Rhetorical Analysis (3-5 pages, double spaced) Preface: This first assignment is designed to introduce many of the courses

key concepts. The purpose for writing a rhetorical analysis is to explain how an author attempts to influence an audience and why he [sic] utilizes certain strategies. That is, we use specific evidence from the text to establish a generalization (thesis) about the texts rhetoric (how and why it persuades its readers). Assignment: Choose one of the Top 100 Speeches from American Rhetoric.com please look for a speech that sparks some exigence. After carefully studying the speech, write an analysis that will help your readers understand how the text works to persuade its audience. Introduce the text and identify its basic claim/thesis. Arrange the body of your paper so that the readers move through it in an orderly way. Also, make a judgment/present an analytical argument about the texts rhetorical effectiveness. Note: Your analysis should not simply paraphrase or summarize what the author says. Neither should it be a rebuttal (an argument against the text, the topic of the text, or a counterpoint). The reader (me) has already read the text and knows what it contains. Your purpose is to provide a way of understanding how the text persuades its audience. Unless explaining context, you must rely solely upon the text being analyzed as your source for support/quotations, etc. Composition: Your analysis should help readers understand why you find this opinion piece rhetorically interesting. Your invention process (see below for some beginning invention prompts) will give you much material to consider and select from. You may organize your analysis around one or more of the rhetorical features you have examined. For example, you may want to show how the style and tone work to create pathos appeals, or how the pathos and the logos are intertwined, or how the logos depends on ethos to succeed. These are only a few examples. Whatever your claims about how the text works, remember always to ground them in rhetorical situationwho is being addressed, when, where, and why. Note: In general, you must present the claims of your analysis, provide whatever supplementary information about the issue may be necessary for your readers to understand those claims, and marshal the evidence that supports your analysis and its conclusions. The text itself is primary evidence for this analysis; in showing how language affects audiences, you will find that frequent specific references and quotation are vital. Stylistic/Grammatical Focus: For the Rhetorical Analysis, we will focus on the following :
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Effective construction of thesis statements and topic sentences Incorporation of strong analytical verbs when describing both your analysis and the argument of the original rhetor. Incorporating quotations from the original speech/text, as well as from your collaborative efforts. Both in-text quotations (parenthetical) as well as a Works Cited page is expected. An MLA research guide is available here. Also, a very useful PowerPoint tutorial can be found here.

When you submit your final draft, at least three examples of strong analytical sentences must be identified (underlined); additionally, three examples or strong analytical verbs should also be identified (underlined).
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