06 – Discursive

Writing
Definition – Copy into your books

1a: moving from topic to topic without order : RAMBLING

“gave a discursive lecture”

b: proceeding coherently from topic to topic

2 philosophy : marked by a method of resolving complex expressions into simpler or more

basic ones : marked by analytical reasoning
 Discursive responses
Discursive writing is exploratory. It takes an idea, a quote, an event, a person or a memory and explores this.
It may end with a reflection and draws widely from many sources including the individual’s personal
knowledge, understanding and experience. It can come in many forms, such as a creative non-fiction piece, a
travel blog, a discussion essay, a speech or a personal essay. According to essayist Annie Dillard:

“There’s nothing you cannot do with it; no subject matter is forbidden, no structure is proscribed. You get to
make up your own structure every time, a structure that arises from the materials and best contains them. The
material is the world itself, which, so far, keeps on keeping on. The thinking mind will analyse, and the creative
imagination will link instances, and time itself will churn out scenes — scenes unnoticed and lost, or scenes
remembered, written, and saved.”
Discursive responses

• Primary focus is to explore an idea or variety of topics.

• Involve the discussion of an idea(s) or opinion(s) without the direct intention
of persuading the reader, listener or viewer to adopt any single point of view
• Aims to make their readers consider the topic from a variety of
perspectives rather than a sing stance.
• Can be humorous or serious in tone and can have a formal or informal register
Defining Features
• Perspective: Explore topics in an unbiased way (this is the only
thing that sets them apart from other text types)
• Register: not formal. Uses humous, personal anecdotes,
figurative and imaginative language, facts. Can also be a mix of
formal and informal language.
• Informal Evidence: Anecdotes and events, informal evidence –
thoughts, personal opinions, things read elsewhere
• Unlike persuasive – does not need to have analytical precision
• Unlike imaginative – does need to have a huge focus on creativity

• Comes in handy when you cant decide a stance.

• Allows for a more detailed discussion with both a personal
and emotional tone.
• Freedom to experiment with language.
Discursive responses – Things to Include
21/3Popular mistakes made by
students

• Waffling without proper ideas or points.

• Informal doesn’t mean unsophisticated. You can be relevant/personal
and sophisticated at the same time. Don’t overuse teenage slangs or
language that is too colloquial.
• Writing a persuasive instead of a discursive. Don’t just explore one side of
the topic. Navigate the subject matter from a variety of perspectives.
• Writing an essay instead of a discursive. Students achieve this by being
too rigid with their structure and inflexible with their language.
• Not answering the question. Flexibility doesn’t mean you can talk about
any topic you desire. Make sure you address the contents of the question.
Intro:
“What if somebody’s heart has been broken one time too many? What
if this person – it could be me, or it might just as well be you – has
being stupid with sadness? What if she can’t sit still or concentrate for
more than twenty seconds at a stretch? What if the part of her mind
that used to grasp structure and form has suddenly lost its grip? What
if the whole world of literature looks like a burnt-out landscape? What
use to such a person is the mighty cataract of books that’s forever
crashing down, blotting out the sunlight and choking the universe? Is
there anything she can salvage from what she’s read in the past that
will be of any use to her whatsoever?”.
Notice how the cumulation of rhetorical questions evolves
from a seemingly irrelevant opening to a reflection of why
literature should be valued. This mirrors the overturned
tricycle in the stimulus – seemingly irrelevant but once put into
the
right context ‘can stand for everything’.
 What could make a good discursive?
• It does not persuade – it considers.
• It explores rather than explains.
• It admits contradiction – envy of the novelist, yet pride in the poem.
• It uses figurative language to support ideas, not to make a case.
• It engages the reader as if in conversation.
• It invites interpretation.
• It ends reflectively – not with a hard conclusion.
 Language techniques to note (simple): this is a
sample
one
• Simile: 'like paint, thinned and spread out' Extended metaphor – comparing a poem to a
• Personification: 'the yew tree began to closed fist, a novel to an open hand.
manage and order the whole affair' • Philosophical reflection – on time, experience,
• Imagery: 'the poet is an expert packer of perception.
suitcases' • Symbolism – the yew tree, the snow globe,
the toothbrush.
• Rhetorical questions: 'How shall I describe
• Tonal variation – playful, serious,
it?'
ironic, humble.
• Anecdote: 'I have never put a toothbrush in • Hypothetical scenario – imagining the
a poem.' novelist’s process.
• Open with a bold opinion or emotional reaction: 'How I envy the novelist!'
• Use metaphor or analogy throughout…not just to decorate, but to explore.
• Move through different tones: envy, humour, reflection, humility.
• Include personal anecdote or creative vignette (like the yew tree).
• Conclude softly, reflectively… not with persuasion or finality.
• Let the piece feel like a conversation with the reader: curious, intimate, insightful.
 Structure ideas YOU can borrow: (from a sample
piece)
• Open with a bold opinion or emotional reaction: 'How I envy the novelist!'
• Use metaphor or analogy throughout…not just to decorate, but to explore.
• Move through different tones: envy, humour, reflection, humility.
• Include personal anecdote or creative vignette (like the yew tree).
• Conclude softly, reflectively… not with persuasion or finality.
• Let the piece feel like a conversation with the reader: curious, intimate, insightful.
 Other inspirations for your discursive writing:
• Everyday objects – what do they reveal?
• Observations of people – on trains, in cafes, waiting rooms.
• Personal contradictions – like envying something you don’t want to be.
• Shifting form – blend storytelling, musing, questioning.
• Writing about writing – or any kind of creative or reflective experience.
• Lean into metaphor, digression, and playfulness – but keep it purposeful.a
Group DiscursiveThe
activity topics
value of reading and
writing
The desire to be seen as ‘cool’

Societies view of Muslims.

Being a student in Australia

Sample
On teaching, there is some of which I can comment. And I use the word
‘some’ as teaching has only been a professional career for a small
fraction of my life. Yet if I look at the notion of teaching from a much
broader perspective, I see that it has been interwoven throughout my
entire life.

Deep breathe…in…and out. The teacher enters the classroom. I enter

the classroom. I just know I’m going to get in trouble. Those boys look
they are up to nothing but trouble. I haven’t done any homework. I
hope they have done their homework.
More examples for you.

• Wendell Berry’s essay “An Entrance to the Woods” - [Link]

• Annie Dillard's 'Total Eclipse' - [Link]
• David Sedaris’ “Untamed: On making friends with animals” -
[Link] animal-friends
• EB. White’s “Once More to the Lake” - [Link]
• George Orwell’s ‘A Hanging’ - [Link]
• Annie Dillard’s “Total Eclipse” -
[Link]
• Anna Ruta’s “A Tree Left Standing (inspired by Walden by Henry David Thoreau) -
[Link]
0Standing%20by%20Anna%[Link]
• Virginia Woolf’s “The Death of a Moth” (with analysis) - [Link]
• “Snow Fall” The Avalanche at Tunnel Creel – multi-modal by John Branch; The New York Times, Dec. 20, 2012 -
[Link]
How to Write a Discursive Text
What is a Discursive
Text? A discursive text explores different
sides of an issue or idea.

It’s less formal than an essay but

more structured than a casual
opinion piece.

You don’t have to argue for one side,

and you can include personal
anecdotes, rhetorical questions, or
even humour.
1. Introduction : Start with a Hook and Present the Idea

Start with something

Introduce your topic: What
engaging: a quote, a
is the issue, idea, or question
question, a fact, or a
you’re exploring?
short personal anecdote.

"Is success defined by money

State the direction: Let or happiness? It’s a question
the reader know you’ll be that’s sparked countless
exploring multiple debates and personal crises,
perspectives or ideas. especially in high school
classrooms just like this
one."
 2. First Body Paragraph:
Explore One Perspective
• Present one side or perspective of the topic.
• Include examples, personal reflections, or cultural references. Use a conversational tone but stay thoughtful.
•

• "Some believe success is all about financial security. After all, who
doesn’t want a stable job and a nice house? For many families, especially those doing it tough, money means op
 • Offer a contrasting view or
3. Second •
variation.
Use storytelling or hypothetical situations.
xplore a Different Perspective •
Keep your tone engaging.

• "On the other hand, success might

be better measured by contentment. I know someone who lives in a tiny ho
earns just enough, and says he’s never been happier. Is that failure, or freed
 4. Optional Third Body Paragraph: Explore a
Middle Ground or Personal View

Blend the perspectives or offer your own evolving opinion

Acknowledge complexity : discursive writing is about

exploring, not concluding.

"Maybe success isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works for one person might feel meaningless to a
 Avoid a firm conclusion like in persuasive writing.

5.
Instead, leave the reader with something to think about a
Conclusion –
Wrap It Up
Thoughtfully "So maybe the real question isn’t
‘What is success?’ but ‘Whose version are you living?’ In th
 Key Tips

Voice matters: Write

Be thoughtful: You’re
like you’re speaking to
not arguing, you’re
an intelligent friend.
exploring ideas.

Use varied language:

Personal stories are
Rhetorical questions,
powerful: They make your
analogies, short
ideas relatable and engaging.
sentences for effect.