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1. The poem opens with the narrator saying “I sing a true song of myself, / tell of my journeys” (ll. 1-2). What rhetorical appeal/s does the narrator make in doing so?

In announcing that his words are true and relate his own experiences, the narrator asserts his ethos. That is, he presents himself as an authority on the topic to be discussed.

2. The opening passages of the poem has the narrator state that “in days of toil / I’ve often suffered troubled times, / hard heartache” (ll. 2-4). What rhetorical appeal/s does the narrator make in doing so?

In noting struggle, trouble, and heartache, the narrator is making a pathos appeal. The narrator explicitly notes emotional states, seeking to foster fellow-feeling in the audience.

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