Rhetorical Essay: When it comes to learning how to write a rhetorical analysis, it may seem a difficult task for beginners, but once you know the tricks and tips, you will be writing like an expert in no time.
About Rhetorical Essays
In this article, I’ll discuss the rhetorical analysis definition and show you a step-by-step guide with an outline, tips, and examples.
The main point is to create an informative text by dividing apart the words/phrases that the writer comes up with to reveal the persuasive techniques used to get feedback from the audience.
Good examples involve public speeches by various authorities. An effective evaluation requires selecting a certain article to analyze and interpret how all written sections relate to each other, forming one whole. Let me hold it there, take note of the following:
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Definition
A is a form of writing in which the author looks at the topic being discussed in greater detail. The idea is to prove the standpoint, using impactful and persuasive methods.
We all know that the teachers in all institutes have to teach in a specific time frame. At times not all the students understand what the teacher has to say when the attention is divided. So, we have put together the perfect blog for you to help you with all your issues.
In this blog, we will not just be focusing on the essay example, but we will also be giving you a brief guide and some writing tips. Other than that, we will also describe and teach you how to write a rhetorical analysis essay.
In short, a rhetorical analysis essay has to be
- grammatically correct
- concise
- clear
- coherent
- written in the present tense
- and respond to the analyzed article/speech/text.
Now, it is time to proceed to the detailed instruction for creating such paper.
How to Write A Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Now you know what a rhetorical analysis essay is, you need to be familiarized with the basic yet important points for writing a great rhetorical paper. These are as follows:
- First, you need to read and analyze the assigned text. As you start reading, take notes of the key points that will help you simplify the analysis and writing process.
- Identify the strategies and tactics used by the author. It will help you understand the background and highlight the points that need more research.
- Like any other essay, a rhetoric paper will also follow a five-paragraph format which includes one paragraph for introduction, 3 or more body paragraphs, and one for the conclusion.
For writing a great rhetorical analysis paper, the most important factor you need to pay attention to is the rhetorical appeal or rhetorical strategy. Find out below what a rhetorical strategy is and how to incorporate it into your rhetorical writing.
What Is a Rhetorical Strategy?
Also known as rhetorical modes, several rhetorical strategies are used by authors to better structure or analyze the entire text. In addition to that, these strategies enable the authors to utilize different sets of patterns to express their thoughts and ideas adequately.
Types of Rhetorical Strategies
The most commonly used rhetorical strategies are as follows:
Comparing and contrasting:
When comparing and contrasting one or more things, you look for similarities and differences in one or more things. Comparing and contrasting is an effective strategy that you can use to build and back up your arguments in a essay.
Narrating:
Another effective rhetorical strategy refers to the storyline, who is in it, where it takes place, and what the important elements are.
Describing:
A great description has the potential to convince readers and create a strong impression in their minds. The author may use the objective description where he/she can describe the physical appearance of a character or even details about the location.
Analyzing Cause and Effect:
Analyzing a cause and effect is a crucial strategy for genres like critical writing but it can be used in other forms of writing as well such as where you might analyze the effects of childhood trauma on your life.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example One
As an example, we can talk about the rhetorical analysis essay of Addison’s: Two Years and better than four.”
In the article written by Liz Addison, she argues that community colleges deserve more praise than they get. Addison emphasizes on the fact that college is supposed to be a period when students get to discover themselves.
She believes in the fact that pupils who have gotten into a 4-year college program have already proved themselves. The fact that they have competed and went through a tough entry test says a lot about that. On the contrary, community colleges accept everyone.
The fact that they have no tests is the best thing. Students who do not otherwise have a chance to higher education benefit from community colleges the most. In the end, Addison views community colleges as great American institutes. She believes in the fact that community colleges provide great opportunities to the general public.
In this article Addison uses the denial to start off. In the starting paragraphs she talks about the point of view Rick Pearlstein gave. She disagrees with him because she believes that he cannot comment on life in a community college without ever stepping foot in it.
She is using Pearlstein’s view of forming a counter-argument. However, the main argument that Addison wants to give is that community colleges get overlooked.
Even though Addison is referring to Pearlstein repeatedly throughout, her main focus is the importance of community colleges. She just wants to get her point across repeated
ly by telling that community colleges are great American institutes. She believes in the fact that people who step into 4-year programs are already well trained.
However, the students who enter community colleges have the opportunity to grow. Throughout the article, Addison is trying to give the readers logical reasoning as to why they should support her point of view about community colleges.
Although I agree with what she has to say, I did not like her tone in this writing piece. Yes, community colleges are an asset to society but her tone is mocking. It is alright that she pinpointed Pearlstein, but the way she did was disrespectful. Her point of view would have come across even more if she would have treated the opposing party with more respect. This is an error of ethos. The tone that she used might make her seem unreasonable to most readers.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Two
Edgar Allan Poe is considered one of America’s greatest novelists and journalists. He’s particularly well known for his masterful horror stories. Poe’s use of metaphors and similes have never failed to put readers on the edge of their seats. And, while he is less famous for his poetry, The Raven remains an undeniable classics that leaves a lasting impression on every reader. This effect is achieved through the subtle use of not only poetic devices, but also rhetoric means.
Poe’s poem The Raven shows the struggles of a man possessed by his own ghosts of the past his fear of the ever-changing present, hinting at his impending psychosomatic breakdown. When you start reading the Raven, the first feeling you get is that of immense loneliness.
The author uses powerful Pathos to evoke feelings of paranoia, fear, hopelessness. The Unseen main character seems to be tormented. With every new verse, the poem’s tone becomes darker and sadder. Every time the word “Nevermore” is uttered, readers get the impression our main invisible character is becoming more enraged.
Throughout his life, Poe was plagued by misfortune. At a young age, he was traumatized by his mother’s death. This experience gave him a fascination with death and the macabre. His adult life was not happier. Some experts believe now that Poe has been suffering from chronic depression.
These dark elements appear clearly in his works. The Raven is a self-painted portrait of a man who is ready to welcome death. It employs anaphora to emphasize feelings of looming insanity.
Poe uses anaphora by ending all 18 stanzas with the word “Nevermore”, “nothing more,” or “evermore.” By keeping true to his theme, Poe successfully follows the narrator’s train of thought as he goes from an irrational human being who is grieving, to an insane lunatic who sees a giant raven “perched on his door.”
Alliteration is used to add to the overall paranoid tone of this poem. By combining both alliteration and anaphora we can clearly walk side by side with someone who has truly lost all meaning to live.
The Raven itself is an anthropomorphic metaphor for the past. We are not sure if there actually is a raven in the room. No other character can justify the existence of that creature but what we do know is that this metaphor is so well crafted that we sometimes feel unnerved and frightened ourselves.
Readers can sense the narrator’s optimism seeping through the Mask of Madness. Every single time Raven quotes “nevermore” we have a separate verse where the narrator is making an excuse.
Whether that is a step in the grieving process called denial or just madness it’s unknown. Poe wasn’t the first writer who used denial to paint an eerie picture. He was, however, feeling guilty at the time he wrote this poem; Raven was written several years after his cousin passed away.
It is assumed that Lenore, the maiden in this poem, is actually his cousin. If we assume that to be true, Poe himself acts as a protagonist in this poem. We already know that Poe’s cousin died because he himself neglected her and didn’t have the funds to treat her illness.
In that sense, a narrator fighting The Raven has his own specter coming from the depths of Hell to torment his grieving soul. By hiding his true identity behind that of an Invisible narrator, Poe has the power to say to himself what he wasn’t brave enough to say in reality. That being, he considers himself a murderer.
This hypothesis ties in with anaphora use throughout the poem. Not only is our narrator too paranoid but he is also questioning the legitimacy of reality itself.
Every time he glances at the raven, readers are shown exactly what is on his mind. The narrator’s constant attempts to escape are Poe’s own failed attempts to escape his miserable life.
If you are still unclear, check out a few more rhetorical analysis essay examples below:
Rhetorical Essay Outline
Keep in mind that organizing your rhetorical analysis essay is not the most important thing to consider; the most important thing is to make sure you address the specific demands of your particular writing task. Therefore, it‘s not obligatory to follow any standard essay structure; there are numerous ways to begin your rhetorical analysis outline correctly.
If it’s obligatory for you to follow the structure provided by your professor, simply satisfy their requests. However, if they don’t provide a required structure for your essay, you can always use the 5-6 paragraphing style. Here is my advice for your outline:
- Make sure to read, analyze, and make notes before beginning your outline.
- Write the main points of your essay in your outline and add evidence to support them.
- Create a thesis statement that encompasses your main points and addresses the purpose of the author’s writing.
If you have the main ideas to support your thesis and have evidence to back them up in your outline, the writing will be easier. You can also use our rhetorical analysis essay outline template to get a better grasp of writing your paper. Remember that the intro-body-conclusion format never changes.
Introduction
In a rhetorical analysis essay, the way to gain the reader’s trust is by showing the reader that you’ve read and fully understand the assigned text. When writing the introduction, make it short and informative.
To start, briefly summarize the passage you’ll include in your essay in your own words; it will prove to the reader that you understand the central message of the text.
Next, you can briefly mention the persuasive styles used by the author and their effect.
Lastly, formulate your opinion into a well-crafted thesis statement. It should address the ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Your rhetorical analysis thesis statement usually comes at the end of your introductory paragraph.
Remember that your introduction is your chance to intrigue the reader about the content you’ll touch upon later in the text.
Body Paragraphs
After giving the reader some perspective, it’s time to do some critical analysis. A large part of your time will be focused on creating informative body paragraphs. In the body, explain the methods the author used to inform, persuade, and entertain the reader.
- If the author used persuasive language, then say that he/she used persuasive language.
- If the author used sympathetic language, explain it, and use quotes for proof.
Keep in mind that all writing should
be consistent and have a clear structure. It’s wise to have different paragraphs explaining the author’s strategies, rather than jamming everything together.
When identifying the author’s writing strategies, answer the following questions:
- How does this strategy work?
- How is the strategy working in the example?
- Why did the author use a specific approach for this audience?
- How did the strategy make the audience feel, react, or respond?
A couple of other things that should be taken note of within the body paragraphs are shifts in tone and diction. Don’t forget always to use proper citations in your work. In literature, the MLA format is commonly used for citations. Here’s an article
Conclusion
After writing your detailed, well-cited body paragraphs, conclude your essay. Like most other types of essays, summarise what you’ve previously elaborated on. Talk about how the author’s words have changed the opinion of their audience, or if they’ve had a significant impact on society.
In the final sentence of your rhetorical analysis conclusion, you can provide an impactful concluding statement that demonstrates the importance of the author’s writing or how its strategies have helped shape history.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.
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