Heading Poking A Stick At Cornered Snake example essay topic

The current conflict surrounding a war on Iraq at the moment is a huge issue. This issue has many smaller issues that go with it to make it as big and serious as it is. One of these issues is Saddam Hussein. Hussein is the leader of Iraq and is said to be an evil person. While America is planning a war on Iraq, Hussein is conjuring up plans of attack and defence. The upcoming war on Iraq is filling nearly every newspaper in Australia and all over the world.

For about two months there has been articles, opinion columns and letters to the editor throughout newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Television coverage has also been very large with not only the news and current affair shows but also bulletins and documents going on for months. The four texts are all opinion columns. 'Long march to ignorance,' is by Robert Horvath and was published in The Australian on the 20/02/03. This column is a fairly lengthy piece and touches on several different points about the war. The main theme behind the piece is trying to stop Saddam Hussein from participating in a war.

'Hussein's removal could unite Mid-East,' was written by Greg Sheridan and also in The Australian. This column is written about what would happen if Saddam Hussein were destroyed. This is a little bit different from the other articles, as it is more about what could happen rather than more facts. 'Risk-taker Saddam unlikely to except exile,' was written by Sami a Nakhoul.

It is from the examiner from the 19/03/03. This report is shorter than the others and looks at things from the point of view of Saddam Hussein rather than America. 'Poking a stick at cornered snake,' was by Richard Betts in The Australian on 19/02/03. The headline is quite catchy with the use of alliteration. The article is quite serious but has a few attempts at humour. The tone doesn't change throughout the text from informal.

The purpose is trying to let people know the other side of the story if Iraq gets attacked. There are some good stylistic features used to get the reader interested and also be able to understand the text better. These include alliteration, repetition, hyperbole, symbolization, generalisation and imagery. The first thing you notice about an article is usually the heading. The heading 'Poking a stick at cornered snake,' is quite catchy. The heading seems not serious by using a metaphor, something that has nothing to do with the article.

Betts uses the same theme as the punch line and again it is a metaphor, which has nothing to do with the article. The metaphor is used so that people can relate the heading with the article but still write something different. An alternative heading with the same meaning, not using a metaphor, could have been 'Pointing a gun at cornered Hussein. ' This is simply changing the stick to a gun and the snake to Hussein. 'Poking a stick at cornered snake,' as the heading rather than 'Poking a stick at a cornered,' gives the idea of there only being one snake.

This means that there is only one bad guy. Saddam Hussein. 'A cornered snake,' is more of a generalisation than 'cornered snake. ' The use of this, missing out the 'a' is extremely effective in the heading and makes the reader think more to fully understand it.

The sub-heading gives the writer a chance to either extend on the heading or write something different about the article. Betts has chosen to write something different. He again uses a metaphor. 'Once trapped Hussein could still play his last card. ' The article has nothing to do with playing cards but it is used so the reader can relate it with the column. This is also effective as it makes the reader think about what it really means.

Richard Betts article is aimed towards people who live in Australia as the newspaper is made and sold in Australia. Anyone that reads this paper could read the column and understand most of it as Betts gives some background information. However to get the most out of the text some good knowledge of the article would be useful. The column is set out well with a heading and sub-heading. It has a section in the middle where part of the text is enlarged and in darker writing. This also catches people's eyes and makes them want to read it before the column.

At the end of Betts column he has put in an extra piece saying what he does. 'Richard Betts is a former member of the National Commission on Terrorism, is director of the Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University in New York. ' This is to make people think he is an important person and knows what he is writing about. If this weren't included then people would know his name but not know that he is a specialist in what he is writing about. The paragraphs are set up so as to follow a logical progression.

The first paragraph sets the scene for the article and gives the basic minimum facts. The column then build up through the paragraphs making statements, asking questions, making assumptions and giving the reader his point of view. In the first and tenth paragraphs Betts refers to previous wars to give examples of what might happen if there is a war. The last couple of paragraphs start to wrap the discussion up and Betts tries to convince people to go against war. Examples of Betts trying to do this are 'Is it dishonourable to take counsel of our fears by asking whether this war is an experiment we should run?' and 'This is a time for cold sober calculation, not sentimental chest thumping.

' The last paragraph is a punch line similar to the sub-heading where betts put in his final plea for no war. The tone throughout the whole text is serious. Although, Betts uses metaphors to break up the article and give readers a different look at the topic. Betts has taken the only logical approach to this issue, as it would be hard and insensitive to write jokingly about the war.

Betts uses stylistic features throughout the whole article. He uses repetition frequently to get a message across. The main uses of repetition are between the headings and the article. An example of this is 'Poking a stick at cornered snake,' in the heading and then, '... The snake will strike back when we poke him. ' Repetition is also used in the sub-heading, 'Once trapped Hussein could still play his last card.

' The last paragraph then repeats what is written, but phrased differently. 'If we move to destroy an enemy who holds high cards, its sheer bravado to plunge ahead expecting him to fold without playing them. ' These aren't repeating word for word like other forms of repetition but it is still as effective as the reader could easily relate them together. The other main use of repetition is the enlarged question in the middle of the article.

This has repeated one of the questions from the text and is obviously one of the keys to the discussion. In the second paragraph there is another use of repetition. 'The less immediate, less likely, less dangerous threats. This is used to drill in the point that America is concentrating on the wrong things. There are three examples of rhetorical questions.

'But why should Saddam Hussein provide that favour?' 'Why expect Hussein to go gently when he has nothing left to lose?' and 'Is all this worry about Iraqi counterattack inside the US alarmist?' The questions aren't aimed at anyone particular. They are trying to get people thinking rather than just answering the questions. Betts views are shown quite well in these questions, as they seem more like strong comments. In the first paragraph Betts refers to 'Hawks. ' However he doesn't explain what these hawks are. This may have been done to get people to think or he may have just assumed people that read the column would know what he was writing about.

Betts asks a question towards the end of the article and gives the answer himself 'Is all this worry about the Iraqi counterattack inside the US alarmist?' 'True, odds are low,' How do people know whether the odds are low or not? This would have been better if he had a source to back up his answer as he made a generalisation, that people wouldn't know if it were true or not. Richard Betts has written a well discussed column on a huge issue that effects everyone. He has been successful in covering a few different sides of the issue and has raised points that people may be scared to think of. His use of repetition and metaphors makes this column stand out and makes people want to read it. Because this is such a big issue people may read it for what it's about.

However through reading the text you can see that Betts is a very successful writer..