My Rhetorical Analysis

Essay Helpers for AP English

Language

By Mrs. Wendy Scruggs, Jack Britt High School

Understanding the Task• This question asks you to read a

passage and discuss/analyze the rhetorical strategies an author uses to develop his/her position on a topic.

• It’s not just about position on a topic, though. You must analyze in detail how the organization, structure, diction, syntax, figurative language, imagery, rhythm (think pacing devices like punctuation, sentence structure, anaphora, anadiplosis, repetition, parallelism) of the piece help convey that writer’s position.

Understanding the Task• You should discuss how the writer sets up his/her position:

-ethos/logos/pathos-syllogism or enthymeme-inductive or deductive

reasoning

Understanding the Task• An analysis should discuss the

rhetorical framework—audience, purpose, appeals, and strategies. Never lose sight of exigence: what prompted the writing to occur.

• **Don’t forget that occasion is NOT the same as a setting. It really means to consider what was going on in the world when the author wrote.

Remember PELIDS• Pathos• Ethos• Logos• Inductive reasoning (form of logos)• Deductive reasoning (form of logos)• Syllogism

What not to do in a thesis:• Don’t use the rhetorical-term list

thesis statement. It’s not enough to say that…

• Patrick Henry uses anaphora, loaded language, and ad hominem logical fallacies in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention.”

• This thesis statement only really allows the writer to discuss the literary elements in this essay. It doesn’t’ address the rhetorical task of Henry, nor does it address his claim, how he makes it, or intended effect on his audience. This leaves much out of what should be in the analysis and only skims the surface of the task.

What to do• A better option…

• Patrick Henry seeks to discredit the British government and anger his audience through his deliberate use of logical fallacies and inflammatory tone in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention.”• This thesis statement hints to the

rhetorical task, effect on audience in the specific exigence. It’s not a perfect thesis, but it provides much more of the rhetorical framework than the first one did.

Sample Sentence for Supporting Detail

• While no AP reader wants to see formulaic writing, this fill-in-the blank strategy can help students.– In ( title of the work), (Writer’s

last name) uses (rhetorical term to discuss) to (verb that shows rhetorical task) , because (your analysis here on effect on audience as a result of that device).