Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Question (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
Write a Rhetorical Analysis
ASSIGNMENT: During your reading and challenge questions, you learned about the art of persuading others, and you can use rhetorical appeals to convince your audience of your position. Before you begin writing your own persuasive content, it would be beneficial to analyze the effectiveness of another writer.
Using what you have learned, write a two-page rhetorical analysis on the effectiveness of an article. Choose one of the following texts that interests you and that you would enjoy writing about. You may want to skim each before choosing.
- Elie Wiesel – “The Perils of Indifference”
- Barack Obama – “Yes We Can”
- Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream”
- Hillary Clinton – “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights”
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt – “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation”
Why speeches? A speech operates much like an essay: there will be an introduction, a body, and a closing. In addition, many speeches are given to persuade an audience: citizens, voters, etc. Some of the most memorable lines in history — even a few that we discussed in our tutorials — come from persuasive speeches. In each of the texts below, we can really see how powerful persuasion and rhetoric can be in the hands of a gifted writer and speaker.
DIRECTIONS (Write a Rhetorical Analysis): For the bulk of your assignment, you will want to include your analysis of the text. However, it will be beneficial to provide context for your reader. Consider the following when writing your two-page summary (Write a Rhetorical Analysis) :
- Audience: Who was the original audience for this text?
- Occasion: When/why was this text written?
- Purpose: What is the author’s purpose? What does the author want the audience to learn?
- Subject: What is this text about?
- Tone: What is the tone? Is it formal? Celebratory? Casual? Somber?
Be sure to include the following (Write a Rhetorical Analysis):
1. Introduction In your introduction, provide a brief overview of the article (consider the questions listed above). Consider the author’s purpose, and if the author is effective in achieving that purpose.
2. Thesis Your thesis statement is one sentence that provides an overview of your essay. A thesis statement is not a question, and is something that you will debate/argue in the paper. For this essay, consider how the author uses rhetoric in the essay, and whether the essay is effective.Sample Thesis Statement: In Smith’s article “On Recycling for the Future,” the author uses a combination of logical and emotional appeals to effectively convince the reader that all communities should promote and support recycling.Note that this thesis states the author and the title, a position (the author is effective) and names some specific rhetorical devices.
3. Body of the Essay: In the body of your essay, find specific examples in the text to support your points. If you want to argue that the author is effective in using rhetorical questions, then be sure to show the textual evidence in your paragraph. Identify the type of rhetorical device, and then explain how and to what effect the author uses this device.
4. Documentation: Remember whenever we use information from a source, we must cite that source. As you include your quotes and examples from the essay, include your citation. You should also include your reference at the end of the paper. You are only required to use the one source, the article you are analyzing, but if you use other sources, be sure to cite these as well.
5. Conclusion: In any conclusion, we need to summarize our paper and include one of the following:
- a call to action
- a final appeal
- a solution
Sample (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Write a Rhetorical Analysis: Give Me Liberty or Give me Death
Introduction and Context (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
Before the United States was a country, we were a group of colonies under British rule. The “shot heard round the world” began the American Revolution and gave rise to the country that would one day become a superpower. Men like Patrick Henry spurred the colonies to take action against Great Britain. Henry made his mark on history with his famous speech given at the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention meeting at St. John’s Church, Richmond on March 23, 1775.
The purpose of this convention was to decide whether or not to send Virginia troops to fight Great Britain in the Revolutionary War. Henry’s purpose was to persuade the convention to raise a militia across the state to defend Virginia. His tone is very strong and motivational, designed to spurn the convention into action. His bold speech and masterful use of rhetorical devices caused this speech to be remembered for centuries.
Analysis of Rhetorical Devices (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
Henry uses many rhetorical devices in his speech, but perhaps none so much as the rhetorical question. He poses many questions throughout this speech, and though he answers some of them himself, all of them are made to make a point. He asks that if Great Britain was only thinking of peace and harmony, would she be gearing for war in
the colonies; “Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation?”
(Henry, 2018). He asks if there is anyone else these weapons could be for, besides the colonies: “Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none.” (Henry, 2018). He insists the time to strike is now, for “But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?”
(Henry, 2018). Of course, the colonies will not be stronger as the imperial country takes away more control, and no one gathers strength by doing nothing; this is Henry’s point by making these rhetorical questions. They need to act now, before it is too late.
Henry also uses pathos to encourage others to act. He calls upon the sense of patriotic pride in the revolutionaries and all the hopes they had in creating this new civilization in the new world. He uses loaded language such as “noble struggle” and encourages them to “fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country.” (Henry, 2018). He goes on to say that to avoid fighting would make the colonists seem weak, something they surely would want to avoid. Though perhaps the colonists feel some kinship with Great Britain, Henry makes it clear they are being betrayed, making an allusion to the Biblical story of Judas betraying Christ: “Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss.” (Henry, 2018).
Finally, in the last section of the speech, Henry will speak those famous words in his logical argument. He argues that while certainly it may be safer to avoid fighting, it is not worth what the colonies would lose. He states, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not
what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (Henry, 2018). His meaning is this: life under slavery [under British rule] is worse than death, so let us risk our lives and fight for freedom.
Conclusion (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
There were many great writers and speakers among the founding fathers. These men used their words to encourage the colonies to rise up against British rule and create a new country governed by the people and for the people. Among some of the most memorable is this impassioned speech by Patrick Henry.
References (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
Henry, Patrick. (2018) “Give Me Liberty or Give me Death.” Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation. Red Hill. Retrieved from https://www.redhill.org/speech/liberty
Reflection Questions (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
- We use rhetoric all the time, perhaps without even realizing it, to persuade our audience to accept our point of view. These speeches were all historical events, but we use rhetoric in our daily lives as well. How have you used rhetoric in the past week? (2-3 sentences)
This week I used rhetoric to get a day off of work. My co-worker and I had both asked for the same day off, but she just wanted to go shopping, and I had planned to attend my nephew’s kindergarten graduation. I pointed out that she could go shopping at any time, but the graduation was a scheduled event. I also showed her a picture of my nephew, so I used pathos as well, since he is a very cute kid. Finally, I offered to work for her another day so she could go shopping. I feel that was a very effective use of
rhetoric.
2. As we go through our course discussing the power of persuasion and write our own persuasive documents, what rhetorical strategies will you use to persuade your audience? (2-3 sentences)
Since many of our assignments will include research, I believe I will mostly use logos to persuade my audience. I will use my research and logical information and data to support my thesis and persuade my audience. I can also use credible sources and therefore use ethos to persuade my audience as well.
3. What difficulties did you face while reading the text and analyzing for rhetorical effectiveness? How did you overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)
Though I have heard of this speech before, I hadn’t paid close attention to the words, and I certainly hadn’t thought about the rhetoric behind it. I overcame these issues by reading the passage several times. That helped me understand the passage and consider how Henry used rhetoric.
Solution (Write a Rhetorical Analysis)
Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Write a Rhetorical Analysis
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Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have A Dream” is a popular speech that shows the effect of rhetoric and its impact on the audience. During the civil rights movement, King Jr. wrote and presented this widely known speech in 1963. In “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., he uses powerful diction, symbolism, and metaphoric imagery to successfully impact the audience through demonstrating pathos, ethos, and logos that help them understand his purpose and message.
At first, the speech starts with the use of powerful diction that establishes emotional and logical appeal to the audience. The speech mainly targets African Americans in the US, and King Jr (1963) opens up his speech by appreciating the people who had shown up to the “greatest demonstration of freedom,” a statement that helps create an appeal of pathos. King Jr (1963) continues to establish an appeal to logic by arguing that the “Emancipation Proclamation” established “hope to millions of Negro slaves” who had suffered injustices. He also uses anaphora to establish a logical and emotional appeal ……………for help with this assignment (Write a Rhetorical Analysis) contact us via email Address: consulttutor10@gmail.com
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