English 102

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Part I

Assignment Description
This essay is a description of a rhetorical form/situation using three examples of that
form/situation as evidence. Your task is to make a claim about what these three essays
represent. For instance, I might look at the three essays I am assigned and decide that they
represent the convocation address. My task now is to demonstrate what these three examples
of convocation have in common, and how they are representative of this form. That is, it is not
enough simply to point out that there are common elements, I have to say something about
what those elements are doing and why they matter. That is what makes this essay analysis
rather than just summary.

For this essay, organization is a challenge. You might find yourself pulled to write a paragraph
about each essay and then link it to the form. (“This essay is an example of a convocation
address because it refers to the future. The speaker tells the audience “you can be the change we
need in the world,” which is a clear example of positive future thoughts.”) If you organize your
essay that way, you will find yourself in two difficulties. The first will be an almost
overwhelming tendency to have five paragraphs. We don’t want that. The second is that it will
be very hard to move from summary into interesting analysis.

Rather than thinking about each example on its own and writing it up, you should instead think
in terms of common features of the form as demonstrated by your examples. For instance, if
one of the markers of the convocation address is that it is positive about the future, you might
have a paragraph that explores that trait. You might note that all of your examples are positive
about the future, perhaps multiple times in each speech. You would then choose one or two of
those to quote in the paragraph so that your reader can see what you mean. You might then
conclude with a claim about why this element exists in this form. (No one wants a downer at
convocation!)

You are describing a rhetorical form, so you will naturally focus on commonalities. However, if
one of your examples has elements that are different, you can pursue those as well. Just make
sure that you have a reason for discussing it. “Despite the evidence that most convocation
speeches are positive about the future, Brown includes a sober discussion of the role of failure in
success. This section of his speech outlines a negative future, which does not follow the
rhetorical form. However, he concludes by returning his listeners to visions of success, so
overall his message is positive.” You might continue this paragraph by explaining the effect of
this one ray of negativity, and how it enhances or detracts from the overall speech.

Assignment Requirements
For this essay you must do the following:
• Use three of the sources provided in the folder for this essay
• Read your sources and determine what rhetorical form and situation they represent
• Write a 750-word essay that explains your reasoning
• Organize your paragraphs in a format that makes sense for your thesis and your essay
• Cite your sources using MLA formatting accurately
• Create an MLA works-cited page
• Submit your completed essay via Blackboard