2015 Guidelines for Writing Rhetorical Analysis
1. Read and dissect the prompt carefully, looking for clues to the speaker, occasion, audience, and
purpose.
2. Read the text critically—more than once! Read all the way to the end! Usually, there is a
powerful strategy the author uses at the end to hammer home his point.
3. Annotate the text by labeling the strategies/appeals you see and noting in the margin the
intent of the speaker/writer in each part of the text. Is he criticizing, explaining, comparing,
contrasting, or appealing to shared values or instilling feelings of …?
4. Be sure to consider the audience. Is it a general audience or a specific audience? What does the
audience already know or think about the topic at hand? What don't they know? What is the
historical setting? (Might it have any relevance?) Are there any significant events that the
audience has recently experienced? What seems to be the audience's attitude or mindset
before the speech or essay begins?
After Reading:
5. Plan your essay. First, review your annotations and make a decision regarding the author’s
purpose that you will then support with an analysis of the strategies he uses to convey his
purpose. The best thesis statements have a what and a why! Tip: use in order to or because
6. Decide how you will structure your essay. 3 Possibilities:
 Structure of the Text plan – follow the structure of the speech, letter, essay, or column,
to provide the framework for your analysis. In other words, you will discuss the author’s
intent paragraph by paragraph or section by section.
 The Unifying Principle Plan – the central purpose of the text is defined in the
introduction and used as the unifying principle. The secondary intents that contribute to
the overall purpose are then explored in the body paragraphs.
 The Rhetorical Appeal Plan – paragraphs are organized by the appeals created by the
writer/speaker
7. Do not waste time with a lengthy INTRODUCTION. Develop 1-3 complex sentences which
mention the rhetorical situation (speaker, the subject, the context, audience, purpose). Do not
include rhetorical devices anywhere in the introduction.
End your introduction with a purpose statement. Again, do not mention specific strategies in
the thesis statement for a timed writing. (You must, however, mention specific strategies in
the body of the paper.)
8. Begin your BODY PARAGRAPHS. Every analysis paragraph MUST include a topic sentence with an
assertion you will prove. Do not list devices in the topic sentence! Instead, try to give the
writer’s intent in the section you are analyzing followed by evidence and sentences explaining
what the words accomplish.
Identify the strongest rhetorical strategies used in that particular section. This includes blending specific
text examples with your own words. Do NOT try to discuss every strategy the writer uses; pick the
strongest! Clearly and specifically explain how the rhetorical strategies are used to help the writer
achieve his purpose and reach his audience. Use strong verbs such as the “Kennedy conveys,” or “the
repetition creates a sense of … End the paragraph with the intended effect on the audience.
These items must be woven together seamlessly into one sophisticated chunk of a body paragraph. A
sample format is below:
FORMAT and EXAMPLE [from Pres. Reagan’s speech after the space shuttle Challenger explosion in the
1980s]:
1. The first sentence identifies which section of the text you are discussing and the main idea of that
section.
(Writer’s last name) (transition word) his/her (type of text) by (strong verb) that (main idea of this
section of the text).
Reagan begins his tribute to the Challenger astronauts by acknowledging that the shuttle accident
has appropriately postponed his planned State of the Union address and by expressing the depth of his
personal grief.
2. The second sentence conveys the writer’s support for the main idea by identifying and providing a
specific example for one rhetorical strategy used by the writer. [This sentence is repeated if you want to
discuss more than one rhetorical strategy.]
He appeals to the mournful emotions of the audience by admitting that he and Nancy are “pained to
the core”, and that today is rightfully a day of remembrance and grieving.
3. The third sentence explains how the rhetorical strategies you discussed in the previous sentences
help the writer achieve his purpose by using an in order to statement.
He joins in this time of mourning in order to unify the nation and by sharing his own feelings, he
hopes the citizens will feel comfort knowing their leader understands their pain.
4. The fourth sentence identifies the effect of the writer’s use of these rhetorical strategies on the
audience.
This outpouring of emotion from the president conveys a calming tone that reassures the Nation
that their grief is both understandable and proper.
Put it all together and this is what one paragraph of the body of a rhetorical analysis essay might look
like:
Reagan begins his tribute to the Challenger astronauts by acknowledging that the shuttle accident
has appropriately postponed his planned State of the Union address and by expressing the depth of his
personal grief. He appeals to the mournful emotions of the audience by admitting that he and Nancy are
“pained to the core” , and that today is rightfully a day of remembrance and grieving. He joins in this
time of mourning in order to unify the nation and to comfort the citizens. This outpouring of emotion
from the president conveys a calming tone that reassures the Nation that their grief is both
understandable and proper. [Repeat the format with another piece of evidence/strategy for a longer
paragraph].
1. Focus on the predominant strategies the rhetor uses and how those strategies affect the
audience. A rhetorical strategy is anything that a writer does that has the potential to change
the thoughts or feelings of his audience. Consider the following:
• Figurative language (e.g., metaphors, similes): These creative comparisons can be used to help
the audience better visualize the author's ideas.
• Analogies (or comparisons in general)
• Emotional Appeals (how does the writer target the audience's emotions?)
• Logical Appeals (how does the writer target the audience's intelligence?)
• Appeals to shared values
• Use of repetition: If they repeat it often enough, people tend to believe it. Also, repetition aids
memory recall.
• Diction: Emotionally-charged words can be extremely effective. Also, a writer might use
patterns of words to establish a theme or message.
• Imagery – what image comes to mind because of certain comparisons or contrasts?
• Tone (consider how effective sarcasm can be) or Tone shifts
• Cause-effect argumentation (if this happens, then....)
• Addressing the opposing viewpoints or objections
• Use of historical precedents (this falls under analogies but is worth noting separately)
Use of historical, cultural, literary and biblical allusions (this falls under analogies but is worth
noting separately
• Contrast (sometimes a writer best shows his position by contrasting it to another, weaker
view)
• Selection of Detail (remember, the person making the argument chooses what you see and
don't see)
SATIRE: If you get a satirical piece, be sure to look for the human weakness/societal ill or evil the satirist
is criticizing or poking fun of and analyze devices like exaggeration, caricature, sarcasm, parody,
mockery, understatement and tone such as sardonic, facetious, mocking.
self‐deprecating, tongue‐in‐cheek, urbane, irony, paradox, understatement, hyperbole
10. In the CONCLUSION, reiterate the author’s purpose. Do not repeat the strategies. Reflect on the
author’s feelings/ideas/thoughts. If the prompt asks for an evaluation of the author’s rhetorical effect,
then end with such analysis.
Style Tips:
1. Write in 3rd person active voice. Not, “Kennedy is instilling,” but “Kennedy instills…”
2. Avoid the 2nd person pronoun “you.”
3. Be concise. Replace “He starts off…” with “He begins…” and “He goes on to say…” with “He
claims, argues, denounces, ( strong verb for analyzing purpose) that,…”
4. Identify the audience – don’t simply say “the audience,” but name them, i.e., “the steel
company executives.”
5. Use connective tissue in your essay to establish adherence to the question.
i. Try using echo words (synonyms) to build cohesion of ideas without redundant
repetition (town/village; bland/ordinary/undistinguished)
ii. Use transitions between paragraphs:
A. Numerical: first, second, third, primarily, secondly
B. Sequential: initially, furthermore, ultimately, in conclusion, to conclude
C. Additional: furthermore, moreover, similarly, additionally
D. Illustrative: for example, for instance, to illustrate
E. Contrast/comparative: nevertheless, conversely, instead, however,
none the less, on the contrary
F. Cause and effect: therefore, consequently, as a result, accordingly
G. Affirmation: of course, obviously, indeed
6. Replace vague pronouns like this and it with more specific nouns.
7. Avoid use of contractions like don’t and can’t.
8. Replace the word, thing, with specific nouns.
9. Separate words clearly.
10. Every day is one word unless used as an adjective in front of a noun.
11. Avoid using absolutes like everyone, always, all the time. Instead, use words like some, many
and often.
12. Do NOT use the following phrases or words in your analysis: “the author is saying that,” “the
author believes that,” “this means that,” “this shows that,” “the author uses,” “this literary term
is used to,” or any variation of the above!!!
Notes:
it’s = it is; its = possessive; there= preposition; their =possessive; they’re = they are