The rhetorical analysis examines the authors intention and style, not the content. Its a task that is included in the AP English Language and Composition Exam. Students and academics use it often to analyze texts. You must answer certain questions in order to complete a rhetorical study. These will help you determine whether the authors work achieved its intended outcome. This article explains how to write a simple rhetorical analysis.
What is the rhetorical analyses?
A rhetorical analysis essay explores the process by which the rhetorician, or creator of a work, composed it. A rhetorical analysis can be written about any visual copy or text thats intended to persuade a reader. A rhetorical evaluation is meant to evaluate a writer's goals or purposes and the techniques used in making their argument. You are not stating whether you agree or disagree with the argument of the author, but rather describing their style and how well they made their point.
Here are some examples of rhetorical works that you can analyze through analysis.
- A Speech
- An article of scholarly interest
- Novel
- The television program, movie or play
- An art exhibit
- Cartoons or advertisements
In academics, rhetorical analysis can be assigned to students in high school and college as part of their writing assignments or included as part an academic paper.
How to write an analysis essay?
A rhetorical essay is usually composed of three parts, an introduction, and three paragraphs. Divide a piece of creative writing into pieces and explain the way they interact to achieve a desired outcome. The author could want to inform or entertain. Or, they might want to persuade. Write your essay using these steps.
1. Gather Information
Plan your analysis using the SOAPSTone technique. SOAPSTone stands for Speaker (or Author), Occasion (or Audience), Purpose (or Subject), Tone.
- Speaker: Author or voice that tells the story
- Occasion : the time and place where work is done and its context
- The texts intended audience
- Purpose (or purpose): This is what you want to achieve with your work.
- Subject: The texts topic
- Tonality is the tone of the authors voice.
2. Look at the appeals
Appeals are also known as persuasive tactics, and they are used to persuade the reader to react to a piece of writing in a particular way. Three appeals include:
- Ethos: An ethical appeal that establishes the credibility of a writer, for example, mentioning their qualifications.
- Logos: Logic is used in a discussion to prove a point.
- Pathos: Apathetic appeals intended to create an emotional response, for example by relating personal details and experiences about a victim of crime.
3. Choose your style and pay attention to details
They are the tools that a writer can employ to get a readers attention. This includes elements like word choice, word ordering, tone and repetition, imagery and analogies, as well as figurative language.
4. Build an Analysis
You can ask yourself questions to help you understand the information that you have gathered. You will be able to determine why the writer made certain choices, and whether they supported the writers argument. You should focus on the writers actions and their reasons. Examples include:
- What is your intention as a writer?
- Who are the intended audiences?
- What is an argument?
- How did the writer make this argument? Why?
- What is the writers appeal to the reader? Why?
- What is the style of writing?
- What is the impact of this piece on its audience?
5. Introduce yourself.
Introduce your essay in a single, clear paragraph. This should include the main points you will discuss. Give a short background on the author and their message.
6. Thesis writing
The thesis statement is a sentence that should appear at the end the introduction. It summarizes your argument about the writers strategies and choices. The thesis is a very important part of an essay.
7. Body text
Include three body paragraphs which support your thesis. Each paragraph must be focused on a clearly defined topic. You can arrange paragraphs by their appeal (examples include ethos and pathos), their effectiveness and the techniques they used. No matter how you arrange your paragraphs, use examples, statistics, facts, and quotes to support them rather than emotions or opinions. Each paragraph should be tied back to the thesis.
8. Your conclusion should be written.
In a conclusion, you should repeat your thesis statement and highlight the most important points. You should explain why your argument is relevant and, if required, call for further research or action.
Analysis of rhetoric
Use these tips to create a powerful, concise and clear rhetorical analysis.
- Prepare yourself. You can practice by writing an analysis of the rhetorical style in your favorite blogs, books, movies, TV shows and TV programs. Select a subject that is meaningful to you so that it will be reflected in your essay.
- Formatting correctly. If you are writing a rhetorical essay, it is best to use third person rather than first. Use (“…, rather than “…, the speech examines issues of social concern. At least 50% of the essay must be your comments.
- Choose your words carefully. You want to avoid weak verbs like “tells”, “this quote shows”, or “explains” when writing an in-depth analysis. This type of analysis is neutral and does not allow for personal opinions. Use facts, direct quotes, or paraphrasing when presenting your evidence. Do not use too many quotes in your essay, and dont start any paragraphs with them.
- End powerfully. Avoid weak or redundant phrases like “In conclusion” and “In summary.” Use phrases like “The research shows …”, or “Recognize …,”.” Analyze instead of arguing your main argument. In your conclusion, avoid introducing any new information. You should summarize the information youve already covered in your body text.
- Last but not the least. Dont forget to cite all references and examples that you have used. It is important to proofread any final draft. This includes checking grammar, punctuation or spelling and correcting any typos.
