Exigence

When Professor Carr first introduced this rhetorical element, I had trouble remembering what it was. It was a new word to me, and a new concept. We always hear questions about why we are writing (purpose), but we rarely ask, “What prompts us to write?”. Before this class, I never thought about what prompts me to write something. I was usually writing because I had to do a homework, or a test, or a project. It was purely for the class and the grade. The difference between “Why?” and “What prompts you?” is very subtle, but the significance lies in the subtlety. One of the most powerful and compelling factors of my most recent project, the engineering proposal, was the exigence. Talking about how Australia faces many bushfires that kill millions of innocent animals; animals that can’t protect themselves from the effects of human ignorance and selfishness, really draws on people’s heartstrings (Figure 1). If that is what prompts your writing/project, it is difficult to argue against its importance and the effectiveness of such an argument.

Figure 1. Exigence analysis of my engineering proposal.

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