Definition

Refers to the individual or group for who the piece of literature is intended for. Audience is the who. Who was this written for? What group of people did the author hope to move with their work?

Significance

By understanding who the author hoped to reach with their writing, we can better understand the purpose of their writing. Whether this be an audience intended for the period it was written in, or to affect future generations, acknowledging who the audience is allows us, as readers, to graph rhetorical choices catered to the audience. Through a writer’s standpoint, rhetorical strategies used in your writing may vary depending on who your intended audience may be. Writing a speech intended for elementary students will sound very different than one written for Emory Graduate students. The topics of discussion, how you structure your essay, the complexity in word choice and figurative language, are all elements that may vary from audience to audience.

Examples

(1) An Audience During a Speech | Say, for instance, the notable figure in the university is writing up a speech for the upcoming Commencement Ceremony. This speech will be directed towards graduating students to honor students on their success and their commencement into a new chapter in their life. By knowing that this is a congratulating speech, we can make assumptions of the tone and message present throughout the speech.

(2) A Group of Activist | This course focuses heavily on the work of activist throughout different sectors. To understand the purpose of the writer’s work, we can once again reference the audience. For instance, a Black Feminist Activist may address other black women in society; in doing so, we can predict that the piece may be more encouraging towards change in attempt to move and level with black American women. On the other hand, if the activist were to be written to the white oppressors, for instance, the piece may be more critical in nature.