Wondering how to write a rhetorical analysis essay?
In a rhetorical analysis essay, you will be looking at a non-fiction passage. This could be an article, speech, or even an expert of a non-fiction text. You will be identifying how the author makes rhetorical choices to develop an argument, achieve a purpose, or convey a message.
A rhetorical choice is something the writer does in their writing in order to make their argument. This might be repeating a certain more or contrasting items in a meaningful way. You can learn more about rhetorical choices specifically in this blog post. When you talk about these rhetorical choices, you want to use verbs. For example, instead of saying “the author uses juxtaposition”, you would say “the author juxtaposes”.
Planning the Body Paragraphs
In the body paragraphs of your essay, you need to have both evidence and commentary. These two components are a possible six pints on the rubric. You can present your evidence in two different ways: direct quote or paraphrase.
A direct quote comes from the text, word-for-word. You want to embed these quotes, so work them into a sentence instead of simply dropping them into your essay. You also don’t want these quotes to be too long. A paraphrase is when you take the writer’s words and put it in your own words.
Evidence is an important component of your body paragraph, but commentary is really what makes up the essay. Your commentary explains the significance of the evidence and helps to prove your thesis.
When planning your commentary, you want to consider a few things. First, you want to think about why the writer made that choice for that audience on that occasion. Second, consider the structure. Why did the author make the choice at that particular point in the passage?
Approaching the Prompt
The prompts are typically short and can be easy to gloss over. However, it contains valuable information you don’t want to miss. The prompt likely tells you elements of the rhetorical situation (such as who the writer is or their credentials) and who the audience is.
It may also give you information about the context of the passage. The prompt may provide information into the historical context, such as the time period it was written or what prompted the author to write.
Lastly, the prompt may hint at information about the purpose. The word “hint” is important because you still want to dig deeper as you read and analyze this purpose. However, the prompt may help you get started. For instance, the prompt might say, “Her message of perseverance…”. Now, you need to discover which rhetorical choices contribute to this purpose.
Annotating the Passage
As you read the passage, you will need to annotate. These annotations are used to note rhetorical choices the author is making in the passage. These can be done by underlining or making comments in the margin of the paper. Or, if you are working digitally, highlighting or adding comments to the text.
As you read and annotate, you also want to be thinking about why the author made that rhetorical choice. Not why you believe the author is making these choices as well so later you can refer back to these notes.
It may be tempting to search for evidence as you read, but it’s best to avoid highlighting evidence. The reason being that if you go on a highlighting spree, it will be difficult later to find the information you really need. Instead, if you find something you really want to remember later, place a star or a margin note in that area.
Another annotation tip is to divide the passage into sections. Then, look for movement in the passage, such as shifts in topic, choice, or tone. You want to avoid treating annotation like a scavenger hunt (searching for specific choices) and instead follow the author’s line of reasoning.
Create an Outline
An outline might seem like a waste of time, but students who write outlines tend to have stronger essays. While the outline does take up precious time, it pays off in the end. You can write your essay much quicker, and your essay has been strategically planned and organized.
Below are some elements to consider including in your outline. If you find yourself pressed for time, you do not need to be as detailed. However, I recommend trying to think over these elements.
- Thesis
- Body Paragraph One Main Idea
- Topic Sentence
- Evidence
- Commentary
- Evidence
- Commentary
- Concluding Sentence (tie back to thesis)
You may notice that evidence and commentary are repeated twice. This is layering your evidence and commentary. You want to aim for at least two layers. Only having one layer is not very convincing, and there is an element of argument in a rhetorical analysis – you want to prove your thesis.
Crafting the Introduction
An introduction seems simple at first glance, but when you are in a time crunch, it can seem like a waste of time and even be a struggle for students to write. The good news is that introductions can be more than fluff for your essay and easy to draft.
To make an introduction beneficial, you want to throw in a bit of context. Technically, you only need the thesis, but having nothing else to ease you into the essay can feel really abrupt for the reader. Consider using information from the passage or knowledge that you have to provide background information or context before the thesis statement.
Then, it’s time to craft the thesis. A huge must with thesis statements is that it is defensible. A defensible thesis needs to have a claim that you can prove. You can create this by including specific choices and the purpose, argument, or message.
If you are wondering how to write a thesis for rhetorical analysis, consider using the following sentence frame:
Sentence Frame: In his/her TONE speech/letter/article to AUDIENCE, WRITER (choice 1) and (choice 2) in order to…
Example: In his patriotic speech to a joint session of Congress and the American public (via radio), President Roosevelt creates a common enemy and asserts his confidence in an American victory in order to convince Congress to declare war on Japan.
Writing a Body Paragraph
The most important part of the rhetorical analysis is the body paragraph. You want your body paragraph to have a clear point and focus on what you need to prove (which comes from your thesis).
In your body paragraph, you want to analyze the relationship between the choice and the rhetorical situation. Why does the author make this choice for this audience on this occasion? How does this choice help to develop an argument, achieve a purpose, or convey a message? Why is this choice effective at the point in the passage?
In your body paragraph, the first time you refer to the writer you should use their full name. After that, you can refer to the author by their last name.
Lastly, make sure you follow a line of reasoning to help your essay flow. Utilize your topic sentences to help transition from one thought to the next and aid in fluency. Don’t jump right into your next topic, but instead introduce the upcoming topic while still referring back to the previous paragraph.
Tips for the Conclusion
Many students wonder if they need a conclusion paragraph, and this really depends on a few things. If you are running out of time, for instance, then it is best to skip the conclusion. Your time is better spent on crafting your body paragraphs or running a final check on your writing.
You may want to consider writing a conclusion if you are worried about your thesis. If you feel that perhaps your thesis is not defensible then you have an opportunity to restate and clarify your thesis in the conclusion. Your conclusion is also an excellent place for providing broader context to an issue in the passage. When you provide broader context, you are zooming out and providing a deeper significance to the passage.
