Expert Advice On How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A rhetorical analysis essay is the type of paper where you will take a work by an author or speaker and analyze it for the rhetorical strategies used. This type of paper is different from ordinary academic papers because you will take a piece of work and analyze it before you can give a verdict about it. You have to think critically and stay objective during this process because you are going to present this work to the audience. The most important part of writing such a paper is understanding the process and the purpose of the assignment.

Students who are attempting a rhetorical analysis essay for the first time, may not understand what is the actual purpose behind the paper and how will they complete it. If you are to write a strong paper then you should keep the following instructions in your mind

1. Start by identifying the author and theme of the work

The first thing you will do for writing your paper is identify the author of the work, why he did this work, what was the background behind it and what is the relevance and context of the work you are analyzing. It is helpful in getting a proper sense of the work you will review

2. Know the target audience

Not yours, but the audience for which this work was aimed. This is important because the style of an author addressing a bunch of high school students will vary with that of a person writing for house wives. You should see the target audience and understand their needs before you analyze the work

3. Know the purpose of the work

See what was the actual purpose of the work. Whether the writer was trying to inform, entertain or persuade an audience. This will show what the writer was trying to get as a result of his work

4. Identify the rhetorical strategies used

See what strategies the author or speaker has used to achieve his purpose for a certain target audience. Note down all the strategies on a neat page so that you can analyze them easily

5. Analyze these strategies

Create a sound analysis by staying objective and discussing each rhetorical method one by one

6. Write your paper following a logical order

Create an outline and arrange your data in a logical order to be able to write an effective paper