How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
In this article, we will share guidelines to help you know how to write a rhetorical analysis essay without a challenge. But first lets see what is a rhetorical essay; A rhetorical analysis essay is an essay written about television shows, films, artwork collections, texts and other communication forms that try to make a statement to a given audience.
To write a good rhetorical analysis essay, it is imperative to determine the manner in which the writer or original work creator attempts to make in his or her argument. Additionally, information on whether the argument was successful or not should be included.
Guidelines on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay
The following guidelines will help you know how to write a rhetorical analysis essay without difficulties.
Purpose-is what the speaker or an author wants to analyze. In this case, it is essential to clearly understand the intentions of a writer.
The audience– is the group of people who may be or may not be persuaded by the document being analyzed. Therefore, you must always understand who the targeted audience is. Is it a group of students or a group of college tutors?
Strategy-this involves understanding the purpose of the paper and choosing the most ideal strategy to convince the target audience.
The rhetorical triangle is also enhanced by the elements of a rhetorical analysis which you should also understand and they include
Occasion–this an element of a rhetorical analysis essay that refers to the context and text under which, the information was written. For instance, there is always a great difference between a scholarly conference essay and a letter written to a scholar in the same field.
Subject–in a rhetorical essay refers to the topic that the author is discussing in the text.
How to write a rhetorical analysis essay and the keys to a successful paper
Having an idea of the elements that make up a good rhetorical analysis essay, it is imperative to master the keys to writing a successful paper.
First of all, it is essential to start your paper with a rhetorical triangle. This can be done efficiently by identifying the purpose of the author, identifying the target audience and discerning any primary rhetorical strategies.
Additionally, you should identify the strategic purpose or the intent. This is the purpose of the author including each word and detail that has been chosen. Ask why and how the writer chose to shape the feelings and thoughts of the audience.
The next step is to find any embedded quotes in the piece being analyzed. However, you should only quote the most essential words and embed them using your own words.
With embedded words, answer the two most important words that make up a rhetorical analysis essay, how and why. In this case, whenever the words of an author are presented, ask yourself, why did the author say that and does the choice of words shape the feelings and thoughts of target audience? Answer these questions in writing.
Always follow the argument for a successful essay. In many cases, writers will always develop their positions and it is wise that follow this kind of development.
Strive for complexity and more specifically if the creator or the author employs the use of details or words that make one point. However, ensure to write them in one single paragraph.
End your paper with an analysis. The last paragraph of your essay should be an analysis of the words of an author. Therefore, conclude by offering an explanation on how the author’s words are tailor made to win over the target audience.
Strategies on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay
There are different approaches to writing a rhetorical analysis essay that will help you draft an excellent paper and they include
- The use of figurative language including similes and metaphors- they are creative comparisons used in writing a rhetorical analysis essay and helps the audience to visualize the work and ideas of an author better. In this case, focus on the rhetorical triangle because it is a visual metaphor for the rhetorical process.
- Use analogies because they help in making comparisons
- Emotional appeals are significant in rhetorical analysis because they explain how the writer targets the emotions of audiences
- Logical appeals on the other hand explain the way in which the intelligence of audience is targeted by the writer
- Always attempt to establish the credibility of a writer, by determining how he or she wins the trust of audiences
- Use repetition because it is a strategy that enhances memory recall
- Diction is also a writing a strategy that involves the use of emotionally charged words and patterns of words to create a message or a theme
- Standout sentences are essential and they help in attracting the attention of target audience
- Tone in rhetorical analysis essay writing helps to bring out sarcasm and in an effective way
- You should also use the cause effect argumentation in your writing for instance, if this happens, what will you do?
- Address the opposition in your writing
- Use historical precedents despite the fact that this falls under analogies but using it separately is a plus for your essay
- Contrast is equally a significant approach to writing a rhetorical analysis essay because it states the position of a writer.
- Last but not least, use selection of detail-always remember that the person making an argument in the paper can choose what you don’t see and what you see.
The structure to follow when writing a rhetorical analysis essay
You should always follow the right structure on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay which includes an
Introduction
State the title of the rhetoric essay, the complete name of the author, his or her description and qualifications as well as the article’s historical background if any. Offer a brief summary of the article and the intended purpose of the author
Body paragraphs
Explain clearly who the targeted audiences are, how much knowledge does the audience have over the subject or topic being analyzed and will the audience disagree or agree with the author?
Determine whether the readers will disagree or agree with each other, whether the author appeals to specific values that audience upholds and if any, what are those values?
In the second body paragraph, state any appeals that the author uses. Many authors can use pathos, logos and ethos to appeal to the audience. Pathos refers to emotional messages, ethos involves creation of trust and authority to win over target audience and it many authors go an extra mile to use reliable sources. Logos on the other hand involve use of facts and statistics.
Authors can also use a combination of appeals and in such a case, it is imperative to provide more specific examples from the work being analyzed to support your remarks in body paragraph two.
In the third body paragraph, evaluate the efficiency of the work being analyzed. This is a strategy on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay that enables you to state your opinion. In this case, explain why you believe the author has or has not adequately accomplished his or her purpose.
The conclusion
To end a rhetorical analysis essay, you need to reassert and summarize your thesis statement briefly. Restate main ideas but avoid being over repetitive especially on the points you have discussed. It is equally important to recommend any further research to make the conclusion more effective.
Examples of Rhetorical Analysis essays
Example 1…..
Topic: A Search for Equality
The ‘Confessions of a Female Chauvinist Sow’’, by Anne Roiphes was first featured in the New York Magazine in 1972. In the essay, Anne aims at convincing her target audience that women must put in faith the fact or idea that they are equal and not superior to men. ‘‘Women who want equality must be prepared to give it and believe in it- isucomm.iastate.edu where personal anecdotes comparison and contrast are techniques that Anne skillfully employs to write a convincing essay.
Example 2…
Title: Why Privacy Matters: Debunking the Nothing to Hide Argument
The word privacy has become ubiquitous in today’s society. We see it on almost daily basis on social media, HIPAA forms and online transactions among other features. Professor Daniel J. Solove in his essay, ‘’why privacy matters even if you have nothing to hide’’ was published in May 2011. In the essay, Daniel argues that the issue of privacy affects more than just the person hiding a wrong……………………….. (Read the full rhetorical analysis essay at uwec.edu -pdf.
Example 3
Topic: Why I Won’t Buy an IPad and Think You Shouldn’t Either
By Cory Doctrow
In the article BoingBoing, Cory Doctrow offers an older review of an IPad, one of the most popular products from Apple. At the time the article was being released, iPad was undoubtedly the latest product from the company to hit the market but it was not yet very popular. Cory’s career, has been entirely revolving around technology…………………….
The purpose of the paper is to convince clients that the product is not worthy because its uses are limited, has technological issues and has the possibility of becoming obsolete – owlstg.excelsior.edu- pdf.
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Sources
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/725/03/
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Rhetorical-Analysis
http://www.mscc.edu/WritingResources/Guidelines%20for%20Rhetorical%20Analysis.pdf
http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/ewevodau/writing4.cfm?subpage=1115012