Tips and Techniques for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
At first, writing an essay on rhetorical analysis may seem difficult, but once you understand the fundamentals, it becomes much simpler. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “How did the author or speaker convince me?” while reading a piece of writing or listening to a speech, then rhetorical analysis is already familiar to you. In this guide, we’ll show you how to write a persuasive rhetorical analysis essay using real-world strategies.
What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?
Let’s first define what we’re dealing with before we get into the strategies and tips. A rhetorical analysis essay looks at how a speaker or author uses language to get their point across to the audience. You examine the how and why of the message rather than the content itself. The objective is to assess the efficacy of the used rhetorical strategies, such as logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion).
Doesn’t that sound simple? Let’s examine how to write one now.
Know Why the Text is Written
First, let’s start by breaking down what each part does. Ask yourself:
- Why did the writer or speaker write this?
- Who is the target audience?
- What are the main messages or arguments?
Knowing the intent of what you are reading helps you position your analysis. This is where recognizing the writer’s intent behind that political speech, advertisement, or newspaper article shines in importance.
Examination of Rhetorical Strategies
Once you know the purpose of the speech, the next step is breaking down the rhetorical strategies of either the author or speaker. Now there are 3 major categories of principal tactics commonly used:
- Ethos: by this, we mean the credibility of the writer. Is the speaker trustworthy? Are they leveraging their profession or power to persuade the audience?
- Pathos: This is the appeal to emotion. What emotions or feelings does the text evoke? Do you feel anger, depression, or motivation?
- Logos: This is the appeal to logic and reason. Does the argument make sense? Does it carry with a shred of prerequisite evidence, numbers, or statistics?
This is what you will be writing about in your essay; how the author achieves their purpose through these strategies. Politicians, for example, may appeal to ethos by showcasing their background, then to pathos (appeal to emotions) through a personal anecdote, and finally to logos (by using data showing GDP growth).
Structure and Tone Analysis
How a piece is structured and the tone in which it is written can also significantly impact its rhetorical effect. Does the structure generate excitement? Is the tone reflective of what the audience would expect?
For instance, a speech can have official and grave overtones if the event it is being presented at has limits of worriedness, or an article would sound casual and rosy while written for young adults. The task here while examining the structure is organizing the beginning, body, and finish. Does the writer build to a conclusion or hit you with it right out of the gate?
Divide it Into Sections for Comprehension
When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, attempting to address the composition all at once is a common mistake. The key is to break it up into smaller chunks, such as a paragraph’s worth of content, or a few lines of text, such as a single sentence, and talk about how each part contributes to the larger goal.
It becomes more manageable when you separate it into its constituent parts and analyze each in turn in your essay. Allows for a more in-depth look at the issue at hand. Be sure to cite or refer to specific parts of the text to back up your claims.
Keep Your Analysis Objective
Just remember, you are not discussing if you agree with the text but how it functions. Either way, that argument is irrelevant in this case. Try not to look at your criticisms and concerns about the case — whether you see it as strong or not. Instead, pay attention to how successfully the strategies are being deployed.
So, for example, whether or not you believe in what the candidate said is immaterial when it comes to speech analysis of a political candidate. Pretty much all that matters is the ability of a candidate to persuade voters with rhetoric.
Opt for Clear Language
Write your rhetorical analysis essay with clarity and concision. Avoid jargon and use simple language to explain things. Be as concise as possible; if you can describe something with five words instead of ten, do it.
You simply want to focus on doing a good job of analysis, making it easy for your readers to follow in the way that they would know how the rhetorical strategies work. But refrain from the sort of overly wordy, intellectually pretentious prose that bores instead of engages — your essay should be easily readable.
Find Your Thesis Statement
As with any essay, your rhetorical analysis requires a strong thesis statement. Lead with a one or two-sentence summary of your primary argument. What is the tragic rhetorical approach you see deployed? Why is it effective?
A good thesis offers a succinct summary of what you intend to argue, and how you intend to do so. For instance, you could explain: “In his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Martin Luther King Jr. utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to inspire his audience and promote the case for civil rights.”
Organize Your Essay
Try to make your essay well-structured, perfect, and easy to read. Rhetorical analysis essay usually follows this format;
- Introduction: Provide an overview of what you are analyzing and bring in a hook. End with a brief thesis statement.
- Body Part: Each body paragraph should deal with a separate rhetorical technique that you used in the essay. Introduce strategy with textual evidence (what text reveals about the strategy) and analysis of what this evidence means and how it contributes to the goal as a whole.
- Conclusion: Review your thesis and update your analysis. This should give your reader food for thought, not a new argument.
Proofread and Revise
Lastly, it would be a waste of your precious time if you don’t crosscheck your work for grammatical blunders and errors. You need to take the necessary steps to ensure that your rhetorical essay is without any error whatsoever and that it flows perfectly and naturally.
Besides, you can submit your essay to a close friend or mate to help proofread your essay. Sometimes, an extra set of eyes can see things you probably didn’t see or weren’t paying attention to in your essay.
