ENGL 1301

Fall 2023
Dr. Nelson
Agenda
• Essay 2 Overview
• Image Criteria
• Visual Analysis Practice
Overview: Essay 2 Visual Text Analysis
Q u e s t io n s ? C o n c e r n s ?
Choosing Your Visual Text
• No Google Images
• No visual texts that were not published in the last 5 years or are not in current
use
• NO ART, i.e. visual texts that do not have an informative or persuasive purpose
• No visual texts for which your impulse is to focus on the language over the image
• NO VIDEOS
Visual Text Analysis Practice
Phase 1: Description

In a paragraph, or in bullet points,

describe what you see in the image.
Use these questions as a guide:

• What is the first thing you see/what

draws your attention when you look
at the text?
• What colors does the text include?
• What objects does the text include?
• What are the sizes of the objects
included in the text?
• Does the text include any writing?
Phase 2: Analysis

• When considering the first thing that

draws your attention, why do you
think the creator makes this design
choice?
• Does the creator’s use of color
include contrasting colors? If so,
what effect does this contrast have?
• What do you think is the creator's
purpose in including these objects in
the text?
• Does the creator's inclusion of
different objects include differences
in size or scale? If so, what effect
does this contrast have?
Phase 2: Analysis, cont.

• How does the visual text make you

feel? What visual components make
you feel this way? Do you think that
is the text’s intention or purpose?
Why or why not?
• What is the visual text suggesting
that you think? What does it make
you think about? Do you think that is
the text’s intention or purpose? Why
or why not?
• What elements are most important
in understand the purpose of the
text? Why are these the most
important?
For Friday
Before class:
• Read Lunsford Ch. 15 (pp. 260-262)
• Complete the CH 15 READING QUIZ
• Decide on the Image that you will write about for Essay 2 and bring it to
class for approval