When thinking back to that first day of WEPO, I had no idea that I would learn so much! The first lesson on Rhetoric honestly scared the heck out of me and I began to get extremely nervous about how I may do in the class. However, I have learned through reading, blogging, and group activities to better understand the theory of rhetoric and what it has to offer. Some of the important key terms for understanding it were best said in one of our first blogs. Rhetoric means to use words in ways that influence people. Lloyd Bitzer was the author of our first reading who explained to us about rhetorical situation, which he defines as "complexes of persons, events, objects and relations inviting discussion which, if it is fitting to the situation, alters the situation”. Another Important term Bitzer discusses is the audience. This is who is being addressed whether it is one person or many people. Of course, the most popular thing I noticed when looking back on past blogs were the five canons of speech. They consist of invention (development of argument), arrangement (what order will you address your statements), style (personalizing your speech), memory (memorize what you’ll say), and delivery (your presentation). Not only do these canons go with rhetoric, but they play a role in composing as well. Composing a speech or writing an article is pretty much the same thing. Both are use to try and convey a point. By understanding rhetoric as well as the canons of speech, you should have a better grasp of composition all together. 
When dealing with composition and rhetoric, you may find that some of the key terms may overlap one another, which I take to mean that they go hand in hand with each other. For instance, the theory of composing is the process of taking information and arranging it a certain way so it can be delivered. Well the words arrangement and delivery were also terms that went with rhetoric. I actually have come to find that most everything deals with rhetoric, whether we realize it or not. Richard Young talks in his article about how composition isn’t just writing random facts down and that’s that. He says that writing should be an expression of you mixed with some facts. If you are showing your personality through writing, shouldn’t there be a slightness of opinion? And if your opinion is there that has the power to persuade the audience, which would be rhetoric. So not only are terms dealing with composition overlapping with terms of rhetoric, but the actual term composition goes with rhetoric as well.
Even though I have had many English classes before, I would honestly have to say that my theory of composing is just now changing, and for the better! Throughout my career as a student I have always done “well enough” when composing that I have been slacking. Unless a teacher made me revise my work or change something, I usually didn’t. My composition process consisted of research then final draft (and usually a spell-check). But that was it! Now I have come to learn that there is an actual process to composition. It consists of researching and gathering your thoughts (brainstorming). Then, writing your first draft and editing and revising it. Then, if you feel it is good enough, it is time to write the final copy. By following my “new and improved” theory, I have found that I am more proud of my work than I have ever been. It makes me feel more confident. In this reflection, it has made me realize that I have learned a lot and have grown as a writer. It has helped me become a stronger composer as well as a better student.
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