One of the most successful, all-inclusive rhetorics on the market, this classic text covers nine rhetorical modes and includes a complete unit on the research paper and a comprehensive handbook. By providing numerous sample readings--imaginative literature as well as essays--and specific guidelines for understanding and using each rhetorical mode, From Idea to Essay leads students through the complex process of essay writing. This rhetoric distinguishes itself from others of its kind with a comprehensive apparatus, including story, poem, and photo writing assignments for each mode of development introduced. The Eleventh Edition features a new chapter--"Critical Thinking, Reading, and Seeing"--that teaches students how to evaluate ideas and images they encounter in everyday life.