Overview
Rhetorical analysis is the process of examining how an author constructs an argument or message to persuade, inform, or engage an audience. It goes beyond what is said to explore how and why it is said. In this topic, you'll learn how to break down a text's tone, structure, purpose, and strategies to evaluate its effectiveness.
Core Concepts
- Purpose: What is the writer’s goal—persuasion, analysis, explanation, call to action?
- Audience: Who is the writer addressing? What expectations or assumptions does the audience bring?
- Appeals: How does the writer use ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) to support the message?
- Tone and Style: Is the writing formal, conversational, ironic, urgent? What effect does tone have?
- Structure: How are ideas arranged? Are transitions smooth? Is the argument built logically?
- Evidence: What types of evidence are used (facts, anecdotes, statistics, examples)? Are they credible and persuasive?
Common Rhetorical Devices
- Repetition: Reinforces key points for emphasis.
- Rhetorical Questions: Engages readers by prompting reflection without expecting answers.
- Parallelism: Creates rhythm and clarity by using consistent grammatical structure.
- Imagery: Appeals to the senses and helps illustrate complex ideas vividly.
Tip: When writing a rhetorical analysis, do not argue with the author’s position. Instead, evaluate how effectively they communicate it. Your thesis should make a claim about the text’s strategy and success.
Practice Exercise
Prompt: Read the excerpt below and identify three rhetorical strategies the author uses. Briefly explain the effect of each.
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." — Abraham Lincoln