Basically, it’s an essay or text that explores a number of viewpoints without trying to persuade the reader.
Explores an issue or idea and may suggest a position or point of view.
Approaches a topic from different angles and explores themes and issues in a style that balances personal observations with different perspectives.
Uses personal anecdotes .
Can be humorous or serious in tone.
Primarily uses first-person voice.
Uses figurative language, but also facts.
Draws upon real life experiences and/or wide reading on the topic/issue.
Uses engaging imagery and literary techniques.
Begins with an event, an anecdote, or relevant quote that is then used to explore an idea.
Resolution may be reflective or open-ended.
Just discusses ideas and opinions on one topic, including the author’s own opinion.
The overall purpose of a discursive piece is to open discussion about one of the topics chosen an offer a diversity of views on it.
Discursive Response Scaffold
Language:
· Rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos and logos)
· Imagery and metaphor (synthesised and cohesive)
· Vocabulary/connotation
· First person perspective (establish tone relevant to thesis)
· Second person address
· The use of anecdote is a possibility, however, this should be used conservatively and thoughtfully. Avoid slipping into recount and ensure the anecdote has merit and balanced with the argument presented.
Example Question:
"Then, although it was the end of the story, I put it at the beginning of the novel, as if I needed to tell the end first in order to go on and tell the rest" – Lydia Davis.
Use the above quote as stimulus for a piece of discursive writing.
So how should you start? The first step is to find a topic which you don’t particularly care about (so you aren’t tempted to push a particular opinion/side - it’s not a persuasive essay), but a topic that is interesting enough to write about. I found these steps helpful:
List 10 - 15 ideas that seem interesting.
Create a shortlist by reviewing and eliminating ideas that are:
Too complicated to discuss in 1000-1200 words
Doesn’t give you the opportunity to explore multiple angles
Plain boring to write about
Hard to research, and you don’t know enough information about
Briefly research each topic in your shortlist, and narrow it down to the best one.