Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example & Methods to Write Better

Are you asked to write a rhetorical analysis essay? Rhetorical analysis essay writing isn’t as common as other writing assignments, which makes this a challenging task for most students. If you are having a hard time with your rhetorical essay, you have come to the right place. We have combined a list of free rhetorical analysis essay examples to help you get started. Along with that, we will help you understand the basics of a rhetorical analysis essay. Read on to learn how to craft a brilliant writing piece for your school or college. Quick Links 1. Understanding Rhetorical Analysis Essays 2. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline 2.1 Introductory Paragraph 2.2 Body Paragraphs 2.3 Conclusion 3. Interesting Rhetorical Analysis Essay Examples 4. Rhetorical Analysis: The SOAPSTone Method 1. Understanding Rhetorical Analysis Essays A rhetorical analysis essay requires you to break down a piece of nonfiction writing into different parts and then to analyze and explain how these parts work as a whole and the effects those individual parts working both independently and as a whole have on a reader. Contrary to a research paper, this type of writing focuses on the hows rather than the whys. You need to figure out how a particular text was written rather than its meaning. First, define the purpose of the text, whether to entertain, educate, instruct, persuade, or dissuade the target audience and then focus on how this was achieved with the author's writing style. To write a rhetorical analysis essay, good research and analytical skills are a must. This is the reason that even after taking several languages courses, students find writing a rhetorical essay a difficult and somewhat troublesome task. But don't lose hope, we will walk you through the important parts of performing a rhetorical analysis. By now, you must have gotten a basic idea of what a rhetorical analysis essay really is. Let's move on and discuss an example of rhetorical analysis essay outline. 2. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline To make any type of writing easier, it is best to follow a set structure or outline. Following an outline gives you a sense of direction and a placeholder where all the information needs to go. A rhetorical analysis essay follows the same five-paragraph structure; let's briefly discuss each section. 2.1 Introductory Paragraph The introduction is used to familiarize the reader with your topic and the main idea. When writing a rhetorical essay introduction, focus on the following: The original author, Their work, Your purpose for choosing the topic. Start your introduction with a hook to attract the reader's attention, provide background information on the topic and highlight the parts you are going to discuss. End your introduction with a thesis statement, which is a transition between the intro and body. 2.2 Body Paragraphs The body paragraphs are essential to an essay, as breathing is to living beings. These paragraphs unveil important information and address several questions. To draft a body for a rhetorical analysis essay, analyze the work at hand, how the author achieved his purpose, identify the persuasive methods used. Each body paragraph should discuss a single point and have evidence to support it.2.3 Conclusion The concluding paragraph summarizes the overall essay and main points. Also, end the essay with your opinion about the original text whether or not it was effective. This was just to give you an overview about the rhetorical analysis essay outline and what goes into it. For a more in-depth idea, check out our blog for writing a rhetorical analysis essay outline. 3. Interesting Rhetorical Analysis Essay Examples Going through sample essays, of other students or professionals helps get familiar with the writing style required for a particular essay type. Because performing a rhetorical analysis is a bit tricky to figure out, it is even more important to take help from sample essays. This will not only help you understand the pattern and overall structure but also allows you to learn the syntax. Rhetorical analysis essay focuses more on analyzing a piece of literary work, or a work of non-fiction such as a novel, play, speech, etc. Following are a few sample rhetorical analysis essays on some important topics that you can benefit from. A Rhetorical Analysis of "A Liberal Education is Key to a Civil Society" Ivy Williams A Rhetorical Analysis of "The Other Canadians and Canada's Future" Marin Lepp A Rhetorical Analysis of "Strength Through Creative Comparison" Nicholas Hamilton A Rhetorical Analysis of "The Right Stuff" Lee Jennings All of the above rhetorical analysis examples use a common method for analysis known as the SOAPSTone Method. When crafting your essay, make use of this method and you'll have a brilliant piece of writing. Rhetorical Analysis: The SOAPSTone Method SOAPSTone is an acronym for speaking, occasion, audience, purpose, subject and tone. This method makes it easier to understand any authors work and how it might have affected the audience. a) Speaker Determine who is the speaker (writer) of the text under analysis. For example, is the speaker the author, a character or a narrator? b) Occasion The setting, time, and place where the related events took place c) Audience Who is being addressed? Why did the speaker/writer choose this particular audience? Is there more than one target audience? d) Purpose The goal or purpose of the author. Why did he choose to write about the topic under discussion? Why was it important to speak or write about it? Was the author/speaker's goal clearly defined? e) Subject Explore the subject in great depth. What is the primary meaning? Is there additional relevant information that is revealed throughout the text? f) Tone Pay attention to the text and how it has been organized. What emotions does the text evoke in its audience? If after going through these examples and methods you still have ambiguities and need more information, you can check out our complete guide on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay. 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