"Imagine" by John Lennon: Ethos

Lennon wrote his hit "Imagine" alongside his wife at the time, Yoko Ono. Prior to the song, Lennon had established extrinsic ethos through his public commentary on the Vietnam war and Christianity. He criticized our involvement in war, promoting world peace among all, and the overall belief system of the Christians, stating that it creates a division in mankind. Due to this, Lennon had a previous reputation for being radical. Additionally, the song itself perfectly embodies his views regarding religion and politics and demonstrates his reputation to the public. Lennon establishes intrinsic ethos within "Imagine" by stating that there are others with his same belief system, ultimately informing the listeners that his opinions are justified. Specifically, Lennon wrote, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us…" These lines were used to provide credibility for Lennon and demonstrate the true significance of his suggested ideas for mankind.
-Lea

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Stasis Theory

 Stasis theory can be found in all types of mediums, including songs. Although music may seem like an unlikely method, Sam Cooke utilized stasis theory in "A Change Is Gonna Come" to convey his message in a way people would remember. The first canon, generating arguments, exists through Cooke's response to the ongoing racial situation of the time. His song preaches to the people who've lost hope, ensuring them that their struggles will not last much longer. His arrangement of his argument takes a narrative approach, that helps listeners remember his message by the little stories he weaves into his lyrics, such as going downtown and being told not to stay too long. Cooke expresses his argument with language in his lyrics that any black person of the 60's can understand and relate to. By choosing to express his argument through song, he ensured its lasting effects, as great pieces of music are often remembered for years to come. Even today, people know his song, whether it be because of the powerful message it held, or just the musical beauty of it. He did a good job of making sure his piece of rhetoric would last beyond its time.
-Amrita Mitra

"Imagine" by John Lennon: Major Rhetorical Argument and Stasis Theory

In 1971, John Lennon published his song “Imagine” in response to the animosity and violence surrounding the Vietnam War. Through his lyrics, Lennon promoted the creation of a peaceful world by living simply. Given the time period in which the song was written, neither Lennon nor the audience needed to question whether the world was indeed in a state of disharmony; this was just considered fact. Similarly, the popular opinion was that a peaceful world would be better than the current violent world. Thus, Lennon made his point through his cause and action stases. By telling the audience to imagine a world without religion, countries, and possessions in order to see a world of harmony, Lennon implied that such things were the causes of the problem. Additionally he proposed that living simply instead, leaving behind the burdens of greed, hunger, and heaven and hell, would lead to a peaceful world.

-Madi

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Audience Analysis

Sam Cooke targeted his song, "A Change Is Gonna Come" toward the African-American community of the 1960's, keeping in mind the multitude of different mentalities that this group held. Whether the listeners honored the suffering blacks had endured, tried to forget the pain, or planned to move forward against the obstacles, the song had something that would appeal to everyone. Cooke channeled the frustrations that Black Americans experienced in the face of racism and went further and spoke of hope in the future. The early 1960's marked the beginning of changes in attitudes toward race relations, which made Cooke sure that a more permanent change was on the horizon. He knew that if the black community lost hope, they would have little to no chance of making waves. He aimed to unite the community to fight for equality, despite the hardships they had faced in the past, saying "There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long, but now I think I'm able to carry on."
-Amrita Mitra

"Imagine" by John Lennon: Audience Analysis

                       John Lennon is addressing the 60's population through his song “Imagine” by saying in his song that one day he hopes that all people will be able to live for the day essentially meaning that one day all people will live together in peace and harmony in unison with one another. He also says imagine there is nothing to kill or die for which is essentially sending an anti-war message to the 60s population and telling them to stop the irrational violence happening in the Vietnam War. Lennon is sending a message of peace and brotherhood amongst the audience he is singing to because he wants to end war, violence, and segregation. John Lennon is a musician who supports inclusiveness, sharing, and universal prosperity and asks his audience of the 60s population to follow his message and imitate his actions. As he says, "I hope one day the world will live as one," he sends another message to the 60's population of a message to end racism and racial biases against one another specifically during the time of the Civil Rights Movement.

-Ikenna

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Kairos

Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” was released in 1964, amidst the African American Civil Rights movement.  He was inspired to write this song because of his own experiences with the racism at the time, including being turned away from a whites only motel.  He wrote this song to speak to his own struggle and the struggle of all African Americans at the time with lyrics that they can relate to and use as motivation such as, "I go to the movie and I go down town somebody keep telling me don't hang around."  The timing of his song was fitting, as it became an anthem for the movement.  The tone is one of hope and positivity for the future through its lyrics such as, “It's been a long, a long time comin but I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will.”  The civil rights movement had already begun well before this song and it's lyrics came out but the hopeful tone gave an extra push for change, "There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long But now I think I'm able to carry on."
-Julia

"Imagine" by John Lennon: Kairos

The song, "Imagine," was written in 1971 by John Lennon, shortly after the Beatles disbanded and he took on his solo career. During this time, the Vietnam War was occurring and various opinions on our nation's decisions regarding the war were stirring throughout the population. People were frustrated with the unceasing war and frightened of the potential continuation of thousands of American casualties. Lennon's message in this song is exactly what many people wanted to hear in this rhetoric situation. "Imagine" displays a message about peace and the unification of all different races, religions, cultures, etc. Lennon discusses "a brotherhood of man": a world where all differences can be looked past and everyone can live in perfect harmony. In a time where war and animosity were prevalent in society, Lennon's ideas about peace created hope for many people. "Imagine" provided comfort during the war through its appropriate message and relatable ideas.
-Lea