Notes on Rhetorical Analysis (for essay 1)

Serious issues - not a rhetorical analysis essay

This is not an agree/disagree with the article essay

This is not merely an explanation of the article

You should not be arguing for (or against) the author’s position

Put thesis at end of introduction.

Thesis should evaluate the persuasiveness of the article and suggest a focus for your analysis (e.g. The article is somewhat persuasive because of its strong logos and weak pathos).

Present a thorough summary of the article that reflects its structure as well as its content. (Make this your second paragraph.)

In your body paragraphs discuss specific examples of the author’s use of each rhetorical appeal. Explain how each example demonstrates the appeal. Say logos, pathos, and ethos. Be specific and thorough. If you’re saying the author uses credible sources, identify the specific sources; say why you find them credible, etc. If you’re saying something in the article evokes emotion, say what emotion it evokes (this is not the same as the author expressing emotion, which may or may not evoke the reader’s emotions). The best discussions of logos explained the logical steps of the author’s argument (cause-effect, comparison, etc.) rather than just listed the facts presented in the article. if you want your essay to be more persuasive, discuss more examples!

Maintain focus on rhetorical analysis. Don’t add your own evidence/reasons to bolster author’s argument. Don’t cheerlead for the argument. Avoid injecting your own opinion of the topic into your analysis; save that for your conclusion.

Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that sums up the point of your paragraph. Don’t begin a body paragraph with a quote.

Small things:

Article titles in quotes; newspapers/magazines/Web sites in italics/underlined

Don’t call author by his/her first name. It’s not professional.

Put quotation marks around all word-for-word quotes!