Note to April: This paragraph is the summary you don't want to read but I feel compelled to write. Skip forward for reflection. Every time I read this essay or discuss it, I become more confused. In my opinion (which is newly formed and still changing), the difference between transactional, expressive, and poetic writing is the audience's reaction. With expressive writing, the audience or lack of audience makes no difference whatsoever. Transactional writing requires the audience to become participants in order for something to be accomplished. Poetic writing leaves the audience focused on the shape of the writing itself; the audience is a group of spectators rather than participants.
I guess my confusion is this: Britton seems to say that the distinction between the types is based on audience as I just explained, but he also seems to place writing along a continuum based on how much the author is revealed (see pages 7-8). Perhaps this is really a two-dimensional graph?
I am beginning to understand how to use this in my classroom, asking students to write for different audiences and require different responses of their audiences. I need to include writing for the sake of its art (poetic) as well as writing for the author's pleasure (reflective) and persuasive pieces (transactional). As I continue reading and discussing this topic, my understanding will surely become clearer and my classroom applications more useful.
one benefit of summarizing is to bring together your thoughts: this way you know (as do others) whether or not you understood the content. In fact, as a facilitator, it might have been better if I had asked you to summarize these two difficult texts before i asked for your summary.
ReplyDeleteyet another way to think about this continuum is the presence of inside jokes. There are things that only I will understand; very personal. there are other references that only a family member would understand; the sphere is getting bigger. When I'm writing truly transactional writing, anyone, whether they know me personally or not, should be able to understand, comprehend, respond. No inside knowledge needed (aside from the jargon of the discipline, perhaps).
As we continue to revisit these three categories I hope it will deeper your understanding.
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