TOW #18

                One February 1^st, 2017, world-renowned pop/rock sensation Beyoncé posted an image to the prominent social media site Instagram to announce her second pregnancy to twins with her rapper husband, Jay-Z.  The image shows Beyoncé kneeing on a bed of grass, in front of a halo-shaped flower garland, masked in a mint green veil and clutching her pregnant stomach. In the caption of the image, she surprised the world with her message, writing, “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters” (Beyoncé). The sky above her is blue with one or two small clouds to symbolize how she hopes her pregnancy and the lives of her two unborn children will be. Parents want the best for their children, so Beyoncé used the background of her image to foreshadow the hopeful future of her children. Beyoncé also uses visual rhetoric in the veil that covers her face. It is green, which is a neutral color, to avoid ideas about the gender of the child. In addition to the clear sky and the green veil, Beyoncé used rhetoric in her text as well. Recent events and rumors would suggest that Beyoncé and her husband may not have been on the best of terms for the past few months or even year, but her anaphora in the caption of the word ‘we’ signifies a unity of the couple and is used to show the reader and viewer that the couple is strong and united. This reassured anyone who ever doubted their marriage that it is still okay, and proves that thy will be civil parents of their children. Though very subtle, these strategic details enhance the message Beyoncé is trying to convey through her post about her developing pregnancy and successfully express certain ideas.