skills.
The modern understanding of “composition” informs our modern definitions of
“rhetoric” and covers the creation or application of the theories presented under rhetorical
studies. Composition “puts together” the rhetorical skills into a physical work to be shared
(Andrews 45). In other words, composition and rhetoric are two sides of one whole. This
inherent connection makes it nearly impossible to separate the ideas of each. Composition would
not exist without the existence of the theories and strategies developed through rhetoric, but
those same elements of rhetoric would have no meaning without the concrete applications in
composition.
Composition is tied to the writing process taught as far back as elementary school:
prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. However, composition in its entirety creates a more
nuanced and cyclical process. Multiple steps can be happening simultaneously and they don’t
necessarily have to be completed in order. In truth, there is little research on composition as a
process and whether all established writers compose their work in the same way (Takayoshi
551). Even so, understanding the theories of rhetoric serves to highlight the processes that take
place when composing a piece of writing and build better understanding of both subjects.
The subject of composition in modern studies opens the subject of rhetoric up to the vast
number of mediums in which composition can take place, and is related to many different skills
that work together such as analysis, rhetoric, writing, and craft (Hesse 34). Similarly, neither
subject is limited to the sole purpose of persuasion, but can be utilized to accomplish anything
from information to entertainment. One of the most common applications in the modern age is
the composition of social media posts, which also incorporates one of the most common subjects
of modern rhetorical discourse: personal experiences (Connors 325). Any information composed
and shared — whether it be a personal insight or experience, or a drafted academic essay —
contributes to modern rhetorical discourse. Modern rhetoric is everywhere, and even the smallest
acts of writing serve as composing ideas that are put out into the world for others to see, share,
and comment on.
Works Cited
Andrews, Richard. “Rhetoric and Composition.” A Theory of Contemporary Rhetoric,
Routledge, 2004, pp. 43-56.
Connors, Robert. “Invention and Assignments in Composition-Rhetoric.” Composition-Rhetoric:
Backgrounds, Theory, and Pedagogy, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1997, pp. 296-327.
Hesse, Douglas. “The Place of Creative Writing in Composition Studies.” College Composition
and Communication, vol. 62, no. 1, National Council of Teachers of English, 2010, pp.
31-52.
Houston, Mark. “Writing Things.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 73, no. 2,
National Council of Teachers of English, December 2021, pp. 338-364.
Takayoshi, Pamela. “Writing in Social Worlds: An Argument for Researching Composing
Processes.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 69, no. 4, National Council of
Teachers of English, June 2018, pp. 550-580.