Good Morning/Afternoon! Please help yourself to the “Personal Declaration of Independence” assignment. Read over it and we will discuss it in a few minutes.

How to write a rhetorical analysis

Difference between… Argumentative You are asked to support, refute or qualify; or to develop an argument. You are writing about YOUR opinion on a given topic. You may use “I” sparingly. Rhetorical Analysis You are analyzing someone else’s argument. You DO NOT use “I” at all. You do not give your opinion on the topic, rather you analyze how someone else gives her opinion.

Difference between… Argumentative Draw on examples from your life, other classes, your readings, etc. to develop an argument for or against something. Rhetorical analysis Stick within the “four corners” (meaning only what is on the page) of the essay or speech you are analyzing. Focus on what is “there”

Step One: “Carefully Read” 1. CAREFULLY read the passage – and ALL words on the page, including introductory information and footnotes. 2. Figure out what the speaker’s main point is. Be as certain as you can possibly be. Create a “Foundation Statement.” You will include this in your introduction. 3. Read it again, focusing on HOW he develops his argument, and notice the key rhetorical strategies he uses. 4. Determine a strategy of how you will write the rhetorical analysis essay. (strategies on the following slides)

Choose your strategy: Strategy A: Choose three or more (as many as you can) main rhetorical devices that you notice writer using, such as parallelism, imagery, and rhetorical question. Discuss the main rhetorical devices in order of importance or appearance (your choice). Be sure to not only identify the devices/strategies, but to explain how each strategy helps the writer achieve his or her purpose, how the strategy has an impact on the audience.

Choose your strategy: OR Strategy B (recommended method): Think Architecture & Music from Liu Method. Go through the paper structurally. Go paragraph by paragraph and discuss the key elements in each main part of the essay/speech, in order of appearance. Focus on how the argument develops.

Introduction to either strategy: Introduce the title of the piece and the author. Think brief version of SOAPStone, or at least the parts of SOAPStone that are relevant to express. For thesis, think Liu Method, Foundation: In his essay ___________________________ (title of the essay), _____________________________(author) argues that _________________________________. To prove his points he uses __________________________, _________________________ and _____________________.

Introduction Example: In response to an essay by Salmon Rushdie on the benefits of moving, Scott Russell Sanders refutes “the belief that movement is inherently good.” He claims that we should root ourselves in places rather than ideas, that we should care for the earth rather than for our own selfish desires. Through his use of direct quotes, acknowledgement of the counter-argument, and informal yet respectful tone, Sanders relates his belief that we must settle down and cease our tireless moving if we are to ever “pay enough heed and respect to where we are” (Sanders).

Possible thesis template… In his essay/book/speech, ______________________________(essay title), __________________(speaker) uses ____________________(rhetorical device #1), ________________________rhetorical device #2), and ____________________(rhetorical device #3) to convince his audience that ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ (claim).

Body Paragraphs Pointing out the rhetorical devices is just the beginning. The most important part of the analysis is where you discuss why the device is effective, explaining what it does for the argument in particular, and/or what the device does for the essay as a whole. NEVER define what the strategy is. (Don’t say “A rhetorical question is a question for which no response is required.”) Rather, point out the strategy, give a quote to show the strategy, and then explain how the strategy is used to help the writer achieve his or her overall purpose. Answer: how & why do these words effect the audience? Remember ICE = introduce, cite, explain the significance.

A word about “diction” Don’t simply use “diction” as a rhetorical device. If you do discuss diction, remember to discuss what kind of diction it is: formal diction, informal diction, strong diction, violent or peaceful diction, colorful diction, etc.

Ethos, pathos, logos If you choose to discuss these strategies, use this language: The speaker/writer uses… “Appeal to ethos” “Appeal to pathos” and/or “Appeal to logos.”

Conclusion Simply restate the thesis, briefly revisit main points. Don’t spend too much time on the conclusion. Spend the majority of your time on the body paragraphs.

In Sum… In a Rhetorical Analysis, you write about WHAT the speaker says HOW the speaker says it HOW/WHY the strategies the speaker uses are effective.

Let’s try it!