Firemen At Ground Zero
In the commentary piece “No Firemen at Ground Zero This 9/11” written by Michael Burke, son and brother of firemen, is about how the first responders during 9/11 are now being forgotten. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is denying to honor the first responders on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 because there is not enough room to accommodate them. Burke is standing up for those heroes’ honor and memory. Burke utilizes many rhetorical techniques to convey his message including: narration, description, anaphora, and logos.
Initially Burke illustrates his message by using a brief narration to remind the audience of the events on september 11th. From paragraph 1 to paragraph 10 he takes the reader through the attack and those who helped combat it. He begins the narration by saying, in paragraph 1, “In our darkest hour, they gave us hope- the firefighters of September 11. In the chaos at the World Trade Center, the rigs pulled up, the men climbed out, retrieved their roll-up hoses and marched stalwart to the towers.” This is where Burke begins recalling the event of 9/11. He is telling a story that is designed to pull the reader in and showcase the heroics of the firefighters during the attack . This tactic works as an influencer and bridge to Burke’s point: that the firefighters and first responders during 9/11 should be …show more content…
remembered and honored. The narration does this by first entertaining the reader with devastating events, and then ties the chivalry of the firemen to the current situation in which they are being cast aside by the Mayor of New York during the 9/llth 10th anniversary.
Burke also uses vivid description to remind the audience of the horrors of 9/11 and how the first responders faced them dauntlessly. He uses diction that causes his audience to see and feel the fear of that day. Burke describes in paragraph 4 how the people in the towers “rained down” and how the bodies in the elevators were “charred”. These words help paint a mental image for reader. They cause the reader to witness the torment of those who were trapped and those who walked into the desolation fearlessly.
Additionally, Burke exercises an anaphora to enforce the valor of the first responders during 9/11.
He first states “And still they (firemen) went in” in paragraph 3, and then he states “And still they (firemen) went up”. in paragraph 5. He repeats the statement “And still they went” to emphasize that even through all the destruction and danger, the first responders still kept trying to save others. This effect is both dramatic and effective. The concise and divided way this anaphora is written gives it a memorable flare. The context it is delivered in gives it the effect that the firemen were honorable and heroic for continuing their
fight.
Furthermore, Burke incorporates logos to influence his audience and provide them with information that supports his idea. One way he used logos is in the quotes he gives. One quote Burke adopted is from Winston Churchill in paragraph 11, and it states “Courage- is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” This excerpt is used to show the reader how important bravery is and how virtuous those firemen and first responders were on september 11th. Another logo Burke employed was that he used facts to make the reader reason with him. In paragraph 12 Burke reveals that “Three hundred and forty-three firefighters, 37 Port Authority police officers, 23 NYPD officers and three court officers died at the World Trade Center.” He then continues to explain how these heroes sacrificed themselves to save others. He conveys that the only logical conclusion is to make certain that those who risked everything are not forgotten and instead are revered.
Hence, Micheal Burke used a variety of literary techniques to remind his readers of the sacrifices made on 9/11. He used narration to not only capture his audience but to show them what the firemen and first responders faced during the attack. Burke also used description to put the events of 9/11 into perspective for the audience. He employs an anaphora to make the audience respect the firemen for their fearlessness, and he reasoned using logos that the brave men and women who fought against terror that day are remembered and gratified.
Initially Burke illustrates his message by using a brief narration to remind the audience of the events on september 11th. From paragraph 1 to paragraph 10 he takes the reader through the attack and those who helped combat it. He begins the narration by saying, in paragraph 1, “In our darkest hour, they gave us hope- the firefighters of September 11. In the chaos at the World Trade Center, the rigs pulled up, the men climbed out, retrieved their roll-up hoses and marched stalwart to the towers.” This is where Burke begins recalling the event of 9/11. He is telling a story that is designed to pull the reader in and showcase the heroics of the firefighters during the attack . This tactic works as an influencer and bridge to Burke’s point: that the firefighters and first responders during 9/11 should be …show more content…
remembered and honored. The narration does this by first entertaining the reader with devastating events, and then ties the chivalry of the firemen to the current situation in which they are being cast aside by the Mayor of New York during the 9/llth 10th anniversary.
Burke also uses vivid description to remind the audience of the horrors of 9/11 and how the first responders faced them dauntlessly. He uses diction that causes his audience to see and feel the fear of that day. Burke describes in paragraph 4 how the people in the towers “rained down” and how the bodies in the elevators were “charred”. These words help paint a mental image for reader. They cause the reader to witness the torment of those who were trapped and those who walked into the desolation fearlessly.
Additionally, Burke exercises an anaphora to enforce the valor of the first responders during 9/11.
He first states “And still they (firemen) went in” in paragraph 3, and then he states “And still they (firemen) went up”. in paragraph 5. He repeats the statement “And still they went” to emphasize that even through all the destruction and danger, the first responders still kept trying to save others. This effect is both dramatic and effective. The concise and divided way this anaphora is written gives it a memorable flare. The context it is delivered in gives it the effect that the firemen were honorable and heroic for continuing their
fight.
Furthermore, Burke incorporates logos to influence his audience and provide them with information that supports his idea. One way he used logos is in the quotes he gives. One quote Burke adopted is from Winston Churchill in paragraph 11, and it states “Courage- is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” This excerpt is used to show the reader how important bravery is and how virtuous those firemen and first responders were on september 11th. Another logo Burke employed was that he used facts to make the reader reason with him. In paragraph 12 Burke reveals that “Three hundred and forty-three firefighters, 37 Port Authority police officers, 23 NYPD officers and three court officers died at the World Trade Center.” He then continues to explain how these heroes sacrificed themselves to save others. He conveys that the only logical conclusion is to make certain that those who risked everything are not forgotten and instead are revered.
Hence, Micheal Burke used a variety of literary techniques to remind his readers of the sacrifices made on 9/11. He used narration to not only capture his audience but to show them what the firemen and first responders faced during the attack. Burke also used description to put the events of 9/11 into perspective for the audience. He employs an anaphora to make the audience respect the firemen for their fearlessness, and he reasoned using logos that the brave men and women who fought against terror that day are remembered and gratified.