Rhetorical Analysis

About the Rhetorical Analysis Assignment

The Rhetorical Analysis assignment asks you to analyze the rhetorical appeals and strategies used in a text or cultural artifact from a community you belong to. In examining this text or artifact, you will identify and critically analyze how and why individuals communicate with their audiences in the way they do. The Rhetorical Analysis assignment demands that you pay close attention to the ways in which rhetoric affects different audiences in different ways to produce unique effects and outcomes. The “Rhetorical Analysis” section of this book provides in-depth examples for you to read and learn from. This assignment cultivates an awareness of how rhetorical appeals affect your experience with arguments and helps develop a foundational understanding of how you might use rhetorical techniques in your own argumentative writing.

Being able to identify these strategies will empower you to carefully analyze the effectiveness and validity of an argument. Learning how to do rhetorical analysis ultimately develops your ability to critically engage with the world around you. A rhetorical analysis project for this class can involve texts like research articles, speeches, editorials, advertisements, tweets, etc. Since rhetorical analysis may take many forms, make sure you discuss your ideas with your instructor.

If you’re interested in submitting your work to Rhetorical Analysis category, please go to https://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/departments/english/current-students/prizes-awards-scholarships/composition-awards/index.html 

Recent and Past Rhetorical Analysis Projects

Please proceed to our Rhetorical Analysis Archive.