One is an expression of your opinion on a text you read, such as a book or article. A regular rhetorical essay can be about any subject, but provides a line of reasoning, a summary of the line of reasoning, an explanation and clarification of what you think it means and why. In a book report, you may give some background on the author and give a summary of what the book was about. The author 39 s viewpoints and your reaction to them are not usually part of the report. That 39 s where a rhetorical analysis essay comes in and putting into your own words what a text meant to you can sometimes be difficult. Start with the author of the text and tell a little bit about that person and how you may feel toward the author.

Then summarize what the text was about and whether you think the author expressed his ideas adequately and if not, why. Describe points about the text that the author could have made better or clearer. Structure your essay so that the reader knows what you will be talking about from the first sentence of the essay by defining what your subject is. For example if you are writing about the endangered polar bear, define what that might mean to society. A rhetorical essay can be written on any subject, but you might want to pick topics that people are interested in reading about. Write a description about the subject you are going to make your argument or opinion on, then describe the argument or opinion you have on the subject.

Explain why you feel the way you do about the subject and summarize or clarify your opinion. Give strong reasons for feeling the way you do so that your audience can relate to the subject and to you. 160 the first part of the process is to take a clearly defined position on the subject you are analyzing. A thesis is nothing more than an argument that you will prove throughout the essay. For example, if you are analyzing a piece of literature, the thesis is your interpretation of the literature. In a rhetorical essay, you will use several different strategies to prove that your interpretation is sound. Rhetoric refers to the art of persuasion and your thesis or argument will be drawn from your own unique opinion.

Your goal is to persuade your audience of that opinion or position however, the thesis should be presented objectively as a statement. The analysis of the subject on which you are taking a position can be involved but does not have to be difficult. Once you have decided on and clearly stated your thesis, you can begin to analyze the subject. As you look closely at your subject, write down any findings that support your thesis.

Once you have gathered and written down findings that support your thesis, choose how to present the information. For a rhetorical analytical essay, this means choosing a persuasive strategy that will reach your audience. You have already defined your purpose for writing this is directly connected and derived from your thesis now you must determine who your audience is. Aristotle, in his book rhetoric, discusses three rhetorical strategies: ethos ethics , pathos emotions and logos logic. The appeal to ethos does not necessarily refer to an ethical argument, although it may. It also refers to the author's credibility and authority on the subject being analyzed. With this strategy, you are establishing yourself as an authority on the matter you are analyzing in order to persuade your audience of the legitimacy of your position.

The appeal to pathos is the author's use of the audience's emotional reaction to the arguments used to support the thesis. One appeal to pathos might be the drastically negative effect refuse or litter may have on wildlife. Your goal would be to appeal to your audience's emotions by describing suffering seagulls and seals. The appeal to logos is an argument that persuades the audience to see your perspective based on clear, logical arguments.

Essay on Effects of Technology on Human Life

Using cause and effect and if/then statements is one way to appeal to your audience's logic. After you have determined your thesis, audience and rhetorical strategy, you must craft these into an effective essay. When you have completed your essay, your position thesis on the subject should be clearly explained through the rhetorical strategy used. Simply put, a rhetorical analysis is a written explanation about how a writer or speaker attempts to change the mind of his or her audience.

An effective rhetorical analysis demonstrates a full understanding of the interplay of the rhetorical triangle. A group of high school students would be a markedly different audience than, say, a a group of college professors. Strategy: considering the audience and knowing the purpose what would be the most effective strategies? for the ap rhetorical analysis, students are presented with a complete argument from a published author. Essentially, students write a paper that demonstrates their understanding of rhetorical process at hand.