{"id":3563,"date":"2016-12-26T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=3563"},"modified":"2019-03-17T07:06:05","modified_gmt":"2019-03-17T14:06:05","slug":"how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Smart Rhetorical Analysis Essay"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><b>RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE NEXT WEEK!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p>You cannot escape it any longer. Your essay is due a week from today. (Thank goodness for homework apps, or you would have completely forgotten about it!)<\/p>\n<p>Remembering that you have to write an essay is only half the battle, though. Now you have to figure out <i>how <\/i>to write it.<\/p>\n<p>I know you don\u2019t have a lot of time to waste, so let\u2019s cut to the chase. Here\u2019s how to write a smart rhetorical analysis essay in 4 basic steps.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3599\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3599\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this.jpg\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"386\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this-225x175.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3599 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20386%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"386\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20386%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this-225x175.jpg 225w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-what_is_this.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;WHAT IS THIS?&#8230;&#8221; by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/a-dawg13.deviantart.com\/art\/WHAT-IS-THIS-314293220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A-Dawg13<\/a>, DeviantArt.com (<a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY 3.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In its simplest terms, a rhetorical analysis essay breaks down another author\u2019s piece of writing to examine how smaller parts work together to create a larger effect, such as to persuade, to inform, or to entertain an audience.<\/p>\n<p>Sounds simple enough, right?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at it another way.<\/p>\n<p>A rhetorical essay is like an engine. All the parts must work together in order for the engine run correctly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tm-tweet-clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tm-click-to-tweet\">\n<div class=\"tm-ctt-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=A+rhetorical+essay+is+like+an+engine.+All+the+parts+must+work+together+for+the+engine+run+correctly.&#038;via=kibin&#038;related=kibin&#038;url=https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\">A rhetorical essay is like an engine. All the parts must work together for the engine run correctly.<\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=A+rhetorical+essay+is+like+an+engine.+All+the+parts+must+work+together+for+the+engine+run+correctly.&#038;via=kibin&#038;related=kibin&#038;url=https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tm-ctt-btn\">Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"tm-ctt-tip\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re not mechanically inclined, think of it as a recipe. All ingredients blend together to make a delicious dessert. (I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019m suddenly hungry for red velvet cupcakes.)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4028\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4028\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4028\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z.jpg\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4028 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20334%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20334%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/5681847561_170fbcef64_z.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4028\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Red Velvet Cupcakes&#8221; by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/bensonkua\/5681847561\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benson Kua<\/a>, Flickr.com (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So how exactly <i>do <\/i>you write a rhetorical analysis essay? Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n<h2>4 Steps to Write a Smart Rhetorical Analysis Essay<\/h2>\n\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple\">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-cont\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-header\">Your grades will thank you. <\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-desc\">Never miss a post. Get free weekly writing help delivered straight to your inbox!<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-input\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-cont-btn\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"btn btn-warning\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getdrip.com\/forms\/843655814\/submissions\/new\" target=\"_blank\">Yes! Sign me up. <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<h3>Step 1: Read!<\/h3>\n<p>I know this sounds obvious, but it\u2019s a crucial step. You cannot write a smart rhetorical analysis if you skim through a piece of writing that you&#8217;re supposed to be analyzing. Take the time to read it once or twice to understand the main point and the author\u2019s key arguments.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Ask a lot of questions<\/h3>\n<p>When you\u2019re writing a rhetorical analysis, you\u2019re trying to get inside the writer\u2019s head. You want to understand his or her writing inside and out. You want to know what makes the writing tick.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, you need to start asking questions.<\/p>\n<p><b>Here are some examples:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is the thesis (or focus) of this piece of writing?<\/li>\n<li>Is the author\u2019s purpose to persuade, to inform, or to entertain?<\/li>\n<li>Does the author use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ethos, logos, or pathos<\/a> to persuade?<\/li>\n<li>Is the intended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/writing-for-an-audience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">audience<\/a> general readers, professionals, college students, or children?<\/li>\n<li>What is the author\u2019s writing style? Does the author use formal or informal language? Does the author use slang or jargon?<\/li>\n<li>Is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-control-the-tone-of-an-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tone<\/a> serious, casual, sarcastic, condescending, or funny?<\/li>\n<li>How does the author use structure to make an impact? How do <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-become-a-better-writer-smart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">word choices<\/a> affect the writing? How does the order of ideas, punctuation, or sentence structures affect the writing?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After you\u2019ve answered these questions (and maybe some others that aren\u2019t listed here), ask yourself two very important final questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i><i>How does the author incorporate these rhetorical choices to achieve his or her purpose?<\/i><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Why does the author make these specific rhetorical choices?<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">A Word of Caution<\/span>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<\/b>As you\u2019re taking notes about how and why the writer does what he or she does, make sure you\u2019re actually analyzing.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-good-essay-commentary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Don\u2019t confuse summary with analysis<\/a>. A rhetorical analysis is not a summary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tm-tweet-clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tm-click-to-tweet\">\n<div class=\"tm-ctt-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Don%E2%80%99t+confuse+summary+with+analysis.+A+rhetorical+analysis+is+not+a+summary.&#038;via=kibin&#038;related=kibin&#038;url=https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\">Don\u2019t confuse summary with analysis. A rhetorical analysis is not a summary.<\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Don%E2%80%99t+confuse+summary+with+analysis.+A+rhetorical+analysis+is+not+a+summary.&#038;via=kibin&#038;related=kibin&#038;url=https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tm-ctt-btn\">Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"tm-ctt-tip\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><b>Here\u2019s an example of a summary:<\/b> In his \u201cHow Early Is Too Early?\u201d article, Sanchez uses humor in an attempt to persuade readers that the school day should start at 8:00 a.m.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This example simply tells readers about the article and summarizes the key points. It does not explain <i>how<\/i> humor is used or whether the author uses humor <i>successfully<\/i> to persuade his audience.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b>Here\u2019s an example of a rhetorical analysis: <\/b>In his \u201cHow Early Is Too Early?\u201d article, Sanchez attempts to use stories of sleeping students and groggy teachers to persuade readers that the school day should begin at 8:00 a.m. These examples, though mildly entertaining, provide no conclusive evidence as to why the school day should start at a later time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>See the difference? This example examines the strategy used by the author (humor) and analyzes whether the strategy is effective in achieving the author\u2019s purpose (to persuade readers).<\/p>\n<p>Okay, you\u2019ve read the piece of writing once, twice, maybe even three times. You\u2019ve asked (and answered) a lot of questions about the writing. Now what?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s time to put your ideas into essay form.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3598\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3598\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3598\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat.jpg\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3598 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20375%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20375%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-cat.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3598\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Lonely at the top&#8221; by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/95459528@N00\/7340411\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guyon Moree<\/a>, Flickr.com&nbsp; (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>)\/Text added<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Step 3: Turn your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/10-note-taking-strategies-to-write-a-better-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">notes<\/a> into a rhetorical analysis essay<\/h3>\n\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple\">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-cont\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-header\">Your grades will thank you. <\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-desc\">Never miss a post. Get free weekly writing help delivered straight to your inbox!<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-input\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-cont-btn\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"btn btn-warning\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getdrip.com\/forms\/843655814\/submissions\/new\" target=\"_blank\">Yes! Sign me up. <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<p>This step-by-step guide starts with the introduction and thesis then moves to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/anatomy-perfect-essay-paragraph-structure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">body paragraphs<\/a> and ends with the conclusion. We all know this is how the final product will end up, but it doesn\u2019t mean you have to write in that order.<\/p>\n<p>You might begin with a thesis statement, draft a few ideas, and scrap them all in order to revise your thesis statement and start with completely different ideas. That\u2019s fine. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get started.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter in which order you choose to actually complete the steps below. As long as your paper ends up in a traditional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/essay-formatting-survival-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">essay format<\/a>, you\u2019re golden.<\/p>\n<h4>Introduction and thesis statement<\/h4>\n<p>An introduction to a rhetorical analysis essay is a bit different than other essays. You\u2019re <i>not<\/i> trying to open with a snappy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/good-hook-sentences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hook<\/a>&nbsp;to grab readers\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n<p>The goal of a rhetorical analysis introduction is to provide the basic information of the writing you\u2019re analyzing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3596 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640-300x228.png\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis arrow-24916_640\" width=\"150\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640-300x228.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640.png 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3596 alignleft lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20114%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis arrow-24916_640\" width=\"150\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20114%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640-300x228.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640.png 640w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-analysis-arrow-24916_640-300x228.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Tell your readers the title, author, and <a href=\"https:\/\/owl.english.purdue.edu\/owl\/resource\/625\/06\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purpose of the writing<\/a> you\u2019re analyzing within the first line or two of your introduction<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Your first line might look something like this:<\/b> In her article, \u201cThe Student Loan Debt Trap,\u201d Kala Robinson argues that students are unfairly burdened for a lifetime due to their enormous student loan debts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Develop the introduction by adding more details about the writing, and as you would with other academic essays, wrap up your introduction with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thesis statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a rhetorical analysis essay, your thesis statement should make a point about the article and the author\u2019s arguments and\/or style choices.<\/p>\n<p>You might include whether the author\u2019s arguments are convincing, whether the tone is effective or perhaps too informal, sarcastic, or condescending, or whether the author achieves her purpose.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b>Here\u2019s a thesis statement example: <\/b>Robinson\u2019s use of statistics, real-life examples, and emotional appeals provide a strong argument for the need to eliminate student loans.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Yeah, this all sounds pretty formal and academic, but you\u2019re writing an academic essay!<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019re satisfied with your thesis statement, move on to the body of the paper.<\/p>\n<h4>Body (analysis)<\/h4>\n<p>The body of the paper is where you\u2019ll truly begin to analyze the contents, style, and arguments of the piece.<\/p>\n<p>Remember those questions you asked yourself and those notes you took in Step 2? Now\u2019s the time to put them to use.<\/p>\n<p>Using your notes as reference, move through the writing you\u2019re analyzing and examine the <a href=\"http:\/\/literarydevices.net\/rhetoric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">key rhetorical strategies<\/a> the author uses.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t try to discuss every miniscule point. Choose a few of the strongest and most important to include in your paper.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, if you think the author uses excellent statistics to support her argument in the first half, include this as your first point of analysis in the body of your essay.<\/p>\n<p>If, in the second half, the author\u2019s argument falls apart because she simply doesn\u2019t offer any current, real-life scenarios, mention that as the next point in your paper.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to use specific examples and word choices to support your arguments. Don\u2019t try to take the easy way out. Take the time to look up the exact words and arguments the author uses.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that your rhetorical analysis doesn\u2019t have to be all positive or all negative. Mix the good with the bad (and maybe even the ugly).<\/p>\n<p>After you\u2019ve worked your way through the piece of writing, picking out the key points you want to analyze, you can finally (yes, finally!) move to the conclusion.<\/p>\n<h4>Conclusion<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/essay-conclusion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conclusion<\/a>&nbsp;for a rhetorical analysis essay is pretty standard stuff. Wrap up your key ideas and refer to the main points of your paper.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b>Here\u2019s what a rhetorical analysis conclusion might look like:<\/b> Ultimately, even though a handful of Robinson&#8217;s statistics are slightly outdated, the use of these statistics combined with real-life examples provides a strong argument. She further emphasizes her point, and through her use of emotional appeals, compels readers to fully understand and sympathize with the unfair burden so many college graduates face as they attempt to repay their student loans.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Not so bad, was it?<\/p>\n<p>Need some more examples to help ensure you&#8217;re on the right track before jumping into the final step? Check out these rhetorical analysis essay examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/a-rhetorical-analysis-of-jennifer-prices-the-plastic-pink-flamingo-90Uc7IRf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Rhetorical Analysis of Jennifer Price&#8217;s &#8220;The Plastic Pink Flamingo&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/rhetorical-analysis-of-anna-quindlens-driving-to-the-funeral-ZHYh8nGl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rhetorical Analysis of Anna Quindlen&#8217;s &#8220;Driving to the Funeral&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/a-rhetorical-analysis-of-amy-lins-article-MN9LXruH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Rhetorical Analysis of Amy Lin&#8217;s Article &#8220;Barbie: Queen of Dolls and Consumerism&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/a-rhetorical-analysis-of-beowulf-an-anglo-saxon-epic-poem-t9FpHT1e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Rhetorical Analysis of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Feeling better about moving forward with your essay now? Let&#8217;s get to revising!<\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: Revise<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme.png\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3595\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme-300x163.png\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme.png 594w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3595 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20271%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"rhetorical analysis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"271\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20271%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme.png 594w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rhetorical-essay-motivation_meme-300x163.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Imagine these guys are your professors, and this is the reaction they have to your rhetorical analysis essay. Not what you were hoping for, was it?<\/p>\n<p>This is exactly the reaction you might get if you try to write your paper a few hours before it\u2019s due, and you don\u2019t spend any time revising.<\/p>\n<p>Having to revise doesn\u2019t mean your paper sucks. It means you care enough about your writing to do your best work. After all, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/self-editing-is-killing-your-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">almost no one writes the perfect paper on the first try<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>Revision strategies to get you started<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Set your essay aside for a day or two before revising.<\/li>\n<li>Highlight your thesis statement. Then look at your key arguments to make sure they match your thesis.<\/li>\n<li>Check to make sure you\u2019ve included specific examples to support your discussion.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you\u2019ve connected ideas with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/good-transition-words-can-improve-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transitions<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t be afraid to reorder ideas or scrap a paragraph if you need to. Revision can get messy!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your masterpiece is (almost) complete. Sometimes one revision isn\u2019t enough to craft the perfect masterpiece. That\u2019s where we come in. Why not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/editors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have a Kibin editor help you<\/a> with your next revision?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a lot of work, I know, but your GPA will thank you.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE NEXT WEEK! You cannot escape it any longer. Your essay is due a week from today. (Thank goodness for homework apps, or you would have completely forgotten about it!) Remembering that you have to write an essay is only half the battle, though. Now you have to figure out how to &hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"blog-read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" class=\"more-link btn btn-primary\"><b>Read more<\/b><span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to Write a Smart Rhetorical Analysis Essay&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":8274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[64,63],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Write a Smart Rhetorical Analysis Essay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE NEXT WEEK!\u00a0You cannot escape it any longer.\u00a0Deep breaths\u2014this post&#039;s got you covered in four easy steps!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Write a Smart Rhetorical Analysis Essay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE NEXT WEEK!\u00a0You cannot escape it any longer.\u00a0Deep breaths\u2014this post&#039;s got you covered in four easy steps!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-smart-rhetorical-analysis-essay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kibin Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-12-27T01:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-03-17T14:06:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/rhetoricalanalysisessay2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Susan M. 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