What is a rhetorical analysis?
Definition and instructions for rhetorical analysis.
Answer
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, rhetoric is "the art of using language effectively to persuade or influence others" especially by using certain parts of speech or techniques. Therefore, a rhetorical analysis would be the critical examination of those parts of speech or techniques.
A rhetorical analysis is not ...
- a summary of a literary work or scholarly article;
- an explanation of the meaning of a literary work or article;
- a character or plot analysis.
A rhetorical analysis is ...
- an explanation of how an author writes rather than what an author writes;
- an examination of the strategies used by the author in achieving the purpose of the written work.
- the evaluation of images, color, positioning, and choice of prop(s) or character(s) within a visual message
An example of a rhetorical analysis of a magazine advertisement is provided below.
For more detailed information, view the chapter on Rhetorical Analysis from The Writing Guide with Handbook by OpenStax. The link is provided below.
Links & Files
Topics
Comments (0)
Contact Us
- If you have a question or need assistance, please contact us through one of the options below.
- We will respond in less than 24 hours.