rhetorical analysis essay topic example

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122 Various Rhetorical Analysis Topics To Help Your Progress

Many students don’t know where to start when choosing rhetorical analysis topics for academic papers. That’s because writing about these topics requires students to explore the subject in detail and prove their standpoint. Usually, educators expect learners to use effective and persuasive methods to achieve this goal. In simple terms, a rhetorical essay involves writing about writing.

This article presents a rhetorical analysis topics list for learners at different educational levels. It’s useful because it provides helpful ideas to help students with difficulties create interesting titles for their papers.

What Is Rhetorical Analysis?

Before diving into the list of rhetorical analysis topics, let’s define rhetoric.

A dictionary will say rhetoric is “the effective or persuasive art of writing or speaking, especially one that exploits figures of speech and other compositional techniques.”

However, rhetoric is more than just an art form. It’s also a tool that a writer can use to achieve a specific goal. In the context of academic writing, learners often use rhetoric to persuade the reader to see things from their point of view.

For example, consider the following statement:

“The death penalty is naturally an inhuman and cruel punishment that governments should abolish.”

This statement is an example of rhetoric because the writer uses persuasive language to make an argument. They want to convince the reader that the death penalty is wrong and governments should stop it.

What Are Good Rhetorical Analysis Topics?

Good rhetorical analysis titles allow the writer to analyze something and its effect on the audience or themselves. Although a rhetorical analysis essay can be about a speech or literature, it can also be about a movie or art. Some educators even ask learners to write rhetorical analyses about billboards or commercials. Nevertheless, an ideal topic allows the writer to acquire and analyze sufficient information.

Remember, the goal of a rhetorical analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of an argument or a piece of work. Therefore, pick a topic that allows you to do this. Once you’ve known what rhetorical analysis is and what makes good topics, let’s delve into some of the titles worth considering.

Best Topics For Rhetorical Analysis In 2023

Maybe you’re looking for the best ideas to consider for your academic essays or papers. In that case, here are some of the titles to consider for your write-up.

How social media affects body image
Common rhetorical strategies in advertising
What is the relationship between violence and video games?
How does music affect mood?
The role of the internet in education
Should governments lower the legal drinking age?
Should governments legalize marijuana?
Euthanasia: To be or not to be?
Cloning: The ethical implications and applications
Is homeschooling a viable educational alternative?
Is childhood obesity a reflection of bad parenting?
Are beauty pageants exploitative?
Should the government censor the internet?
Can the death penalty deter crime?
Should abortion be legal?
Are zoos ethical?
Should governments dictate the number of children a family can have?
Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their child?
Is it ethical to buy organs on the black market?
What are the ethical implications of human cloning?
The impact of social media on relationships
How do the media influence body image and eating disorders?
The effect of advertising on consumerism
Exploring music’s influence on emotions
Investigating the internet’s impact on education
The changing face of family structure and its effects
The pros and cons of homeschooling
Cyber-bullying- Its impact and how to prevent it
School uniforms: Are they necessary?
Religion in schools: Should the government allow it?
Censorship in schools: What are the criteria for choosing books, art, music, and film?
Are standardized tests an accurate measure of student ability?
Is tracking students by ability level beneficial?
Should schools eliminate homework?
Is the current educational system preparing students for the workforce?

Pick any of these ideas and investigate them to provide a detailed analysis. You can consult different sources to present an informative paper.

Rhetorical Analysis Ideas For College Students

Perhaps, you’re pursuing your college or university education, and the professor wants you to write a rhetorical analysis essay. In that case, here’s a list of topic ideas to consider for your paper.

How do authors use ethos, pathos, and logos in their work?
What is the purpose of the author’s argument?- Provide an example
Choose a piece of literary work and describe the target audience
Explain the methods the author uses to persuade their audience- Choose your scholarly work.
Explain the implications of the author’s argument in your preferred literary work
Use an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the author’s rhetoric
The rhetoric issue in Plato’s Republic
Why did “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King break the internet?
Rhetorical analysis of the film, Black Panther
Analyze the speech writing power in George Washington’s speeches
Rhetorical devices and their use in television advertising
Analyzing the rhetorical analysis devices in the Monalisa portrait
Literary devices and their function in plays and poetry
Rhetorical devices in Harry Porter
Analyzing the September 11 speech- Which rhetorical devices stand out?
How online content like blogs use rhetoric
Analyze your favorite book and show how it affected your life
Analyze rhetorical devices in your preferred political speech of the 21st century
How technology facilitates the manipulation of rhetoric devices
Analyzing rhetorical devices in Charles Spurgeon’s sermons
Rhetorical analysis of The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin
Critical analysis of a scene from your favorite movie- Highlight rhetoric devices
What marks acceptance speeches, and how do speakers use rhetorical devices
Rhetoric in preaching- How preachers impact the congregation
Discuss how authors use solitude in literature

These college-level rhetorical analysis ideas allow you to investigate different aspects of writing. Also, they provide a detailed perspective that helps you understand how to approach the assignments.

Good Rhetorical Analysis Topics For High School Learners

Maybe you’re in high school, and the teacher wants you to write a rhetorical analysis essay. If so, this list has ideal titles to consider for your paper.

Can a real friendship exist between a dog and a man?
Language is crucial to society- A detailed rhetorical analysis
The dog is the best housekeeper- A rhetorical analysis of this phrase
A comparison of how men and women consume ad messages
Rhetorical analysis of women’s attitudes towards fashion compared to men
Consumerism and environment- A rhetorical analysis
Analysis and summary of “The Kite Runner.”
The Animal Farm- A detailed rhetorical analysis of this book
Write a rhetorical analysis essay on your favorite birthday
A detailed rhetorical analysis of a speech by the school’s head teacher on graduation day
Rhetorical analysis of the inaugural address by your favorite teacher
Rhetorical analysis of a Nobel Peace Prize Winner’s speech
Rhetorical analysis and themes of William Shakespeare’s Pride and Prejudice
Online consumers- A detailed rhetorical analysis of their behavior
A rhetorical analysis of the electronic media’s impact on culture
Social media and its power- A rhetorical analysis of its power in turning the world into a global village
Olympics and World Cup- A detailed rhetorical analysis
National anthem in Olympic games- A rhetorical analysis
A rhetorical analysis of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Primary themes in Alice in the Wanderland- A rhetorical analysis

These are good topics to write a rhetorical analysis on if you’re in high school. However, you may want to read some books or study the works to write informative and winning papers.

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Maybe you don’t have adequate time to read or investigate somebody else’s work and write about it. In that case, the following ideas could be excellent for your titles.

The Hunger Games- What are this work’s most practical rhetorical strategies?
How ancient and modern stylistic devices differ
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf- Exploring the primary rhetorical devices
Rhetorical analysis of the class representative’s speech on the Memorial Day
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Investigating the critical stylistic devices
Develop a rhetorical composition of varying religious texts
Rhetorical analysis of Mona Lisa’s smile and its meaning
A detailed rhetorical analysis of pop-culture songs
Rhetorical analysis of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso
Heroism as a theme- How does it come out in different literary works?
How authors handle race and prejudice in their works
Rhetorical strategies in Harry Potter’s work
Rhetorical analysis of a speech by Alexander the Great
Themes and their relevance in literary texts about love and hope
Rhetorical analysis of Louisa May Alcott in promoting feminism
Investigating the American National Anthem- What are the vital rhetorical devices?
Does the Fight Song by Rachel Platten mark creativity and art?
Why do Ted Talks attract so many listeners?
How advertisers curate poster and billboard language in advertising
The impact of vivid description and symbols on literary work’s visual impression

These rhetoric topics are relatively easy to write about, but some may require a little research. Nevertheless, most learners will find working on these subjects straightforward.

Rhetoric Research Paper Topics

Maybe you’re writing a research paper and need a rhetorical title. If so, consider these ideas for your project or thesis from professional dissertation writers .

How has the definition of rhetoric changed over time?
What are the different types of rhetoric?
How do persuasive and argumentative rhetorics differ?
What are the ethical implications of rhetoric?
How does rhetoric affect society?
How can authors use rhetoric for good or evil?
How art uses rhetoric
Creative ads and symbolism
Game of Thrones- How does the film use visual arts?
Rhetorical devices in digital media campaigns
How does the film/television show portray its characters?
What is the purpose of the film/television show?
Who is the target audience for this piece?
What methods does the film/television show use to persuade its audience?
What are the implications of the film/television show?
Is the film/television show’s rhetoric effective? Why or why not?
Works about GMO and human health- A rhetorical analysis
Automated system use and rhetorical devices
Sports segregation by gender- a rhetorical analysis
Data privacy and social media- A detailed rhetorical analysis
College athletes’ payment- A rhetorical analysis
Investigating gun legalization- Rhetorical analysis of this topic

These are some of the best rhetorical analysis example topics to consider for your essay or paper. Choose a title that interests you and investigate it to present a detailed perspective.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay–Examples & Template

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

A rhetorical analysis essay is, as the name suggests, an analysis of someone else’s writing (or speech, or advert, or even cartoon) and how they use not only words but also rhetorical techniques to influence their audience in a certain way. A rhetorical analysis is less interested in what the author is saying and more in how they present it, what effect this has on their readers, whether they achieve their goals, and what approach they use to get there.

Its structure is similar to that of most essays: An Introduction presents your thesis, a Body analyzes the text you have chosen, breaks it down into sections and explains how arguments have been constructed and how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section sums up your evaluation.

Note that your personal opinion on the matter is not relevant for your analysis and that you don’t state anywhere in your essay whether you agree or disagree with the stance the author takes.

In the following, we will define the key rhetorical concepts you need to write a good rhetorical analysis and give you some practical tips on where to start.

Key Rhetorical Concepts

Your goal when writing a rhetorical analysis is to think about and then carefully describe how the author has designed their text so that it has the intended effect on their audience. To do that, you need to consider a number of key rhetorical strategies: Rhetorical appeals (“Ethos”, “Logos”, and “Pathos”), context, as well as claims, supports, and warrants.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were introduced by Aristotle, way back in the 4th century BC, as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience. They still represent the basis of any rhetorical analysis and are often referred to as the “rhetorical triangle”.

These and other rhetorical techniques can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify the concepts they are based on.

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical appeal #1: ethos.

Ethos refers to the reputation or authority of the writer regarding the topic of their essay or speech and to how they use this to appeal to their audience. Just like we are more likely to buy a product from a brand or vendor we have confidence in than one we don’t know or have reason to distrust, Ethos-driven texts or speeches rely on the reputation of the author to persuade the reader or listener. When you analyze an essay, you should therefore look at how the writer establishes Ethos through rhetorical devices.

Does the author present themselves as an authority on their subject? If so, how?

Do they highlight how impeccable their own behavior is to make a moral argument?

Do they present themselves as an expert by listing their qualifications or experience to convince the reader of their opinion on something?

Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos

The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a “good cause”. To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories, and employ vivid imagery so that the reader can imagine themselves in a certain situation and feel empathy with or anger towards others.

Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos

Logos, the “logical” appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic texts, as should anyone’s reputation, beliefs, or personal opinions.

Text and Context

To analyze a piece of writing, a speech, an advertisement, or even a satirical drawing, you need to look beyond the piece of communication and take the context in which it was created and/or published into account.

Who is the person who wrote the text/drew the cartoon/designed the ad..? What audience are they trying to reach? Where was the piece published and what was happening there around that time?

A political speech, for example, can be powerful even when read decades later, but the historical context surrounding it is an important aspect of the effect it was intended to have.

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

To make any kind of argument, a writer needs to put forward specific claims, support them with data or evidence or even a moral or emotional appeal, and connect the dots logically so that the reader can follow along and agree with the points made.

The connections between statements, so-called “warrants”, follow logical reasoning but are not always clearly stated—the author simply assumes the reader understands the underlying logic, whether they present it “explicitly” or “implicitly”. Implicit warrants are commonly used in advertisements where seemingly happy people use certain products, wear certain clothes, accessories, or perfumes, or live certain lifestyles – with the connotation that, first, the product/perfume/lifestyle is what makes that person happy and, second, the reader wants to be as happy as the person in the ad. Some warrants are never clearly stated, and your job when writing a rhetorical analysis essay is therefore to identify them and bring them to light, to evaluate their validity, their effect on the reader, and the use of such means by the writer/creator.

bust of plato the philosopher, rhetorical analysis essay

What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?

A “rhetorical situation” refers to the circumstance behind a text or other piece of communication that arises from a given context. It explains why a rhetorical piece was created, what its purpose is, and how it was constructed to achieve its aims.

Rhetorical situations can be classified into the following five categories:

Asking such questions when you analyze a text will help you identify all the aspects that play a role in the effect it has on its audience, and will allow you to evaluate whether it achieved its aims or where it may have failed to do so.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Analyzing someone else’s work can seem like a big task, but as with every assignment or writing endeavor, you can break it down into smaller, well-defined steps that give you a practical structure to follow.

To give you an example of how the different parts of your text may look when it’s finished, we will provide you with some excerpts from this rhetorical analysis essay example (which even includes helpful comments) published on the Online Writing Lab website of Excelsior University in Albany, NY. The text that this essay analyzes is this article on why one should or shouldn’t buy an Ipad. If you want more examples so that you can build your own rhetorical analysis template, have a look at this essay on Nabokov’s Lolita and the one provided here about the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s writing instruction book “Bird by Bird”.

Analyzing the Text

When writing a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose the concepts or key points you think are relevant or want to address. Rather, you carefully read the text several times asking yourself questions like those listed in the last section on rhetorical situations to identify how the text “works” and how it was written to achieve that effect.

Start with focusing on the author : What do you think was their purpose for writing the text? Do they make one principal claim and then elaborate on that? Or do they discuss different topics?

Then look at what audience they are talking to: Do they want to make a group of people take some action? Vote for someone? Donate money to a good cause? Who are these people? Is the text reaching this specific audience? Why or why not?

What tone is the author using to address their audience? Are they trying to evoke sympathy? Stir up anger? Are they writing from a personal perspective? Are they painting themselves as an authority on the topic? Are they using academic or informal language?

How does the author support their claims ? What kind of evidence are they presenting? Are they providing explicit or implicit warrants? Are these warrants valid or problematic? Is the provided evidence convincing?

Asking yourself such questions will help you identify what rhetorical devices a text uses and how well they are put together to achieve a certain aim. Remember, your own opinion and whether you agree with the author are not the point of a rhetorical analysis essay – your task is simply to take the text apart and evaluate it.

If you are still confused about how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, just follow the steps outlined below to write the different parts of your rhetorical analysis: As every other essay, it consists of an Introduction , a Body (the actual analysis), and a Conclusion .

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The Introduction section briefly presents the topic of the essay you are analyzing, the author, their main claims, a short summary of the work by you, and your thesis statement .

Tell the reader what the text you are going to analyze represents (e.g., historically) or why it is relevant (e.g., because it has become some kind of reference for how something is done). Describe what the author claims, asserts, or implies and what techniques they use to make their argument and persuade their audience. Finish off with your thesis statement that prepares the reader for what you are going to present in the next section – do you think that the author’s assumptions/claims/arguments were presented in a logical/appealing/powerful way and reached their audience as intended?

Have a look at an excerpt from the sample essay linked above to see what a rhetorical analysis introduction can look like. See how it introduces the author and article , the context in which it originally appeared , the main claims the author makes , and how this first paragraph ends in a clear thesis statement that the essay will then elaborate on in the following Body section:

Cory Doctorow ’s article on BoingBoing is an older review of the iPad , one of Apple’s most famous products. At the time of this article, however, the iPad was simply the latest Apple product to hit the market and was not yet so popular. Doctorow’s entire career has been entrenched in and around technology. He got his start as a CD-ROM programmer and is now a successful blogger and author. He is currently the co-editor of the BoingBoing blog on which this article was posted. One of his main points in this article comes from Doctorow’s passionate advocacy of free digital media sharing. He argues that the iPad is just another way for established technology companies to control our technological freedom and creativity . In “ Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (and Think You Shouldn’t, Either) ” published on Boing Boing in April of 2010, Cory Doctorow successfully uses his experience with technology, facts about the company Apple, and appeals to consumer needs to convince potential iPad buyers that Apple and its products, specifically the iPad, limit the digital rights of those who use them by controlling and mainstreaming the content that can be used and created on the device .

Doing the Rhetorical Analysis

The main part of your analysis is the Body , where you dissect the text in detail. Explain what methods the author uses to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience. Use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the other key concepts we introduced above. Use quotations from the essay to demonstrate what you mean. Work out why the writer used a certain approach and evaluate (and again, demonstrate using the text itself) how successful they were. Evaluate the effect of each rhetorical technique you identify on the audience and judge whether the effect is in line with the author’s intentions.

To make it easy for the reader to follow your thought process, divide this part of your essay into paragraphs that each focus on one strategy or one concept , and make sure they are all necessary and contribute to the development of your argument(s).

One paragraph of this section of your essay could, for example, look like this:

One example of Doctorow’s position is his comparison of Apple’s iStore to Wal-Mart. This is an appeal to the consumer’s logic—or an appeal to logos. Doctorow wants the reader to take his comparison and consider how an all-powerful corporation like the iStore will affect them. An iPad will only allow for apps and programs purchased through the iStore to be run on it; therefore, a customer must not only purchase an iPad but also any programs he or she wishes to use. Customers cannot create their own programs or modify the hardware in any way.

As you can see, the author of this sample essay identifies and then explains to the reader how Doctorow uses the concept of Logos to appeal to his readers – not just by pointing out that he does it but by dissecting how it is done.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

The conclusion section of your analysis should restate your main arguments and emphasize once more whether you think the author achieved their goal. Note that this is not the place to introduce new information—only rely on the points you have discussed in the body of your essay. End with a statement that sums up the impact the text has on its audience and maybe society as a whole:

Overall, Doctorow makes a good argument about why there are potentially many better things to drop a great deal of money on instead of the iPad. He gives some valuable information and facts that consumers should take into consideration before going out to purchase the new device. He clearly uses rhetorical tools to help make his case, and, overall, he is effective as a writer, even if, ultimately, he was ineffective in convincing the world not to buy an iPad .

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetorical Analysis Essays

What is a rhetorical analysis essay.

A rhetorical analysis dissects a text or another piece of communication to work out and explain how it impacts its audience, how successfully it achieves its aims, and what rhetorical devices it uses to do that.

While argumentative essays usually take a stance on a certain topic and argue for it, a rhetorical analysis identifies how someone else constructs their arguments and supports their claims.

What is the correct rhetorical analysis essay format?

Like most other essays, a rhetorical analysis contains an Introduction that presents the thesis statement, a Body that analyzes the piece of communication, explains how arguments have been constructed, and illustrates how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section that summarizes the results of the analysis.

What is the “rhetorical triangle”?

The rhetorical triangle was introduced by Aristotle as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience: Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, Ethos to the writer’s status or authority, and Pathos to the reader’s emotions. Logos, Ethos, and Pathos can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify what specific concepts each is based on.

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70 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Secondary ELA

May 28, 2019 // by Lindsay Ann // 8 Comments

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Before we get to the rhetorical analysis essay prompts (a.k.a. tons of ready-to-analyze texts at your fingertips), let’s take a time-out to lay the groundwork for understanding a rhetorical analysis essay using ethos, pathos, and logos.

Rhetoric is Defined As…

Put simply, rhetoric refers to any technique an author uses to persuade an audience.

Or, the behind-the-scenes choices an author makes to give you all the feels.

Chances are, if you consider a text or speech to be really good , rhetorical techniques are working like a master puppeteer to pull at your heart strings, make an impact on your brain, and get you to let down your guard because you trust the author or speaker.

That’s why political figures have speech writers.

That’s why authors spend time fine-tuning their words and sentences.

Rhetoric is important.

In addition, rhetoric goes back to the ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle, the “father” of rhetoric.

The Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Moving on, if rhetoric is the art of persuasion, then the rhetorical analysis essay analyzes how an author or speaker creates opportunity for persuasion in his/her text.

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay involves understanding of context and occasion for writing. It also involves understanding the subject matter of the speech and intended audience.

Beyond this, noticing how the author uses rhetorical appeals and rhetorical devices to impact the target audience can help you to write an in-depth rhetorical essay analysis.

The BEST Rhetoric Topics

As a teacher, I’m always in search of engaging texts for students to analyze. In this post, I’m sharing the best speeches, advertisements, and essays for rhetorical analysis. You’ll never run out of rhetorical analysis essay topics again!

So, you’ll definitely want to stop right now and pin this post.

Your future English-teacher-self will thank you.

47 Rhetoric Examples in Speeches

The following speeches work well individually, but I’ve also tried to add value by pairing texts together.

Whether you’re analyzing rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos or looking at rhetorical devices, these speeches will work for discussion or as the text for a rhetorical analysis essay.

Gettysburg Monologue in Remember the Titans – Pair with “ The Gettysburg Address ” by Abraham Lincoln
“ Full Power of Women ” by Priyanka Chopra – Pair with Emma Watson’s speech on the Power of Women
Speech from Finding Forrester – Pair with “ Integrity ” by Warren Buffet
Red’s Parole Hearing from Shawshank Redemption – Pair with the Freedom Speech from Braveheart
Ending Scene from The Breakfast Club – Pair with “ The Danger of a Single Story ” by Chimamanda Ngozi Achichi
Authentic Swing Speech from The Legend of Bagger Vance – Pair with “ How Winning is Done ” from Rocky Balboa
Maximus’ Speech to Commodus from Gladiator – Pair with The Revolutionary Speech from V for Vendetta
The Natural State of Mankind from Amistad – Pair with “ Our Diversity Makes Us Who We Are ” by Michelle Obama
Denzel Washington’s Dillard University Commencement Speech – Pair with “ The Last Lecture ” by Randy Pausch
“ Like Pieces of Glass in my Head ” from The Green Mile – Pair with “ Eulogy for Beau Biden ” by Barack Obama
Oprah’s 2018 Golden Globes speech – Pair with Seth Myers’ Golden Globes Monologue and/or Ellen says #MeToo
Independence Day speech – Pair with Aragorn’s Helm’s Deep Speech from LOTR: The Two Towers
Pair “I am Human” & “Love Liberates” , both by Maya Angelou
Pink’s VMA acceptance speech – Pair with “ If I Should Have a Daughter ” by Sarah Kay
Ellen’s People’s Choice Humanitarian Award Acceptance Speech – Pair with “ Pep Talk ” by Kid President
Gandalf Speaks to Frodo in Moria from LOTR : Fellowship of the Ring – Pair with Sam’s Speech in LOTR: The Two Towers
Obama’s Final Farewell Speech – Pair with Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday speech – clean version
Harvard Graduation Speech by Donovan Livingston – Pair with Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech
“ Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator ” by Tim Urban – Pair with “ Five Second Rule ” by Mel Robbins
Rachel Hollis “Inspire Women to be Their Best” (mild profanity)
My Philosophy for a Happy Life by Sam Berns
“ To this Day: For the Bullied and the Beautiful ” by Shane Koyczan – Pair with Kid President’s “ Pep Talk to Teachers and Students “
“ The Power of Introverts ” by Susan Cain – Pair with “ Don’t Let Others Stop You From Living Your Own Truth “

Rhetoric in Advertising: 23 Examples

This next list holds a blend of print advertisements and commercials, perfect for introducing close reading and rhetorical analysis and for writing a rhetorical analysis essay.

Ads are short, but pack a punch. Honestly, my students love analyzing the rhetoric of advertisements a lot because they are accessible and visual.

Rhetoric Commercials & Print Advertisements

“ Web of Fries “
Duracell “ Teddy Bear ” Commercial
Apple 1984 Commercial Introducing the New Macintosh Computer
Nike “ Find Your Greatness ” Ads
Pepsi, Superbowl 53 Commercial: “ More than Okay ”
“ Get a Mac ” Commercial Compilation
“ Can You Hear Me Now ” Verizon Wireless
Apple iPhone X – “ Unlock ”
Kiwi “ First Steps ” Print Advertisement
Vauxhall’s Backwards Cinderella
Lego Print Advertisement
Top 10 Powerful Ads of 2014

Rhetoric of the Image

Entourage NGO for the Homeless Print Advertisement Images
33 Creative Print Ads
Protege Group
Greenpeace Print Advertisement Collection
“ Divorce Furniture “
L’Oréal Paris: “This Ad Is For Men, 1 ” L’Oréal Paris: “This Ad Is For Men, 2 ” L’Oréal Paris: “This Ad Is For Men, 3 ”
“ It’s Not Acceptable to Treat a Woman Like One”
“ 50 Creative and Effective Advertising Examples “
Juvenile Protective Association
Anti-Bullying Campaign
25 Serious Ads

Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

No doubt, writing a rhetorical analysis essay is like taking apart a puzzle and putting it back together again. Teachers, help your students to understand how all of the pieces fit together in order to see the bigger picture of what the author is trying to accomplish.

First, take time to understand how a text “works” for a rhetorical analysis essay using ethos, pathos, and logos:

Read or listen to understand overall content. Look up unfamiliar words.
Mark the text for the author’s main points and sub-points.
descriptive
compare/contrast
cause/effect
argumentative
Take notes on SOAPS: subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker
Discuss the text(s) in Socratic Seminar .

Next, identify rhetorical appeals .

Ethos: How an author demonstrates credibility and builds trust.
Pathos: How an author creates an emotional response.
Logos: How an author demonstrates expertise and knowledge.

Look for rhetorical devices & patterns in the text.

Rhetorical devices refer to an author’s use of diction and syntax.
Does the author repeat key words / phrases? What’s the impact?
Does the author return to the same idea or image? Why?

Finally, write a clear thesis statement & topic sentences for your rhetorical analysis essay.

Use your thesis statement to generate topic sentences.
In your body paragraphs, identify a technique, provide an example, and discuss the “right there” and “beneath the surface” meanings. How does the author’s choice impact the audience, further a message, establish a tone?
What’s the context for the repetition?
What connotations are important?
How is the anaphora used to move the reader to greater understanding (logos), emotional investment (pathos), and/or trust in the author’s ideas (ethos)?

Six Strategies for Teaching Rhetorical Analysis

I’ve created an awesome free guide to inspire English teachers who teach rhetoric and the rhetorical analysis essay in their classrooms. Even if you don’t teach AP lang, you can benefit from these strategies !

Rhetorical Analysis Essay FAQ’s

How do you write a rhetorical analysis essay.

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay is like writing a literary analysis essay, except the focus is on one or more non-fiction texts and the analysis targets an author’s style or rhetorical “moves” (a.k.a. use of rhetorical appeals and/or devices). Rhetorical analysis essays usually prove a claim about the author’s message or purpose for writing. The paragraphs in a rhetorical analysis essay unpack “what” an author is doing to send this message and “how” these choices impact the audience.

What does it mean to write a rhetorical analysis?

Writing a rhetorical analysis means that you are aware, as an audience member, reader, listener, human being, of the messages you consume. As a critical consumer of others’ ideas, you ask hard questions about how these messages are shaped, why they’re being delivered in certain ways, and why this is important for you and for society.

What are the three rhetorical strategies?

The three most commonly known rhetorical strategies are known as rhetorical appeals. Ethos (ethics) refers to credibility and trustworthiness. Pathos (passion) refers to engaging an audience’s emotions. Logos (logic) refers to engaging an audience’s brain through logical organization and use of evidence and arguments.

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 18 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Reader Interactions

January 9, 2023 at 9:38 am

Hi Lindsay Ann, thanks so much for these great resources. Just wanted to gently point out a couple errors that you might want to fix:

#12: should be Seth Myers’ (not Seth Myer’s) #13: should be independence (not independance)

Teachers have to help each other out 🙂

Best, Nikkee

January 9, 2023 at 5:44 pm

Thank you so much for letting me know, Nikkee!

[…] a lot of options and extensions for analyzing rhetoric in social media. Who knows, maybe your next rhetorical analysis essay assignment will be focused on rhetoric in social […]

[…] 70 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Secondary ELA […]

[…] find that teaching rhetorical analysis and close reading skills go hand-in-hand with teaching voice in […]

[…] helps students to remember that everything comes back to the author’s purpose or message in rhetorical analysis. Author’s purpose is central to unpacking an author’s choices, including use of […]

[…] you assigning a rhetorical analysis essay? Why not try having students use rhetorical analysis sentence […]

[…] I introduced students to rhetoric. First, we journaled on this topic: Think of a time someone talked you into doing something or believing something. How did they do it? What tactics did they use? Students may share out journals. I gave students a graphic organizer with a PAPA analysis (purpose, audience, persona, argument) and picked a speech. Frankly, the speech I picked, which was Samwise Gamgee’s speech to Frodo Baggins in The Two Towers, failed spectacularly since students had no frame of reference. Note: that movie is old now. I know. It makes me sad, too. So go cautiously if you use this, but maybe pick something else. You can find a massive list here. […]

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example - Free Samples

11 min read

Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

The step-by-step writing process of a rhetorical analysis essay is far more complicated than ordinary academic essays. This essay type critically analyzes the rhetorical means used to persuade the audience and their efficiency.

The example provided below is the best rhetorical analysis essay example:

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Sample

In this essay type, the author uses rhetorical approaches such as ethos, pathos, and logos . These approaches are then studied and analyzed deeply by the essay writers to weigh their effectiveness in delivering the message.

Let’s take a look at the following example to get a better idea;

The outline and structure of a rhetorical analysis essay are important.

According to the essay outline, the essay is divided into three sections:

Introduction
Ethos
Logos

A rhetorical analysis essay outline is the same as the traditional one. The different parts of the rhetorical analysis essay are written in the following way:

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction Example

The introductory paragraph of a rhetorical analysis essay is written for the following purpose:

To provide basic background information about the chosen author and the text.
Identify the target audience of the essay.

An introduction for a rhetorical essay is drafted by:

Stating an opening sentence known as the hook statement. This catchy sentence is prepared to grab the audience’s attention to the paper.
After the opening sentence, the background information of the author and the original text are provided.

For example, a rhetorical analysis essay written by Lee Jennings on“The Right Stuff” by David Suzuki. Lee started the essay by providing the introduction in the following way:

Analysis of the Example:

Suzuki stresses the importance of high school education. He prepares his readers for a proposal to make that education as valuable as possible.
A rhetorical analysis can show how successful Suzuki was in using logos, pathos, and ethos. He had a strong ethos because of his reputation.
He also used pathos to appeal to parents and educators. However, his use of logos could have been more successful.
Here Jennings stated the background information about the text and highlighted the rhetorical techniques used and their effectiveness.

Thesis Statement Example for Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A thesis statement of a rhetorical analysis essay is the writer’s stance on the original text. It is the argument that a writer holds and proves it using the evidence from the original text.

A thesis statement for a rhetorical essay is written by analyzing the following elements of the original text:

Diction - It refers to the author’s choice of words and the tone
Imagery - The visual descriptive language that the author used in the content.
Simile - The comparison of things and ideas

In Jennings's analysis of “The Right Stuff,” the thesis statement was:

Example For Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement

Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraph Example

In the body paragraphs of your rhetorical analysis essay, you dissect the author's work, analyze their use of rhetorical techniques, and provide evidence to support your analysis.

Let's look at an example that analyzes the use of ethos in David Suzuki's essay:

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion Example

All the body paragraphs lead the audience towards the conclusion.

For example, the conclusion of “The Right Stuff” is written in the following way by Jennings:

In the conclusion section, Jennings summarized the major points and restated the thesis statement to prove them.

Rhetorical Essay Example For The Right Stuff by David Suzuki

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example AP Lang 2023

Writing a rhetorical analysis for the AP Language and Composition course can be challenging. So drafting it correctly is important to earn good grades.

To make your essay effective and winning, follow the tips provided by professionals below:

Step #1: Understand the Prompt

Understanding the prompt is the first thing to produce an influential rhetorical paper. It is mandatory for this academic writing to read and understand the prompt to know what the task demands from you.

Step #2: Stick to the Format

The content for the rhetorical analysis should be appropriately organized and structured. For this purpose, a proper outline is drafted.

The rhetorical analysis essay outline divides all the information into different sections, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should explicitly state the background information and the thesis statement.

All the body paragraphs should start with a topic sentence to convey a claim to the readers. Provide a thorough analysis of these claims in the paragraph to support your topic sentence.

Step #3: Use Rhetorical Elements to Form an Argument

Analyze the following things in the text to form an argument for your essay:

Language (tone and words)
Organizational structure
Rhetorical Appeals ( ethos, pathos, and logos)

Once you have analyzed the rhetorical appeals and other devices like imagery and diction, you can form a strong thesis statement. The thesis statement will be the foundation on which your essay will be standing.

AP Language Rhetorical Essay Sample

AP Rhetorical Analysis Essay Template

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example AP Lang

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Examples for Students

Here are a few more examples to help the students write a rhetorical analysis essay:

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Outline

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example College

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example APA Format

Compare and Contrast Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

How to Start Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example High School

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example APA Sample

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Of a Song

Florence Kelley Speech Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example MLA

Writing a Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay with Example

The visual rhetorical analysis essay determines how pictures and images communicate messages and persuade the audience.

Usually, visual rhetorical analysis papers are written for advertisements. This is because they use strong images to convince the audience to behave in a certain way.

To draft a perfect visual rhetorical analysis essay, follow the tips below:

Analyze the advertisement deeply and note every minor detail.
Notice objects and colors used in the image to gather every detail.
Determine the importance of the colors and objects and analyze why the advertiser chose the particular picture.
See what you feel about the image.
Consider the objective of the image. Identify the message that the image is portraying.
Identify the targeted audience and how they respond to the picture.

An example is provided below to give students a better idea of the concept.

Simplicity Breeds Clarity Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing Tips

Follow the tips provided below to make your rhetorical writing compelling.

Choose an engaging topic for your essay. The rhetorical analysis essay topic should be engaging to grab the reader’s attention.
Thoroughly read the original text.
Identify the SOAPSTone. From the text, determine the speaker, occasions, audience, purpose, subject, and tone.
Develop a thesis statement to state your claim over the text.
Draft a rhetorical analysis essay outline.
Write an engaging essay introduction by giving a hook statement and background information. At the end of the introductory paragraph, state the thesis statement.
The body paragraphs of the rhetorical essay should have a topic sentence. Also, in the paragraph, a thorough analysis should be presented.
For writing a satisfactory rhetorical essay conclusion, restate the thesis statement and summarize the main points.
Proofread your essay to check for mistakes in the content. Make your edits before submitting the draft.

Following the tips and the essay's correct writing procedure will guarantee success in your academics.

We have given you plenty of examples of a rhetorical analysis essay. But if you are still struggling to draft a great rhetorical analysis essay, it is suggested to take a professional’s help.

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210 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Table of contents

1 What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?
2 How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topic?
3 Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Topics
4 Rhetorical Analysis Ideas For High School Students
5 Rhetorical Analysis Topics for College Students
6 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Education
7 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Literature
8 Rhetorical Analysis Topics List on Speeches
9 Visual Rhetorical Essay Topics
10 Topics for a Rhetorical Analysis Essay on Society
11 Topics for Rhetorical Analysis Essay on a Person
12 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Philosophy
13 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on History
14 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Business
15 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Government
16 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Culture
17 Conclusion

With any rhetorical analysis essay writing, effective communication is everything. If you’re a student or want to elevate your persuasive skills, learning how to engage your readers is the first step.

When it comes to selecting thought-provoking rhetorical analysis topics, where do you begin? This is where a wise companion in PapersOwl comes in handy. With this seasoned guide, you can easily navigate the complex world of rhetorical analysis. Until then, take a look at our extensive collection of topics that’ll get your creative juices flowing.

We have created a list of 210 essays that will inspire you to craft a powerful academic essay. These rhetorical analysis paper topics cater to all skill levels too.

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

This type of analysis essay identifies the rhetorical devices and strategies used by an author, all while highlighting how they have used words to sway their audience.

For example, a rhetorical paper looks at an influential political speech through purpose, key claims, and tone. In an essay, students cover by following a structured approach.

Introduction. Students present the text, author, and thesis statement. These outline the main argument or points of the analysis.
Main body paragraphs. These delve into specific strategies, appeals, and devices to support the analysis. Make your essay authentic by keeping it true to the facts.
Conclusion. The end wraps up the essay by summarizing the main points. It will also discuss the effectiveness of the persuasive techniques.

How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topic?

Finding the right topic comes down to writing about something you’re familiar with. This is because you’ll need to showcase insightful analysis to write a rhetorical analysis essay successfully. The best way to do this is to make sure the rhetorical topics you pick are something you’re interested in.

Tip 1. Start by identifying the rhetorical situation essay topics that interest you. This will make background research and thematic analysis that much more enjoyable. Then ask yourself:

What subjects or themes are intriguing for you to rhetorically analyze?
Are there specific rhetorical analysis example topics in your field of study that you excel in or are passionate about?
Have you studied similar subjects or texts in the past that might help your rhetorical analysis assignment ideas come to life?

Tip 2. Choose from rhetorical analysis ideas that match your interests and expertise. Select rhetoric research paper topics relevant to your course or subject area. And make sure there is enough information to write a defined argument. It needs to be complex enough to allow a thorough literary analysis of the themes and the most valuable rhetorical strategies.

Tip 3. Make sure the rhetorical analysis paper topic is suitable. It will need to meet the expectations of rhetorical analysis topics. This means highlighting the importance symbolism plays in the author’s message.

Is there enough emotional depth and background research for you to work with?
Can you cover the rhetorical situation within the word limit?
Is it interesting enough to engage your reader?

Need help with essay writing? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Here, you’ll rhetorically analyze two texts by similarities, differences, and effectiveness. Sometimes, though, a critical eye is needed. This is when students seek a reputable analytical essay writing service like PapersOwl for help. Here you’ll find expert advice on the most effective academic writing so that you can study with peace of mind.

The Persuasive Techniques Used By Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X In Their Speeches.
Does Innovation Outweigh Invention?
Washington Vs. Lincoln.
What Is Better For The Economy: Traditional Postal Service Or Email?
The Persuasive Techniques Of Apple And Samsung In Advertisements.
The Persuasive Devices Of President Biden’s Speech Vs. President Obama’s Speech.
Classical Conditioning Or Operant Conditioning. Which Is More Practical?
The Art Of The Greeks And The Romans.
What Drives Business Growth In 2023. E-Commerce Or Traditional?
Education Or Life Without It?
The Use Of Persuasion In Barack Obama’s And Donald Trump’s Presidential Speeches.
Command Economy Or The Free Market.
Philosophy Vs. Religion.
Ethos, Pathos, And Logos In Op-Ed Articles By Conservative And Liberal Columnists.
Persuasive Techniques Used In Public Service Announcements On Smoking And Drug Abuse.

Rhetorical Analysis Ideas For High School Students

These easy rhetorical analysis topics encourage students to examine all forms of communication. A rhetorical analysis essay requires looking at written texts, acceptance speeches, or visuals.

It will also help you develop critical thinking skills by understanding how language is used to achieve a particular goal.

A Rhetorical Analysis On The Meaning Of Mona Lisa’s Smile.
How William Shakespeare Became Known As The Greatest Writer In The World.
The Final Speech Of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Reasons For WW2.
Novels And Movies About “Frankenstein”: Similarities And Differences.
The Impact Of Electronic Media On Culture.
Why Do Films And TV Fail to Capture The Full Essence Of The Books They Are Based On?
Heroism As Defined By J. K. Rowling And J. R. R. Tolkien.
A Detailed Analysis Of TV And Online Advertisement.
The Power Of Social Media: A Rhetoric Paper
How Sherlock Holmes Is Perceived On TV And Why Not Everyone Likes Him.
Why Do People Write Fan Fiction?
My School Principal’s Speech.
William Shakespeare’s “Romeo And Juliet”: An Analysis.
Why Are Dogs Known As “Man’s Best Friend”?

Rhetorical Analysis Topics for College Students

These detailed rhetorical analysis topics cover complex primary themes and issues. Through rhetorical analysis, college students learn how language sends a message.

You’ll also improve your own persuasive writing skills by looking at the different types of rhetorical analysis.

The Use Of Parallelism, Repetition, And Allusion In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” Speech.
Do Women Or Men React Better To Media Advertisement Messages?
How Does Online Content Manipulate Persuasive Devices?
What Effect Does Music Have On Film And TV?
The Persuasive Devices Of The American National Anthem.
Symbolism In Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”.
How Syrian Politics Sparked War.
The Persuasive Techniques Used In A Popular Advertisement Or Commercial.
Why Are Ted Talks So Popular?
How Does An Influential Newspaper Editorial Manipulate Rhetoric Devices To Benefit Its Argument?
My Favorite Poem By William Shakespeare.
The Impact Of A Popular Social Media Influencer’s Posts Or Videos.
Rhetorical Devices In Famous Song Lyrics
The Use Of Metaphor In A Speech From Your School Director On Graduation Day.
The Effectiveness Of Rhetoric Devices In A Well-Known Op-Ed Or Opinion Piece.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Education

An essay topic on education looks at different forms of communication. You’ll analyze the author’s purpose, as well as their emotional appeal.

All while understanding the nuances of educational discussions and elevating your analytical skills.

Education System And Educational Technologies .
Importance Of Time Management Skills .
Integration Of America’s Public Schools .
Standardized Testing In Measuring Students’ Academic Performance.
A Detailed Analysis Essay On The “No Child Left Behind” Policy.
The Persuasive Techniques Used In Debates Surrounding Homeschooling Versus Traditional Schooling.
An Analysis Essay On The Proponents And Opponents Of School Vouchers.
The Language And Persuasive Strategies Used In Promoting Stem Education In Schools.
An Analysis Essay On Inclusive Education And Its Impact On Special Needs.
The Arguments For And Against Implementing Technology In The Classroom.
The Role Of Standardized Curricula In Fostering Critical Thinking And Creativity In Students.
Promoting Social-Emotional Learning In Schools.
The Role Of Teachers’ Unions In Shaping Educational Policies And Outcomes.
Examining Peer Research Papers On The Arguments For And Against Implementing School Uniforms.
How Policymakers Use Rhetorical Devices To Debate How Teachers’ Unions Shape Education.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Literature

Authors, poets, and playwrights use a variety of forms of communication in their literary works. Through them, you’ll learn how authors create meaningful literary pieces and gain an appreciation of novels rhetorical strategies.

Symbolism And Literary Devices In “The Lord Of The Rings” Trilogy.
The Significance Of Stream-Of-Consciousness Narrative Style In Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”.
The Literary Texts Of William Shakespeare.
Examine The Use Of Rhetorical Devices In A Famous Poem, Such As Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”.
What Does Solitude Symbolize In 21st-Century Literary Texts Compared To The 20th Century?
Analyzing The Persuasive Strategies Used By Simone De Beauvoir In “The Second Sex”.
A Detailed Analysis Essay On The Primary Themes Present In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.
Different Rhetorical Devices In “The Bible”.
The Rhetoric Devices And Symbolism Of Stephen King.
The Power Of Symbolism And Metaphor In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”.
The Literary Devices Of “Pride And Prejudice” And How They’re Still Relevant Today.
Gender And Power In Jane Austen’s “Pride And Prejudice”.
Romanticism In William Wordsworth’s Poem “Tintern Abbey”.
How Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” Confronts Issues Of Racial Injustice
The Influence Of Gothic Elements In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” And “The Fall Of The House Of Usher”.

Rhetorical Analysis Topics List on Speeches

The speech topics for an analysis essay focus on analyzing the elements of a speech. You’ll go deep into the speaker’s choice of words, tone, delivery style, use of rhetorical devices, and the structure of the speech.

By evaluating these components, a detailed rhetorical analysis reveals the speaker’s underlying strategies. Then you can explain how the techniques engage, persuade, and inspire their target audience.

Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama’s Victory Speech .
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Speeches By Greta Thunberg And David Attenborough.
The 1588 Speech By Queen Elizabeth on The Spanish Armada.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Susan B. Anthony’s “On Women’s Right To Vote” Speech.
Commencement Speeches By Influential Figures Like Steve Jobs And Oprah Winfrey.
The Role Of Emotional Appeal In Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Winston Churchill In His “We Shall Fight On The Beaches” Speech.
An Examination Of Logos In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address.
The Persuasive Power Of Repetition In The Famous “Yes We Can” Speech By Barack Obama.
How Rhetorical Devices Vary In Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk To Freedom” Speech.
The Effectiveness Of Analogy And Anecdote In Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address.
The Impact Of Tone And Pacing In George Washington’s Resignation Speech.
The Use Of Persuasive Strategies In Malcolm X’s “The Ballot Or The Bullet” Speech
The Effect Of Formal Or Informal Language In Speech Delivery.
The Impact Of Persuasive Techniques In Greta Thunberg’s “How Dare You” Speech At The United Nations Climate Action Summit.

Visual Rhetorical Essay Topics

Visual essays explore how the things we see persuade a target audience and evoke emotional responses. The things you’ll look at with visual analysis essay writing include color, layout, and concrete or abstract images. By doing so, you’ll learn how visual communication impacts our media-rich society.

A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Use Of Color Symbolism In Political Campaign Posters.
The Impact Of Visual Metaphors In Advertising On Consumer Behavior.
The Role Of Typography And Font Choice In Conveying A Message In Graphic Design.
Examining The Use Of Pathos In Public Service Announcements Related To Climate Change.
The Persuasive Power Of Visual Storytelling In Documentary Films.
How Social Media Platforms Use Visuals To Shape User Behaviors And Opinions.
The Influence Of Iconic Photographs On Public Perception Of Historical Events.
A Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Memes And Their Role In Shaping Online Discourse.
Developing A Brand Identity Through Visual Symbols And Logos.
The Role Of Visual Composition In Enhancing The Persuasiveness Of Infographics.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Impact Of Editorial Cartoons On Shaping Public Opinion.
How Visual Metaphors In Music Videos Influence Viewers’ Interpretations Of The Song.
The Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Visual Arts In The Streets.
How Visual Rhetorical Composition Is Used In Propaganda Posters To Evoke Nationalistic Emotions.
Visual Aesthetics in Aligning Branding With A Target Audience.

Topics for a Rhetorical Analysis Essay on Society

A rhetorical essay on society examines how language influences or critiques societal concerns. Through all types of media, you learn how certain strategies persuade or inform an audience about social issues.

Unconscious Racism And How It Affects People Of Color .
Racism And Shootings .
Why The Color Of Your Skin Does Not Matter .
The Biggest Problem In The United States Of America Is Illegal Immigrants .
The Problem Of Mass Shootings
Gun Violence .
The Role Of Persuasion In Environmental Activism And Climate Change Debates.’
A Rhetorical Analysis Paper On The Persuasive Techniques In Advertisements Targeting Societal Issues.
The Influence Of Celebrity Endorsements On Public Opinion And Social Issues.
The Language And Symbols Used In Anti-Bullying Campaigns.
A Rhetorical Analysis Paper On The LGBTQ+ Community.
Public Health Campaigns Addressing Mental Health Stigma.
A Detailed Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Discourse Surrounding The Legalization Of Marijuana.
The Power Of Language In Promoting Or Challenging Racial Stereotypes.
The Influence Of Rhetorical Devices In Attitudes Toward Wealth Inequality And Social Mobility.

Topics for Rhetorical Analysis Essay on a Person

An outstanding rhetorical analysis paper looks at persuasive strategies to understand the writer’s intention. These essays examine how someone uses language to shape public opinion or inspire change.

Nikola Tesla – The Inventor Behind It All .
Changes By Tupac .
President Donald Trump And His Politics .
About Fidel Castro .
How Steve Jobs Used Persuasive Strategies To Reinvent Apple And Inspire Consumer Loyalty.
The Distinct Rhetoric Of Greta Thunberg In Her Climate Change Activism.
Analyzing The Persuasive Techniques Of Elon Musk’s Public Presentations And Interviews.
The Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Susan B. Anthony’s Fight For Women’s Suffrage.
Do Abstract Images Matter? What Does Boo Radley Represent In “To Kill A Mockingbird”?
The Rhetorical Composition Of Malala Yousafzai In Her Advocacy For Girls’ Education.
Nelson Mandela’s Fight Against Apartheid.
Dissecting The Persuasive Strategies Of Adolf Hitler In His Propaganda Campaigns.
The Persuasive Techniques Employed By Mahatma Gandhi In His Fight For Indian Independence.
How Winston Churchill Inspired A Nation During World War 2.
Maya Angelou In Her Poems And Speeches: A Rhetorical Analysis Essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Philosophy

Philosophers use persuasive techniques, arguments, and linguistic choices in their rhetorical analysis essays to convey their ideas. It will be your job to define their impact by looking at how they engage and convince their readers.

You’ll learn how philosophical concepts are presented and articulated, and you’ll develop your analytical abilities.

The Calvinistic Doctrine Of Predestination .
The Use Of Persuasive Devices In Plato’s “Allegory Of The Cave”.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Descartes’ “Cogito, Ergo Sum” Argument.
Persuasive Techniques Used By Immanuel Kant In His “Critique Of Pure Reason”.
A Linguistic Examination Of John Locke’s “A Rhetorical Essay Concerning Human Understanding”.
The Role Of Ethos, Logos, And Pathos In Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s “The Social Contract”.
The Persuasive Strategies Of Friedrich Nietzsche In “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”.
Analysis Of The Socratic Method In “Dialogues” By Plato.
Persuasive Language In John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty”.
Rhetorical Devices In “Leviathan” By Thomas Hobbes.
Metaphor And Symbolism In Søren Kierkegaard’s “Fear And Trembling”.
Linguistic Examination Of Martin Heidegger’s “Being And Time”.
The Persuasive Power Of Bertrand Russell’s “Why I Am Not A Christian”.
Analyze Main Rhetorical Devices In Ludwig Wittgenstein’s “Philosophical Investigations”.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Language Of Metaphysics In George Berkeley’s “A Treatise Concerning The Principles Of Human Knowledge”.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on History

History essays examine and check historical speeches, texts, and events through the lens of expression.

These rhetorical analysis topics will have you studying the words of influential figures throughout history. And how their messages shaped public opinion through the power of language and persuasion.

The Civil War .
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The “Zimmermann Telegram” And Its Impact On World War I
The Debates Surrounding The U.S. Constitution.
American Revolution And The Declaration Of Independence.
Persuasive Techniques In The Abolitionist Movement
The Persuasive Power Of Queen Elizabeth I’s Speech To The Troops At Tilbury.
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” Pamphlet.
The Speeches Of Marcus Tullius Cicero And Their Impact On Roman Society.
Emancipation Proclamation. Analyzing Abraham Lincoln’s Use Of Diction.
Techniques Employed In The Women’s Suffrage Movement.
The Use Of Persuasive Expression In The Civil Rights Movement.
Wartime Propaganda Posters.
European Union Formation Through Written And Spoken Persuasive Techniques.
The Cuban Missile Crisis.
1979 Iranian Revolution.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Business

The business rhetorical analysis examines how communication achieves specific goals. These rhetoric topics look at how marketing campaigns or business proposals affect society.

Disney Is Destroying Lives
Completely Legal For Walmart To Hire Many Part Time Workers
Brexit Bad For Business Ain’t It
Insights Into The Power Of Storytelling In Business Presentations.
Campaigns Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility Have Great Power
Rhetorical Strategies Used In Customer Testimonials And Reviews To Persuade Potential Clients.
The Persuasive Techniques Used By Businesses To Promote Environmentally-Friendly Practices.
How Spoken And Written Techniques Reinforce Or Challenge Traditional Gender Roles In The Workplace.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On How Businesses Respond To Public Relations Disasters.
Exploring The Language That Conveys Corporate Values And Mission Statements.
The Impact Of Social Media Influencers On Business Promotion.
The Persuasive Techniques Used In “Shark Tank” Pitches And Startup Competitions.
Exploring The Strategies Used By Businesses To Regain Trust After Controversies Or Scandals.
From Commercials To Viral Ad Campaigns: How Advertising Works In 2023.
How Companies Persuade Other Organizations To Collaborate Or Form Partnerships.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Government

These rhetorical analysis topics cover political speeches to propaganda in policy documents.

You’ll learn how language and tone rally support for specific initiatives. As well as develop a deeper appreciation for this topic’s influence on political discourse.

What Does Change Mean In Us History?
United States Key Role In Support Of Human Rights .
Essay About Brown V. Board Of Education .
Police Brutality And Abuse Towards Blacks .
The Language And Communication Strategies Used In International Diplomacy.
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Political Party Platforms And How They Attract Voters.
Shaping Public Opinion On Controversial Legislation.
A Global Village Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Success Or Failure Of Social Movements.
A Rhetoric Analysis Of The Impact Of Language In The Framing Of National Security Issues.
The Role Of Persuasion In The Portrayal Of Political Figures In The Media.
Examining The Language And Communication Strategies Used In Political Crisis Management.
Shaping Public Discourse On Controversial Topics Through Rhetorical Analysis.
Promoting Specific Government Policies Through Written And Spoken Strategy.
The Rhetorical Richness Of Visual Arts In Media.
The Use Of Emotional Appeals In Government Public Service Announcements.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Culture

Culture-specific rhetorical strategies contribute to the unique characteristics of different societies. And studying them encourages the development of critical thinking and analytical skills.

Through language, you will learn how cultural norms, values, and traditions are conveyed and reinforced.

Women And Men Pay Gap
Thinking Queerly: Race, Sex, Gender
Abortion Illegal
The Society Acceptance Of LGBT
A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Relationship Between Popular Culture And Consumer Behavior.
Cultural Festivals And Their Impact On Societal Values.
The Influence Of Social Media On The Evolution Of Cultural Trends.
Persuasive Language In Cultural Documentaries.
Literary Persuasion In The Promotion And Preservation Of Cultural Heritage.
Popular Art Criticism.
Cultural Stereotypes: Perceptions and Acceptances.
Language And Communication Strategies Used In Cultural Diplomacy.
Mainstream Media’s Representation Of Minority Cultures.
Language And Symbolism In Traditional Cultural Rituals.
Cultural And Artistic Movements Throughout History

Rhetorical analysis is a fascinating way to explore the power of language and persuasion. Understanding methods used to persuade and improve analytical skills is essential for students.

Luckily, there are 210 essay topics to select from here, so there is no shortage of good rhetorical analysis topics to explore.

From the speeches of world leaders to advertisements, you’ll develop a deeper appreciation for the art of persuasion. Furthermore, you learn how to use rhetorical devices to captivate audiences by analyzing popular media.

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What Is a Rhetorical Analysis and How to Write a Great One

Helly Douglas

Do you have to write a rhetorical analysis essay? Fear not! We’re here to explain exactly what rhetorical analysis means, how you should structure your essay, and give you some essential “dos and don’ts.”

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

How do you write a rhetorical analysis, what are the three rhetorical strategies, what are the five rhetorical situations, how to plan a rhetorical analysis essay, creating a rhetorical analysis essay, examples of great rhetorical analysis essays, final thoughts.

A rhetorical analysis essay studies how writers and speakers have used words to influence their audience. Think less about the words the author has used and more about the techniques they employ, their goals, and the effect this has on the audience.

In your analysis essay, you break a piece of text (including cartoons, adverts, and speeches) into sections and explain how each part works to persuade, inform, or entertain. You’ll explore the effectiveness of the techniques used, how the argument has been constructed, and give examples from the text.

A strong rhetorical analysis evaluates a text rather than just describes the techniques used. You don’t include whether you personally agree or disagree with the argument.

Structure a rhetorical analysis in the same way as most other types of academic essays . You’ll have an introduction to present your thesis, a main body where you analyze the text, which then leads to a conclusion.

Think about how the writer (also known as a rhetor) considers the situation that frames their communication:

Topic: the overall purpose of the rhetoric
Audience: this includes primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences
Purpose: there are often more than one to consider
Context and culture: the wider situation within which the rhetoric is placed

Back in the 4th century BC, Aristotle was talking about how language can be used as a means of persuasion. He described three principal forms —Ethos, Logos, and Pathos—often referred to as the Rhetorical Triangle . These persuasive techniques are still used today.

Rhetorical Strategy 1: Ethos

Are you more likely to buy a car from an established company that’s been an important part of your community for 50 years, or someone new who just started their business?

Reputation matters. Ethos explores how the character, disposition, and fundamental values of the author create appeal, along with their expertise and knowledge in the subject area.

Aristotle breaks ethos down into three further categories:

Phronesis: skills and practical wisdom
Arete: virtue
Eunoia: goodwill towards the audience

Ethos-driven speeches and text rely on the reputation of the author. In your analysis, you can look at how the writer establishes ethos through both direct and indirect means.

Rhetorical Strategy 2: Pathos

Pathos-driven rhetoric hooks into our emotions. You’ll often see it used in advertisements, particularly by charities wanting you to donate money towards an appeal.

Common use of pathos includes:

Vivid description so the reader can imagine themselves in the situation
Personal stories to create feelings of empathy
Emotional vocabulary that evokes a response

By using pathos to make the audience feel a particular emotion, the author can persuade them that the argument they’re making is compelling.

Rhetorical Strategy 3: Logos

Logos uses logic or reason. It’s commonly used in academic writing when arguments are created using evidence and reasoning rather than an emotional response. It’s constructed in a step-by-step approach that builds methodically to create a powerful effect upon the reader.

Rhetoric can use any one of these three techniques, but effective arguments often appeal to all three elements.

The rhetorical situation explains the circumstances behind and around a piece of rhetoric. It helps you think about why a text exists, its purpose, and how it’s carried out.

The rhetorical situations are:

1) Purpose: Why is this being written? (It could be trying to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain.)
2) Audience: Which groups or individuals will read and take action (or have done so in the past)?
3) Genre: What type of writing is this?
4) Stance: What is the tone of the text? What position are they taking?
5) Media/Visuals: What means of communication are used?

Understanding and analyzing the rhetorical situation is essential for building a strong essay. Also think about any rhetoric restraints on the text, such as beliefs, attitudes, and traditions that could affect the author's decisions.

Before leaping into your essay, it’s worth taking time to explore the text at a deeper level and considering the rhetorical situations we looked at before. Throw away your assumptions and use these simple questions to help you unpick how and why the text is having an effect on the audience.

Image showing what to consider when planning a rhetorical essay

1: What is the Rhetorical Situation?

Why is there a need or opportunity for persuasion?
How do words and references help you identify the time and location?
What are the rhetoric restraints?
What historical occasions would lead to this text being created?

2: Who is the Author?

How do they position themselves as an expert worth listening to?
What is their ethos?
Do they have a reputation that gives them authority?
What is their intention?
What values or customs do they have?

3: Who is it Written For?

Who is the intended audience?
How is this appealing to this particular audience?
Who are the possible secondary and tertiary audiences?

4: What is the Central Idea?

Can you summarize the key point of this rhetoric?
What arguments are used?
How has it developed a line of reasoning?

5: How is it Structured?

What structure is used?
How is the content arranged within the structure?

6: What Form is Used?

Does this follow a specific literary genre?
What type of style and tone is used, and why is this?
Does the form used complement the content?
What effect could this form have on the audience?

7: Is the Rhetoric Effective?

Does the content fulfil the author’s intentions?
Does the message effectively fit the audience, location, and time period?

Once you’ve fully explored the text, you’ll have a better understanding of the impact it’s having on the audience and feel more confident about writing your essay outline.

A great essay starts with an interesting topic. Choose carefully so you’re personally invested in the subject and familiar with it rather than just following trending topics. There are lots of great ideas on this blog post by My Perfect Words if you need some inspiration. Take some time to do background research to ensure your topic offers good analysis opportunities.

Image showing considerations for a rhetorical analysis topic

Remember to check the information given to you by your professor so you follow their preferred style guidelines. This outline example gives you a general idea of a format to follow, but there will likely be specific requests about layout and content in your course handbook. It’s always worth asking your institution if you’re unsure.

Make notes for each section of your essay before you write. This makes it easy for you to write a well-structured text that flows naturally to a conclusion. You will develop each note into a paragraph. Look at this example by College Essay for useful ideas about the structure.

1: Introduction

This is a short, informative section that shows you understand the purpose of the text. It tempts the reader to find out more by mentioning what will come in the main body of your essay.

Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses
Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. “implies,” “asserts,” or “claims”
Briefly summarize the text in your own words
Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect

Create a thesis statement to come at the end of your introduction.

After your introduction, move on to your critical analysis. This is the principal part of your essay.

Explain the methods used by the author to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience using Aristotle's rhetorical triangle
Use quotations to prove the statements you make
Explain why the writer used this approach and how successful it is
Consider how it makes the audience feel and react

Make each strategy a new paragraph rather than cramming them together, and always use proper citations. Check back to your course handbook if you’re unsure which citation style is preferred.

3: Conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize the points you’ve made in the main body of your essay. While you will draw the points together, this is not the place to introduce new information you’ve not previously mentioned.

Use your last sentence to share a powerful concluding statement that talks about the impact the text has on the audience(s) and wider society. How have its strategies helped to shape history?

Before You Submit

Poor spelling and grammatical errors ruin a great essay. Use ProWritingAid to check through your finished essay before you submit. It will pick up all the minor errors you’ve missed and help you give your essay a final polish. Look at this useful ProWritingAid webinar for further ideas to help you significantly improve your essays. Sign up for a free trial today and start editing your essays!

Screenshot of ProWritingAid's web editor

You’ll find countless examples of rhetorical analysis online, but they range widely in quality. Your institution may have example essays they can share with you to show you exactly what they’re looking for.

The following links should give you a good starting point if you’re looking for ideas:

Pearson Canada has a range of good examples. Look at how embedded quotations are used to prove the points being made. The end questions help you unpick how successful each essay is.

Excelsior College has an excellent sample essay complete with useful comments highlighting the techniques used.

Brighton Online has a selection of interesting essays to look at. In this specific example, consider how wider reading has deepened the exploration of the text.

Image showing tips when reading a sample essay

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay can seem daunting, but spending significant time deeply analyzing the text before you write will make it far more achievable and result in a better-quality essay overall.

It can take some time to write a good essay. Aim to complete it well before the deadline so you don’t feel rushed. Use ProWritingAid’s comprehensive checks to find any errors and make changes to improve readability. Then you’ll be ready to submit your finished essay, knowing it’s as good as you can possibly make it.

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Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!

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How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay (With Example)

November 27, 2023

how to write AP Lang rhetorical analysis essay example

Feeling intimidated by the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay? We’re here to help demystify. Whether you’re cramming for the AP Lang exam right now or planning to take the test down the road, we’ve got crucial rubric information, helpful tips, and an essay example to prepare you for the big day. This post will cover 1) What is the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay? 2) AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Rubric 3) AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis: Sample Prompt 4) AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example 5)AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Why It Works

What is the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

The AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay is one of three essays included in the written portion of the AP English Exam. The full AP English Exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, with the first 60 minutes dedicated to multiple-choice questions. Once you complete the multiple-choice section, you move on to three equally weighted essays that ask you to synthesize, analyze, and interpret texts and develop well-reasoned arguments. The three essays include:

Synthesis essay: You’ll review various pieces of evidence and then write an essay that synthesizes (aka combines and interprets) the evidence and presents a clear argument. Read our write up on How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay here.

Argumentative essay: You’ll take a stance on a specific topic and argue your case.

Rhetorical essay: You’ll read a provided passage, then analyze the author’s rhetorical choices and develop an argument that explains why the author made those rhetorical choices.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Rubric

The AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay is graded on just 3 rubric categories: Thesis, Evidence and Commentary, and Sophistication . At a glance, the rubric categories may seem vague, but AP exam graders are actually looking for very particular things in each category. We’ll break it down with dos and don’ts for each rubric category:

Thesis (0-1 point)

There’s nothing nebulous when it comes to grading AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay thesis. You either have one or you don’t. Including a thesis gets you one point closer to a high score and leaving it out means you miss out on one crucial point. So, what makes a thesis that counts?

Make sure your thesis argues something about the author’s rhetorical choices. Making an argument means taking a risk and offering your own interpretation of the provided text. This is an argument that someone else might disagree with.
A good test to see if you have a thesis that makes an argument. In your head, add the phrase “I think that…” to the beginning of your thesis. If what follows doesn’t logically flow after that phrase (aka if what follows isn’t something you and only you think), it’s likely you’re not making an argument.
Avoid a thesis that merely restates the prompt.
Avoid a thesis that summarizes the text but does not make an argument.

Evidence and Commentary (0-4 points)

This rubric category is graded on a scale of 0-4 where 4 is the highest grade. Per the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis rubric, to get a 4, you’ll want to:

Include lots of specific evidence from the text. There is no set golden number of quotes to include, but you’ll want to make sure you’re incorporating more than a couple pieces of evidence that support your argument about the author’s rhetorical choices.
Make sure you include more than one type of evidence, too. Let’s say you’re working on your essay and have gathered examples of alliteration to include as supporting evidence. That’s just one type of rhetorical choice, and it’s hard to make a credible argument if you’re only looking at one type of evidence. To fix that issue, reread the text again looking for patterns in word choice and syntax, meaningful figurative language and imagery, literary devices, and other rhetorical choices, looking for additional types of evidence to support your argument.
After you include evidence, offer your own interpretation and explain how this evidence proves the point you make in your thesis.
Don’t summarize or speak generally about the author and the text. Everything you write must be backed up with evidence.
Don’t let quotes speak for themselves. After every piece of evidence you include, make sure to explain your interpretation. Also, connect the evidence to your overarching argument.

Sophistication (0-1 point)

In this case, sophistication isn’t about how many fancy vocabulary words or how many semicolons you use. According to College Board , one point can be awarded to AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essays that “demonstrate sophistication of thought and/or a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation” in any of these three ways:

Explaining the significance or relevance of the writer’s rhetorical choices.
Explaining the purpose or function of the passage’s complexities or tensions.
Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive.

Note that you don’t have to achieve all three to earn your sophistication point. A good way to think of this rubric category is to consider it a bonus point that you can earn for going above and beyond in depth of analysis or by writing an especially persuasive, clear, and well-structured essay. In order to earn this point, you’ll need to first do a good job with your thesis, evidence, and commentary.

Focus on nailing an argumentative thesis and multiple types of evidence. Getting these fundamentals of your essay right will set you up for achieving depth of analysis.
Explain how each piece of evidence connects to your thesis.
Spend a minute outlining your essay before you begin to ensure your essay flows in a clear and cohesive way.
Steer clear of generalizations about the author or text.
Don’t include arguments you can’t prove with evidence from the text.
Avoid complex sentences and fancy vocabulary words unless you use them often. Long, clunky sentences with imprecisely used words are hard to follow.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis: Sample Prompt

The sample prompt below is published online by College Board and is a real example from the 2021 AP Exam. The prompt provides background context, essay instructions, and the text you need to analyze. For sake of space, we’ve included the text as an image you can click to read. After the prompt, we provide a sample high scoring essay and then explain why this AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essay example works.

Suggested time—40 minutes.

(This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)

On February 27, 2013, while in office, former president Barack Obama delivered the following address dedicating the Rosa Parks statue in the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol building. Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist who was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey his message.

In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices.
Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

In his speech delivered in 2013 at the dedication of Rosa Park’s statue, President Barack Obama acknowledges everything that Parks’ activism made possible in the United States. Telling the story of Parks’ life and achievements, Obama highlights the fact that Parks was a regular person whose actions accomplished enormous change during the civil rights era. Through the use of diction that portrays Parks as quiet and demure, long lists that emphasize the extent of her impacts, and Biblical references, Obama suggests that all of us are capable of achieving greater good, just as Parks did.

Although it might be a surprising way to start to his dedication, Obama begins his speech by telling us who Parks was not: “Rosa Parks held no elected office. She possessed no fortune” he explains in lines 1-2. Later, when he tells the story of the bus driver who threatened to have Parks arrested when she refused to get off the bus, he explains that Parks “simply replied, ‘You may do that’” (lines 22-23). Right away, he establishes that Parks was a regular person who did not hold a seat of power. Her protest on the bus was not part of a larger plan, it was a simple response. By emphasizing that Parks was not powerful, wealthy, or loud spoken, he implies that Parks’ style of activism is an everyday practice that all of us can aspire to.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example (Continued)

Even though Obama portrays Parks as a demure person whose protest came “simply” and naturally, he shows the importance of her activism through long lists of ripple effects. When Parks challenged her arrest, Obama explains, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood with her and “so did thousands of Montgomery, Alabama commuters” (lines 27-28). They began a boycott that included “teachers and laborers, clergy and domestics, through rain and cold and sweltering heat, day after day, week after week, month after month, walking miles if they had to…” (lines 28-31). In this section of the speech, Obama’s sentences grow longer and he uses lists to show that Parks’ small action impacted and inspired many others to fight for change. Further, listing out how many days, weeks, and months the boycott lasted shows how Parks’ single act of protest sparked a much longer push for change.

To further illustrate Parks’ impact, Obama incorporates Biblical references that emphasize the importance of “that single moment on the bus” (lines 57-58). In lines 33-35, Obama explains that Parks and the other protestors are “driven by a solemn determination to affirm their God-given dignity” and he also compares their victory to the fall the “ancient walls of Jericho” (line 43). By of including these Biblical references, Obama suggests that Parks’ action on the bus did more than correct personal or political wrongs; it also corrected moral and spiritual wrongs. Although Parks had no political power or fortune, she was able to restore a moral balance in our world.

Toward the end of the speech, Obama states that change happens “not mainly through the exploits of the famous and the powerful, but through the countless acts of often anonymous courage and kindness” (lines 78-81). Through carefully chosen diction that portrays her as a quiet, regular person and through lists and Biblical references that highlight the huge impacts of her action, Obama illustrates exactly this point. He wants us to see that, just like Parks, the small and meek can change the world for the better.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Why It Works

We would give the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essay above a score of 6 out of 6 because it fully satisfies the essay’s 3 rubric categories: Thesis, Evidence and Commentary, and Sophistication . Let’s break down what this student did:

The thesis of this essay appears in the last line of the first paragraph:

“ Through the use of diction that portrays Parks as quiet and demure, long lists that emphasize the extent of her impacts, and Biblical references, Obama suggests that all of us are capable of achieving greater good, just as Parks did .”

This student’s thesis works because they make a clear argument about Obama’s rhetorical choices. They 1) list the rhetorical choices that will be analyzed in the rest of the essay (the italicized text above) and 2) include an argument someone else might disagree with (the bolded text above).

Evidence and Commentary:

This student includes substantial evidence and commentary. Things they do right, per the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis rubric:

They include lots of specific evidence from the text in the form of quotes.
They incorporate 3 different types of evidence (diction, long lists, Biblical references).
After including evidence, they offer an interpretation of what the evidence means and explain how the evidence contributes to their overarching argument (aka their thesis).

Sophistication

This essay achieves sophistication according to the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essay rubric in a few key ways:

This student provides an introduction that flows naturally into the topic their essay will discuss. Before they get to their thesis, they tell us that Obama portrays Parks as a “regular person” setting up their main argument: Obama wants all regular people to aspire to do good in the world just as Rosa Parks did.
They organize evidence and commentary in a clear and cohesive way. Each body paragraph focuses on just one type of evidence.
They explain how their evidence is significant. In the final sentence of each body paragraph, they draw a connection back to the overarching argument presented in the thesis.
All their evidence supports the argument presented in their thesis. There is no extraneous evidence or misleading detail.
They consider nuances in the text. Rather than taking the text at face value, they consider what Obama’s rhetorical choices imply and offer their own unique interpretation of those implications.
In their final paragraph, they come full circle, reiterate their thesis, and explain what Obama’s rhetorical choices communicate to readers.
Their sentences are clear and easy to read. There are no grammar errors or misused words.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay—More Resources

Looking for more tips to help your master your AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay? Brush up on 20 Rhetorical Devices High School Students Should Know and read our Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension . If you’re ready to start studying for another part of the AP English Exam, find more expert tips in our How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis blog post.

Considering what other AP classes to take? Read up on the Hardest AP Classes .

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Christina Wood

Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and nonfiction in numerous publications, including The Paris Review , McSweeney’s , Granta , Virginia Quarterly Review , The Sewanee Review , Mississippi Review , and Puerto del Sol , among others. Her story “The Astronaut” won the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction and received a “Distinguished Stories” mention in the 2019 Best American Short Stories anthology.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis: Full Guide

Have you ever been completely fascinated by a speech or ad, wondering how it managed to convince you so effectively? From powerful political speeches to catchy commercials, persuasion is all around us, shaping our thoughts and choices every day.

In this guide, we'll explain all about a rhetorical analysis essay. We'll break down the clever tricks writers and speakers use to win over their audience, like how they choose their words carefully and play with our emotions. This article will give you the tools you need to understand and analyze texts more deeply. So, let’s jump right in and start by understanding the nature of this assignment first.

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of essay where you examine how authors or speakers use words, phrases, and other techniques to influence or persuade their audience. This type of essay focuses on analyzing the strategies used by the writer or speaker to achieve their purpose, whether it's to inform, persuade, entertain, or provoke.

You'll dissect the text or speech into its components, looking at how each part contributes to the overall message. This might involve examining the introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, evidence, and conclusion.

Once you've identified the strategies used, you'll assess their effectiveness in achieving the author's or speaker's purpose. This involves considering the intended audience, context, and the impact of the communication.

As per our essay writing service , some common topics for rhetorical analysis include analyzing speeches by influential leaders, dissecting political advertisements, or examining the rhetoric used in literary works.

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Rhetorical Analysis Topic Ideas

Now that we've grasped the essence of a rhetorical analysis essay let's explore some potential topics you might consider for your own analysis. Here are 15 specific ideas to get you started:

The Use of Metaphors in Barack Obama's 'Yes We Can' Speech
Visual Rhetoric in Dove's 'Real Beauty' Advertising Campaign
The Role of Irony in Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'
The Manipulation of Emotions in Coca-Cola's 'Share a Coke' Campaign
The Repetition Technique in Winston Churchill's 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' Speech
The Argument Structure in Michelle Obama's Speech on Education
The Use of Imagery in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'
Gender Stereotypes in Old Spice's 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' Ad
Satirical Elements in George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'
The Influence of Tone in Greta Thunberg's Climate Change Speeches
Political Symbolism in Banksy's Street Art
Humor as Persuasion in Ellen DeGeneres' Stand-Up Comedy
The Power of Silence in Emma Watson's UN Speech on Gender Equality
Ethical Appeals in ASPCA's Animal Rights Advertisements
The Cultural References in Super Bowl Commercials: A Case Study

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Understanding how to start a rhetorical analysis essay involves dissecting a piece of communication to learn how it works and what effect it aims to achieve. This analytical process typically includes five paragraphs and three main parts: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Below, our analytical essay writing service will explain each in more detail

Major Rhetorical Elements

Before heading towards the analysis process, it's essential to grasp some key rhetorical concepts that will help guide your examination of the text or speech. These concepts provide a framework for understanding how authors and speakers use language to persuade and influence their audience.

Ethos, pathos logos in rhetorical analysis form the foundation of persuasive communication and are often intertwined in rhetorical strategies. Ethos refers to the credibility or authority of the speaker or author. Pathos involves appealing to the audience's emotions, while logos appeals to reason and logic.

There are also other rhetorical devices that are specific techniques or patterns of language used to convey meaning or evoke particular responses. Examples include metaphor, simile, imagery, irony, repetition, and hyperbole. Recognizing and analyzing these devices can provide insight into the author's intended message and its impact on the audience.

Tone and mood also play crucial roles in shaping the audience's perception and response to the communication. Tone refers to the author's attitude toward the subject matter, while mood describes the emotional atmosphere created by the text.

Whether you ask us - write my essay , or tackle the task yourself, familiarizing yourself with these concepts will help you analyze the text and persuade the audience more effectively.

Understanding Rhetorical Appeals

First off, what is ethos in rhetorical analysis? Well, it revolves around establishing the credibility and authority of the speaker or author. This appeal seeks to convince the audience that the communicator is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and reliable. Ethos in rhetorical analysis can be built through various means, including:

Professional Credentials : Demonstrating expertise in the subject matter through relevant qualifications or experience.
Personal Character : Highlighting traits such as honesty, integrity, and sincerity to engender trust and respect.
Association : Aligning oneself with respected individuals, institutions, or causes to enhance credibility by association.

For instance, in a health-related speech, a doctor might leverage their medical expertise and professional experience (credentials) to establish ethos. Similarly, a celebrity endorsing a product is using their fame and reputation (association) to persuade consumers.

Now, let's understand what is pathos in rhetorical analysis. Pathos involves appealing to the audience's emotions, aiming to evoke feelings such as empathy, sympathy, joy, anger, or fear. This emotional connection can be a powerful tool for persuasion, as it resonates with the audience on a personal level. Strategies for employing pathos in rhetorical analysis include:

Vivid Imagery : Painting a vivid picture or narrative that elicits strong emotional responses from the audience.
Anecdotes : Sharing personal stories or anecdotes that evoke empathy or sympathy and make the message more relatable.
Language Choice : Using emotive language, sensory details, and rhetorical devices to evoke specific emotional reactions.

For example, in a charity advertisement for children in need, images of impoverished and suffering children coupled with heart-wrenching stories (anecdotes) are used to evoke feelings of compassion and a desire to help.

Lastly, what is logos in rhetorical analysis, you may ask. It appeals to reason and logic, aiming to persuade the audience through rational argumentation and evidence. This appeal relies on facts, statistics, logical reasoning, and sound arguments to convince the audience of the validity of the message. Strategies for employing logos in rhetorical analysis include:

Factual Evidence : Providing empirical data, research findings, or expert opinions to support the argument.
Logical Reasoning : Presenting a well-structured argument with clear premises and conclusions that logically follow one another.
Counterarguments : Addressing potential counterarguments and refuting them with logical reasoning and evidence.

For instance, in a persuasive essay advocating for environmental conservation, the author might present scientific data on climate change (factual evidence) and use logical reasoning to explain the consequences of inaction.

Text and Context

Text analysis involves closely examining the language, structure, and rhetorical devices employed within the communication. This includes identifying key themes, rhetorical appeals, persuasive strategies, and stylistic elements used by the author or speaker to convey their message.

For example, in a political speech advocating for healthcare reform, text analysis might involve identifying the use of rhetorical appeals such as ethos (e.g., highlighting the speaker's experience in healthcare policy), pathos (e.g., sharing anecdotes of individuals struggling with medical costs), and logos (e.g., presenting statistics on healthcare affordability).

Contextual analysis involves considering the broader social, cultural, and historical factors that shape communication and influence its reception. This includes examining the audience demographics, the political and cultural climate, the historical events surrounding the communication, and any relevant societal norms or values.

For instance, when analyzing a historical speech advocating for civil rights, contextual research paper writers might involve considering the social and political context of the time, including prevailing attitudes towards race, ongoing civil rights movements, and recent legislative developments.

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

A claim is a statement or assertion that the author or speaker is advocating for or seeking to prove. Claims can take various forms, including factual claims (assertions of fact), value claims (judgments about what is good or bad), and policy claims (proposals for action). For example, in an argumentative essay about the importance of exercise, the claim might be that regular physical activity is essential for maintaining good health.

Supports are the evidence, reasoning, or examples provided to substantiate and strengthen the claims being made. Supports can take many forms, including empirical data, expert testimony, personal anecdotes, logical reasoning, and analogies. The quality and relevance of the supports provided play a critical role in the persuasiveness of the argument.

Continuing with the example of the argumentative essay about exercise, supports might include scientific studies demonstrating the health benefits of physical activity, testimonials from fitness experts, and personal stories of individuals who have experienced positive changes from incorporating exercise into their routine.

Warrants are the underlying assumptions or principles that connect the supports to the claims. They provide the reasoning or justification for why the supports are relevant and valid evidence for supporting the claims. Warrants are often implicit rather than explicit and require careful analysis to uncover. In the context of the essay on exercise, the warrant connecting the supports to the claim might be the assumption that actions that promote good health are inherently valuable and worthy of pursuit.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Whether you opt for the option to buy essay or start writing it yourself, it's important to use a clear plan to organize your thoughts well. This plan usually includes four main steps, each looking at different parts of your analysis.

Analyzing the Text

Before writing a rhetorical analysis, take the time to thoroughly analyze the text you'll be examining. This means more than just skimming through it; it requires a thorough understanding of its subtleties and complexities. Here are some questions to guide your analysis:

How does the text try to sway its audience? What methods does it use to convince or influence them?
Which rhetorical appeals—ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), logos (logic)—does the author use, and how do they contribute to the overall argument?
What specific rhetorical devices and strategies does the author employ to effectively convey their message? Are there any patterns or recurring motifs?
How does the structure of the text contribute to its persuasive power or overall impact?
Are there any cultural, historical, or contextual factors that influence how the text is perceived or understood?

By scrutinizing the text in this manner, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how it functions and the techniques employed by the author to achieve their desired effect.

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for your analysis by providing essential context and framing the discussion. Start by introducing the text you're analyzing, including the author's name and the title of the work. Provide some background information to give context to your analysis. For example, if you're analyzing a speech, mention the occasion or event where it was delivered.

Next, summarize the main arguments or claims made by the author. Highlight the rhetorical techniques they use to persuade their audience. Are they appealing to logic, emotion, credibility, or a combination of these? Use specific examples from the text to illustrate these techniques discussed by our dissertation service .

For instance, if you're analyzing a speech on climate change, mention the speaker's expertise in environmental science to establish credibility. Summarize the key points they make about the consequences of inaction and the urgent need for change.

Finally, conclude your introduction with a clear thesis statement. This statement should encapsulate the main argument or purpose of your analysis.

Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraph

The body paragraphs form the crux of your analysis, where you delve into the details of the text and dissect its rhetorical strategies. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the text, such as the use of ethos, pathos, logos, or specific rhetorical devices.

Utilize Aristotle's rhetorical triangle and other key concepts introduced earlier to guide your analysis. Provide quotations or examples from the text to illustrate your points and explain why the author chose certain approaches. Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in achieving the author's goals and persuading the audience.

For instance, if you're discussing the use of pathos in a marketing campaign, analyze the emotional appeal of the imagery or language used and consider how it resonates with the target audience.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

In the conclusion, it's crucial to reinforce your main arguments and evaluate the author's effectiveness in achieving their goals, whether you're writing an MLA or APA essay format . Reflect on the overall impact of the text on both its immediate audience and society at large, underscoring the importance of your analysis.

Resist the temptation to introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Instead, draw upon the points you've already explored in the body of your essay to strengthen your analysis. Conclude with a poignant statement that resonates with your readers, encapsulating the essence of your interpretation and leaving a lasting impression. This final remark should tie together the threads of your analysis, leaving the reader with a deeper understanding of the text's rhetorical strategies and significance.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

In this section, you'll discover two essay samples that skillfully demonstrate the application of rhetorical analysis. These examples offer insightful insights into the effective use of rhetorical techniques in writing.

5 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Tips

Here are five focused tips that will help you lay a solid foundation for your examination.

Dissect Rhetorical Strategies : Break down the text to identify specific rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, or parallelism.
Evaluate Tone and Diction : Pay attention to the author's tone and word choice. Analyze how these elements contribute to the overall mood of the text.
Probe Ethos, Pathos, Logos : Explore how the author establishes credibility (ethos), evokes emotions (pathos), and employs logic (logos) to sway the audience.
Contextualize Historical Significance : Consider the historical, cultural, and social backdrop against which the text was written.
Craft a Structured Analysis : Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific rhetorical elements, and a conclusion that synthesizes your findings.

Final Words

As we near the end, it's important to analyze carefully whether you're examining a speech, an advertisement, or a story. Pay attention to the smart tactics that influence our thinking. It's all about revealing how we communicate and relate to one another. Ultimately, understanding rhetoric offers a fresh perspective on the world beyond just academic success.

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What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

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200 rhetorical analysis topics for students in 2023.

The first thing to note when writing anything on rhetorical analysis is that the essay requires you having a wide and in-depth knowledge about the specific topic you’ll be basing your essay on. A good mastery of rhetorical essay topics entails the ability to write effectively.

Sometimes, the challenge looks like not knowing where to begin. But, understanding that a rhetorical analysis essay requires the writer to deeply and accurately analyze a piece of work and make a plausible argument with supporting evidence about it will give you an edge when crafting and choosing a topic.

However, rhetorical analysis topics are majorly predominant in topics associated with the arts but are also not limited to it. Topics can be based on literature, movies, billboards, popular culture, ads, speeches, and even ordinary human conversations.

Aside from understanding what rhetorical topics are, having ample information about any selected topic is crucial as it helps to develop sound rhetorical analysis ideas. Here are some topics you can base your rhetorical analysis essay topics on.

Rhetorical Essay Topics to Choose From

In any rhetorical essay, what the writer does is highlight a problem, carry out extensive analysis on the listed problem to make a strong-base argument on the subject matter.

A rhetorical essay isn’t complete without sound backup evidence to the highlighted problem. Carrying out an essay writing of this form requires you to have done thorough research on whatever you will be writing on.

Knowing how to choose smart topics for rhetorical analysis isn’t enough to write the essay, there must be the existence of extensively done research as this enables the writing to come fully alive. Rhetorical analysis topics list can look like.

Do social media encourage low productivity in young adults?
Rhetorical Analysis of Shonda Rhimes’s How to Get Away with Murder
Obama’s first presidential speech
A textual analysis of Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life
Analysis of Dove ’s beauty Ads over the last 5 years
A Feminist look at Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own
Importance of complex themes in American TV shows and Movies
Analysis of the Instagram aesthetics and what it entails
The role of symbolism in Literature and art piece
The work of representation in Popular Culture
TV shows: That’s what I Like and Here’s Why you should too
The implication of Horror movies on middle and preschoolers
Do Smartphones encourage low productivity in Young Adults or not?
The impact of Diversity representation in Hollywood
A cultural exploration of Beyoncé’s Lemonade
Madam CJ Walker, Diversity beauty-representation
Explicit sexual exploration: the Hip Hop culture
Purity culture an offspring of Rape culture
Social exploration of the movie adaptation of Les Misérables
Does Social media obscure reality or not?
Rhetorical analysis: Mom blogs and the role they play within the society
The Hidden Reality of Foodbanks in the American system
Welfare mom, bad mom?
Analyze the political implications of George Orwell’s Animal Farm
The unsettling effect of Dan Fogelman’s This Life
Homeschooling, the bane of many high school students.
The impacts of gaming on preschoolers
How PBS for Kids has changed the Parenting game
The Role of the Erotica: The poems by E. E Cummings
The absurdity of the Afterlife

Rhetorical Situation Essay Topics for 2023

Before embarking on choosing any essay topic in a rhetorical situation, you must first understand the role of rhetoric in writing. Good rhetorical analysis essay topics aim to compel action through oral, written, visual, and sound forms. Rhetorical analysis compels the reader or the present audience to reassess their perspectives based on what you are saying or have written.

A good rhetorical analysis essay topic primarily seeks to capture the base attention of the reader or audience. One of the most common situations where rhetorics come in handy is in the political field.

However, rhetorical situation essays are impassioned, affective and are intended to capture the emotion of the reader or the audience; luring emotion is its basic and most tactical style for a call to action.

How the legislation on Birth Control pills has resulted in the untimely death of Women in rural areas
The rise of inflation and its resulting consequences in low-income homes
Was capitalism not okay enough? How the pandemic has displaced even more households
How does Popular Culture contribute to the continuous subjugation of women
Rape, teen pregnancy and the delegitimization of birth control pills: How they all conjure to control women’s bodies
Television is helping us understand the complexities of human lives
How the epidemic of drug abuse and its prevalence affects the lives of young Americans in the Deep South
Gun Control: Why we should pay attention to guns rather than women’s bodies
How lack of access and poverty is affecting homeschooling for young Americans
Paying low-income workers below minimum wage is a late capitalist concept
Gentrification: how it’s displacing people from their communities and homes
Capitalism is the main reason why millennials can’t afford to buy a house
The capitalist undertones of the “black to office” maximum
The Vernacular of Fatphobia in American Popular Culture
This is why America isn’t Post-racial
Myth: The Post-racial American Society
Why the rhetoric “The Future of Remote Work is Lonely” is a Myth
The Fatphobia of the American Wellness Culture
How Homeschooling is Demoralizing Teachers
Navigating various identities: the reality of the immigrant household
The Big lessons from Covid era: the diminishing returns of Hyper-productivity
What it means to be displaced within a Pandemic
Rhetorical Analysis of the Work Culture
The Unrealized myth of Self-care culture
The US Women as Social safety nets
Analysis of how Email became Work
What the Pandemic has taught workers about Unionism
The insidious nature of work culture and how it contributes to Burnouts
How Publishing is promoting Diversity and Inclusivity
Want it means to live within a pandemic as a low-income worker

30 Rhetorical Analysis Example Topics

The challenge that students often face when asked to write a rhetorical essay is the problem of how to craft a topic that best conveys their thoughts as well as that which they can grasp easily and have adequate available and accessible information on.

There are so many researchable ideas to write on; the hitch is often crafting your topic into something capable of inciting attention and encouraging conversations.

This is because, in rhetorics and persuasive writing, the rhetorical analysis topics for essay are also of crucial importance as much as the content. Here are some easy rhetorical analysis topics.

Why is Disneyland referred to as the Happiest Place on the Planet Earth
Why free Sanitary items is essential in every public space
The impact of Hip Hop in growing the Feminist Consciousness
Ted Talk: How it gives and encourages voices
Why Some blogs become Influential within a short period
The Myth of Consistency is Key
How Access is Key
How Shame culture emerged from Respectability Culture
Calling Survivors of Abuse Victims is Derogatory
How Speaking up exposes Survivors to more Harm
Analysis of Cancel Culture and Social Media Justice
The Importance of Commercials on Tv
How Commercials promote Falsehood
The impacts of Colorism and the Issue of Color Complex
A Room of One’s Own : The coming of Virginia Woolf before her time
A Rhetorical Analysis of Reality Tv
This is how Commercials can be more Relatable
How Relatability Tv impacts us
The importance of Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation in Popular Culture
The Therapeutic effect of Representation
The Therapeutic effect of Yoga and Meditation
Why Low-income Workers should be exempted from Tax
The Ripple Effect of the Internet on Young Adults
Where the realistic depiction of Tv begins and ends
An Existential analytical approach to the works of Sylvia Path
The Rhetorical strategy in Frederick Douglas’ Memoir
Rhetoric as style in Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream
Why the Bob Dylan Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 was deserving
Award Culture is slowly Killing Creativity
A Historical approach to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

Ideas on Rhetoric Research Paper Topics

Every writing within academia hinges on the effective use of rhetorical situation essay topics; this is because the basis of everything done within academia is to impact ideas through the use of language and this language is usually persuasive in nature even while it seeks to educate.

For university students, it’s most likely very rare that you can run away from rhetoric research paper topics during your school year, in fact, it’s a prerequisite while in school.

It comes in the form of assignments, research, and term papers. If you are looking for topics, there are a variety of good topics to write a rhetorical analysis on. Below is a list of rhetorical analysis assignment ideas.

An Analysis of the Rhetorical Device implored in Beowulf
A Case study of Contemporary Popular Culture
The political and social implications of 90’s Hip Hop
A Comparative Analysis of Tv shows and Movies
The Futility of the American Dream as explored in F.S Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
The Symbolic exploration of “The Green Light” in The Great Gatsby
The Impact of Technological Innovation on American Student’s attention span
The Misogyny of the American Entertainment Industry
Structural Racism: The Mother of Gentrification
The Growing Concern of the Broken American Childcare System
The Triumph and the Bold Rhetorics employed in Diversity Tv
Restructuring: Why Diversity, Inclusivity, and Representation should be Championed
Purity Culture: A social construct that seeks to control women’s body
The representation distinction in the movie adaptation of Push and the book
A Comparative Analysis of Digital Literature and Traditional Literature
Innovation: The growing effects of Technological advancement
Late Capitalism: Self-care culture as a tool
The need for Inclusivity in the discussion of Beauty Culture
American Gun Culture and how it perpetuates greater harm
Domestic Violence, Abuse: The Battered Woman Syndrome
Affirmative Action: A Tool for Subjugation and Intellectual Relegation of the Minority Communities
Race Relations: The future of the American System
The Intrinsic effect of the exploration and promotion of interracial marriage on American popular Culture
Obesity: The distinction between Fatphobia and a need for Medical Attention
The Evolution of Identity Politics within the American System
Diversity Higher: Why America Needs a quick Racial intervention
A Comparative Study of 90s Hip Hop Culture and early 2010s Hip Hop
Rape Culture, Victim Blaming: The need to listen to Survivors
The Explicit Way American Hip Hop Explores Abuse and Misogyny
The Institutional Bias of the American System

Rhetorical Argument Essay Topics

When writing an argumentative essay, rhetoric is employed as the tool to not just convey thoughts and opinions but also to capture the interest of the audience or reader(s).

In any rhetorical argument essay, the writer must employ ethos, pathos, and logos as this enables the writer to navigate the topic better. For every form of rhetorical argumentative essay, there has to be a thoroughly carried out research, an understanding of the audience, a solid thesis statement, and the use of a writing style that captures attention.

The basis of an argumentative essay is that it must contain persuasive elements, without that, the argument isn’t complete. Here are some rhetorical argument essay topics to look into while writing your essay.

Can Drug Abuse be Contained by Legalizing and Regulating certain Drugs?
High-end and Fast fashion, how does it contribute to the Unhealthy lifestyle in our environment
Does a Democratic system have any significant drawbacks?
Why working moms and nursing moms should be given more workplace privilege
Why Maternal paid leave should be legalized
Is Cyberbullying capable of affecting mental health?
Should Diversity Higher, Affirmative Action and Inclusivity be made mandatory?
Does Feminism obscure the need for women to lash out at their fellow women?
Is Religion really the Opium of the Masses as Suggested by Karl Max?
Are there significant drawbacks to marrying off of a Dating App?
How Social Media Fame negatively impacts one’s real-life experiences
Is the presence of Artificial Intelligence going to lead to human extinction?
How hyperactivity on Social media plays out in impacting loneliness
Is there a possibility of Electronic money wiping out paper money?
Can human society experience growth without the presence of technology?
Is the consistent attachment to cell phones contributing to depression and anxiety?
Do public cameras infringe on individual privacy?
Is sustainable living capable of helping us reverse Climate Change?
Limiting Children’s screen time, does it contribute to their academic growth?
Should people be encouraged to use Marijuana now its health benefits have been dictated?
Are Academic Stress and excessive academic workload a form of psychological torture?
Has homeschooling improved the nature and operation of the school system?
Does beauty pageantry influence the concept and idea of beauty in society?
Is it Ethical to demand maternity leave for fathers?
Is Killing a Murderer a Punishable offense?
Should High school children be introduced to sex education in school?
How does the knowledge of sex education impact high schoolers?
Lecturer-Student friendship: is it an ethical practice?
Are students supposed to bring school work back home?
Impromptu test within the University system: Cancelled or Promoted?
Does access to so much information lead to Misinformation?
Does homeschooling contribute to students’ anti-socialism?
Should College Education be made completely free?
Will free education make or mar the performance of the academic institution?
Is GPA a sound determinant of intelligence?

Visual Rhetoric Essay Topics

There are different means through which rhetoric can be employed as a communication feature. Rhetorics occur in oral form, in written format as well as in the visual display. Visual rhetoric essay topics detail effective communication that is attained through the use and analysis of visual images, this is what differentiates it from other forms of rhetorical essays.

Communication through visual presentation has been noted to be effective and visual rhetoric makes communication and understanding very easy. It occurs in movies, painting, commercials, and other forms of art exploration.

For college students, especially those majoring in media studies and visual arts, assignments usually fall under visual rhetoric essays and visual text analysis. Here are some of the topics to look at within this subject matter.

Analyze the impact of TV Commercials and Ads on consumers
A case study of a prominent Hollywood production and the visual arts involved
Rhetorical analysis of the emotional appeals employed in web ads
Dissecting the ad of a TV Commercial and its implications
The emotional appeal within the movie The Help and permeates the entire Movie
A critical exploration of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Painting
The use of Lighting and Effect in Movies and what they Signify
The Cinematography of a Movie: A Language of its own
How Visual Commercials influence us more than Written Commercials
An exploration of the use of visuals in marketing
Analysis of Yellow Journalism
What is the most effective visual ad you’ve seen and how did it influence you towards a product?
How Visual ads increase people’s purchasing power
An in-depth analysis of effective visual campaigns
How TV influences our understanding of and our relation to society

Having a Hard Time Thinking of Rhertorical Analysis Topics?

Writing a rhetorical essay can be quite tasking as it requires that you embark on extensive research, digging through myriad materials in order to have a substantial essay. What is required to achieve a sound essay can really be a lot of work especially if you’re already engulfed with other activities. Nevertheless, there is the presence of fast expert writers online that offer essay writing help to you in any situation. Our essay writing service isn’t just high quality but is also very cheap. You do not just get the value of a great job, but also the promise of high grades and a stress-free and reliable service.

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics: 20 Best Examples to Use

by Antony W

September 13, 2022

Between the thousands of over-analyzed rhetorical analysis essay topics and innumerable more that are too complicated to write about, it is usually a challenge to pick a good one.

Ideally, you want a topic that is so common enough that it needs little introduction, yet unique so that your essay is fresh and outstanding.

Some innovative fellows manage to come up with fresh twists on old topics, but this isn't always possible.

We will explore some of the best rhetorical analysis topics to use in your essay, as well as how to choose one when presented with a list of possible ideas.

Qualities of a Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topic

A rhetorical analysis essay is a critical evaluation of how a communicator puts their point across and what linguistic devices they employ to do that.

You will be looking at how they manipulate words to achieve the desired effect.

Therefore, the most basic quality is that the work you choose to analyze must be highly compelling and influential as proof of its effectiveness.

This is partly why most students and experts alike choose to stick to world-famous classics. However, that doesn't mean there aren't great works to make interesting topics elsewhere.

Here are the things to watch out for when selecting work for a rhetorical analysis essay.

The topic you choose needs to be fresh if it is to excite any interest.

Your instructor has probably seen hundreds of essays, if not thousands.

If you want to impress them, either have a fresh angle or pick one that is not already picked to the bone by other students.

You have probably heard this before: a topic that is not too specific, neither too broad.

You want it to be just right for your essay.

One that is too wide will need extensive research before you can have enough background to write authoritatively.

One that is too focused will not give you enough material to work with.

3. Personal Interest

Choose a topic that you can relate to or that intrigues you. It might be a favorite writer, a respected orator, a movie you particularly enjoyed, or an all-time top song.

That way, you are assured of enjoying the writing process all the way through and your authenticity will shine through the writing.

You can also choose a topic that is part of your job, a hobby, or that you are well-versed in. It will give you a head start and save time on research.

4. Appeal to Your Audience

Remember that you are writing for an audience and that you expect a good grade out of it.

Think about what kind of topics your instructor would like or at least not object to.

If you will be presenting it in class, go for a topic that your classmates will enjoy.

5. Strong and Clear Arguments

A bland topic will have almost no material for you to write about.

A plain text, speech, video, or other communication will be too dry for you to properly write about.

It will be much better for you if you use one with strong arguments, flowery language, and obvious mastery of literary skills.

This rules out academic and scholarly works because they tend to use dry language without bias.

Bias is what will give you fuel, and the arguments for or against them will form a big part of your essay.

6. Relevance to Contemporary Issues

Review a work that is still relevant to today's issues and controversial topics because those will always draw interest.

7. Well Known Or Common

Choose a topic or work that is famous enough that you don't have to introduce it to your audience in the essay.

If you go for one that is obscure or too new, you will have to give a full breakdown to get the reader on the same page with you.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing Help

Help for Assessments offers lots of useful material to students at all levels, but we don’t stop there. We will write your rhetorical analysis essay for you and handle any other academic assignment or project you have.

All you need to do is leave us an order, and our outstanding experts will get on it at once.

How to Choose Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Choosing topics for a rhetorical analysis essay is not very different compared to choosing other essay topics.

You will start with a general topic, narrow it down to an appropriate one that fulfills the above qualities, and select a work covering that topic on which to write the essay.

Please note that fictional works don’t do very well when it comes to rhetorical analysis, so it’s best to avoid them from the get-go.

The same applies to comedic and funny works unless they are meant to address serious and relevant issues in society.

1. Define your objectives

Remember that the objectives for writing a rhetorical analysis essay are different from those of other essays.

You are not trying to prove or disprove the work or even build upon it in any way.

Your main goal is to show that you understand how the communicator uses various tools and techniques to compel or influence the reader.

You might also be looking to prove to your instructor that you can think critically, read between the lines, and perhaps unearth hidden messages.

Defining these objectives is your first step.

2. Brainstorm Topic Ideas

Explore various avenues to get possible ideas for your topic.

These days, you can gather ideas pretty quickly online, especially through platforms such as this one.

You can also watch videos, listen to speeches or podcasts, or even just ask friends, family, and strangers on online forums. Gather all the ideas you get and write them down.

3. Select One or Two that Meet the Criteria

It will be easy to eliminate some of the ideas you have gathered: they are too common, irrelevant, obscure, or challenging.

With the remaining ones, assess them against the given criteria.

You will often come across one or two that appeal strongly to you, so give them special consideration.

4. Look Into Available Research

Whether you have narrowed down to the one you are looking for or not, this stage is essential.

You will want to check on what data is currently available to support your chosen topic.

This is also where you will be checking to see if that topic is too wide, too narrow, or too common.

If you come across any problem here, a change of approach or topic will be easier than having to do it later.

5. Find Works that Interest You Within Your Discipline

For college assignments, you will mostly be reviewing books, articles, and journals.

However, you might also be given speeches, videos, movies, songs, and even pieces of art to analyze.

Other instructors will give you the freedom to choose.

Whichever the case, now is the time to pick out the right work and make sure that it is expressive and rich enough to review.

With this plan, you will find it much easier to select great topics for your rhetorical essay.

Sometimes you may have to mix up the steps a bit, but it’s still a great plan.

We have used it to come up with lots of great sample topics that we are now going to share with you.

20+ Example Topics for Your Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Brainstorm ideas.

A new writer, orator, or famous leader you find impactful.
A speech or article from a president, CEO, Nobel prize winner, or other respected people.
A world-famous movie.
A book that influenced your life greatly.
Contrasting different writers on a topic, e.g, feminism or ethics.
How a certain theme is explored in literature or contemporary media e.g. role of a man as a father figure, hope, ambition, etc.
One of the lesser-known classics such as Little Big Man by Thomas Berger.
A less-known poem from a famous poet.
An influential political work.
A scene or part from a dramatic movie, video, or even news on mainstream media.
A favorite blogger, vlogger, or Instagram star.
The inaugural address of a president.
A sermon from a favorite preacher.
A monologue from a famous play, e.g. Shakespear.
Acceptance speech during an award, e.g. Pink’s acceptance speech in the 2017 VMA awards.

Sample Topics

Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech The Great Dictator.
Obama’s “ A More Perfect Union.”
Obama’s inaugural address in 2009.
Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech.
The movie Thank You for Smoking.
Superbowl ads (choose one effective one) or any other timeless ad.
Plato’s Republic.
Mona Lisa’s smile (if you are very good at art and can fill 4 pages with it.)
Silent Voices in Three Poems.
Charles Spurgeon sermons.
Clifford’s The Ethics of Belief.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.
A poem by Edgar Allan Poe, Raven.
Analyze the theme of loyalty in Barn Burning by William Faulkner.
Discuss solitude in literature.

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Rhetorical Analysis Sample Essay

Harriet Clark

Ms. Rebecca Winter

13 Feb. 2015

Not Quite a Clean Sweep: Rhetorical Strategies in

Grose's "Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier”

A woman’s work is never done: many American women grow up with this saying and feel it to be true. 1 One such woman, author Jessica Grose, wrote “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier,” published in 2013 in the New Republic, 2 and she argues that while the men recently started taking on more of the childcare and cooking, cleaning still falls unfairly on women. 3 Grose begins building her credibility with personal facts and reputable sources, citing convincing facts and statistics, and successfully employing emotional appeals; however, toward the end of the article, her attempts to appeal to readers’ emotions weaken her credibility and ultimately, her argument. 4

In her article, Grose first sets the stage by describing a specific scenario of house-cleaning with her husband after being shut in during Hurricane Sandy, and then she outlines the uneven distribution of cleaning work in her marriage and draws a comparison to the larger feminist issue of who does the cleaning in a relationship. Grose continues by discussing some of the reasons that men do not contribute to cleaning: the praise for a clean house goes to the woman; advertising and media praise men’s cooking and childcare, but not cleaning; and lastly, it is just not fun. Possible solutions to the problem, Grose suggests, include making a chart of who does which chores, dividing up tasks based on skill and ability, accepting a dirtier home, and making cleaning more fun with gadgets. 5

Throughout her piece, Grose uses many strong sources that strengthen her credibility and appeal to ethos, as well as build her argument. 6 These sources include, “sociologists Judith Treas and Tsui-o Tai,” “a 2008 study from the University of New Hampshire,” and “P&G North America Fabric Care Brand Manager, Matthew Krehbiel” (qtd. in Grose). 7 Citing these sources boosts Grose’s credibility by showing that she has done her homework and has provided facts and statistics, as well as expert opinions to support her claim. She also uses personal examples from her own home life to introduce and support the issue, which shows that she has a personal stake in and first-hand experience with the problem. 8

Adding to her ethos appeals, Grose uses strong appeals to logos, with many facts and statistics and logical progressions of ideas. 9 She points out facts about her marriage and the distribution of household chores: “My husband and I both work. We split midnight baby feedings ...but ... he will admit that he’s never cleaned the bathroom, that I do the dishes nine times out of ten, and that he barely knows how the washer and dryer work in the apartment we’ve lived in for over eight months.” 10 These facts introduce and support the idea that Grose does more household chores than her husband. Grose continues with many statistics:

[A]bout 55 percent of American mothers employed full time do some housework on an average day, while only 18 percent of employed fathers do. ... [W]orking women with children are still doing a week and a half more of “second shift” work each year than their male partners. ... Even in the famously gender-neutral Sweden, women do 45 minutes more housework a day than their male partners. 11

These statistics are a few of many that logically support her claim that it is a substantial and real problem that men do not do their fair share of the chores. The details and numbers build an appeal to logos and impress upon the reader that this is a problem worth discussing. 12

Along with strong logos appeals, Grose effectively makes appeals to pathos in the beginning and middle sections. 13 Her introduction is full of emotionally-charged words and phrases that create a sympathetic image; Grose notes that she “was eight months pregnant” and her husband found it difficult to “fight with a massively pregnant person.” 14 The image she evokes of the challenges and vulnerabilities of being so pregnant, as well as the high emotions a woman feels at that time effectively introduce the argument and its seriousness. Her goal is to make the reader feel sympathy for her. Adding to this idea are words and phrases such as, “insisted,” “argued,” “not fun,” “sucks” “headachey,” “be judged,” “be shunned” (Grose). All of these words evoke negative emotions about cleaning, which makes the reader sympathize with women who feel “judged” and shunned”—very negative feelings. Another feeling Grose reinforces with her word choice is the concept of fairness: “fair share,” “a week and a half more of ‘second shift’ work,” “more housework,” “more gendered and less frequent.” These words help establish the unfairness that exists when women do all of the cleaning, and they are an appeal to pathos, or the readers’ feelings of frustration and anger with injustice. 15

However, the end of the article lacks the same level of effectiveness in the appeals to ethos. 16 For example, Grose notes that when men do housework, they are considered to be “’enacting “small instances of gender heroism,” or ‘SIGH’s’—which, barf.” 17 The usage of the word “barf” is jarring to the reader; unprofessional and immature, it is a shift from the researched, intelligent voice she has established and the reader is less likely to take the author seriously. This damages the strength of her credibility and her argument. 18

Additionally, her last statement in the article refers to her husband in a way that weakens the argument. 19 While returning to the introduction’s hook in the conclusion is a frequently-used strategy, Grose chooses to return to her discussion of her husband in a humorous way: Grose discusses solutions, and says there is “a huge, untapped market ... for toilet-scrubbing iPods. I bet my husband would buy one.” 20 Returning to her own marriage and husband is an appeal to ethos or personal credibility, and while that works well in the introduction, in the conclusion, it lacks the strength and seriousness that the topic deserves and was given earlier in the article. 21

Though Grose begins the essay by effectively persuading her readers of the unfair distribution of home-maintenance cleaning labor, she loses her power in the end, where she most needs to drive home her argument. Readers can see the problem exists in both her marriage and throughout the world; however, her shift to humor and sarcasm makes the reader not take the problem as seriously in the end. 22 Grose could have more seriously driven home the point that a woman’s work could be done: by a man. 23

Works Cited

Grose, Jessica. “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier.” New Republic. The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

Article author's claim or purpose
Summary of the article's main point in the second paragraph (could also be in the introduction)
Third paragraph begins with a transition and topic sentence that reflects the first topic in the thesis
Quotes illustrate how the author uses appeals to ethos
Analysis explains how the quotes show the effective use of ethos as noted in the thesis
Transition and topic sentence about the second point from the thesis
Quote that illustrates appeals to logos
Analysis explains how the quotes show the effective use of logos, as noted in the thesis
Transition and topic sentence about the third point from the thesis
Quotes that illustrate appeals to pathos
Analysis explains how the quotes show the effective use of pathos, as noted in the thesis
Transition and topic sentence about fourth point from the thesis
Quote illustrates how the author uses appeal to ethos
Analysis explains how quote supports thesis
Transition and topic sentence about fourth point from thesis
Conclusion returns to the ideas in the thesis and further develops them
Last sentence returns to the hook in the introduction

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Top 15+ Rhetorical Analysis Essay Examples for Students

Published on: Mar 10, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Examples

Examples help the readers to understand things in a better way. They also help a writer to compose an essay just like professionals.

Here are some amazing rhetorical analysis examples on different topics. Use them as a helping hand to understand the concept and write a good essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: AP Language

Rhetorical analysis done in AP Language and Composition is one of the biggest tasks a student can ever get. On the same hand, drafting it in a proper way is also necessary to get good grades.

Look at these rhetorical analysis essay example AP language given below to see how a well-written rhetorical essay is written.

AP Rhetorical analysis essay example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Ap Lang 2020

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Ap Lang 2021

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example AP Lang 2022

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example AP Lang 2023

These rhetorical analysis essay example college board will help you to win over your panel in no time!

Want to start from the basics? Head over to our Rhetorical essay guide to solidify your base.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Ted Talk

A rhetorical analysis can be done on nearly anything. Here is a good example of a rhetorical essay in which a ted talk is being analyzed.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

The first impression of these three terms sounds just like a conjuration in some kind of a magical story. But in fact, these elements of persuasion were created by Aristotle and have been used for a very long time.

According to Aristotle, they were the primary persuasive strategies that authors should use in their papers. These elements are further elaborated as follows:

The ethos appeals to ethics.
Pathos appeals to emotions.
Logos mean the use of rational thinking.

Here is an example of a rhetorical essay written using these elements.

Understand Ethos,Pathos and Logos to write a compelling essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example for College

College students often get to write a rhetorical analysis essay. They find it hard to write such an essay because it is a bit more technical than other essay types.

Here is an example of a well-written rhetorical essay for college students.

Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

A rhetorical analysis essay can be written to show a comparison between two objects. Here is a compare-and-contrast rhetorical analysis essay example.

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Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

The visual rhetorical essay determines how pictures and images communicate messages and persuade the audience. Usually, visual rhetorical essays are written for advertisements. They use strong images to convince the audience to behave in a certain way.

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Pdf

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Letter from Birmingham Jail

Here is another good example of a rhetorical essay. Most of us know about the history of âletter from a Birmingham jailâ. Read the given example to see how rhetorical analysis is done on it.

Struggling for a similar good topic? Check out our amazing rhetorical essay topics to select the perfect theme for your essay.

Great Influenza: Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Influenza has been one of the scariest pandemics the world has faced in history. Here is a rhetorical essay on great influenza.

Great influenza: Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

Condoleezza Rice Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

The speech given by Condoleezza Rice has become a classic example of effective oratory. Here is an example of a rhetorical analysis essay on the speech given by Condoleezza Rice at a commencement ceremony.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Condoleezza Riceâs Commencement Speech

This example explores the effectiveness of Rice's speech and features an in-depth analysis.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example High School

High school essays involve the analysis of different texts and the application of rhetorical tools to those texts. Here is an example that focuses on a high school essay about the effects of television on society.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example (Pdf)

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example MLA

MLA format is one of the most commonly used formats for essays. Here is an example of a rhetorical essay written in MLA format that focuses on the effectiveness of advertisements.

MLA Rhetorical Analysis Essay PDF

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Outline

Outline helps to organize the ideas and arguments that you want to present in your essay. Here is a sample outline that can help you write an effective rhetorical analysis essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Outline sample

Hop on to our rhetorical essay outline guide to learn the step-by-step process of crafting an exemplary outline.

How to Start a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

When starting a rhetorical analysis essay, it is important to provide a brief overview of the topic that you are analyzing. This should include the overall message being conveyed, the target audience and the rhetorical devices used in the text.

Here is a rhetorical analysis introduction example for your ease.

Thesis Statement Example for Rhetorical Analysis Essay

The thesis statement of a rhetorical analysis essay should explain the primary argument being made in the text. Here is an example of a thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis essay for your ease.

Example of Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example Conclusion

The conclusion of a rhetorical analysis essay is an important part of the overall essay. It should summarize your main points and provide some final thoughts on the topic.

Here is an example of conclusion for a rhetorical analysis essay for your ease.

Download this Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing Manual to help gather all the relevant guidance for your rhetorical essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing Manual (PDF)

Watch this video to understand how to select Rhetorical analysis essay evidences.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing Tips

To write a rhetorical analysis essay, you must have good writing skills. Writing a rhetorical essay is a technical task to do. This is why many students find it really difficult.

There are the following things that you should do to write a good rhetorical analysis essay. Those important things are as follows:

Determine the Rhetorical Strategy

To write a rhetorical essay, the writer needs to follow a specific method for research. The typical research methods used for this particular essay are as follows:

Choose a Topic

For any essay type, it is very important to have a good topic. A good topic seeks the readers of attention and convinces them to read the complete essay.

Create a Rhetorical Analysis Outline

An outline is an essential part of essay writing. The outline provides a definite structure to the essay and also guides the reader throughout the essay. A rhetorical analysis outline has the following elements in it:

Introduction
Body paragraphs

These three elements let you describe the entire idea of your rhetorical analysis essay. These three elements are further written with the help of sub-elements.

Develop a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is yet another important part of essay writing. It is the essence of the entire essay. It may be a sentence or two explaining the whole idea of your essay. However, not give background information about the topic.

Proofread and Edit

The formal terminology used for essay revision is known as proofreading. To make sure that your essay is error-free, repeat this process more than once.

Now let's wrap up , shall we?

So far we have provided you with the best rhetorical analysis examples that are sure to win over your panel. With our help, you can surely sfe guard your academic success journey in no time!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 3 parts of rhetorical analysis.

The three parts of rhetorical analysis are:

Ethos
Logos
Pathos

What are the elements of a rhetorical analysis?

The main elements of a rhetorical analysis essay are:

Situation
Audience
Purpose
Medium
Context

Is there any difference between AP lang rhetorical analysis essay example 2020 and AP lang rhetorical analysis essay example 2021?

Yes, there are differences between 2020 and 2021 AP Language and Composition rhetorical analysis essay examples.

In 2020 the essay prompts revolved around various social issues related to public discourse. In 2021 they mainly focused on the ideas of justice or progress.
In 2020 students were encouraged to write a multi-paragraph essay shifting back and forth between creative devices of rhetoric. While in 2021 more emphasis was placed on analyzing how well an author's argument is structured.

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Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — Malala — I Am Malala Rhetorical Analysis

I Am Malala Rhetorical Analysis

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Are you having trouble thinking of rhetorical analysis topics to explore? Selecting a title for such an essay is an excellent place to start. Afterward, proceed to introduction, body, and then conclusion. In this section, we have compiled a short list of greatest topics for rhetorical analysis to help you improve your grades. Through the catalog, you will discover how to create best topics for rhetorical analysis essay about a worthwhile issue. Need professional essay help online ? Visit StudyCrumb! Simply share your instructions and get your rhetorical analysis or any other essay completed by a pro.

What Are Rhetorical Analysis Topics?

Rhetorical analysis essay topics refer to the subject matter in which researchers examine how different parts of a work produce a specific effect on the reader. They then develop an argument and find compelling evidence to support their opinion. Such topics focus on a particular work of literature, discourse, or art. Unlike a literary analysis , rhetorical analysis paper topics are intended to analyze works from a rhetorical standpoint. Thus, the tricks used to convince readers are assessed. Rhetorical analysis ideas and topics are designed to evaluate students' reasoning ability for close attention to detail. Given this, you should dissect literary work into its elements and assess the author's effective strategies.

Basics of Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Characteristics of Good Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Pick a subject that interests you when selecting topics for analysis. Additionally, it requires adequate information to be used in research. What are good rhetorical analysis topics ? This is one of the questions that students keep asking themselves. Below is a listing of characteristics of good topics for rhetorical analysis. The subject matter must consider the scenario's target audience, goal, and background.

It should be broad with plenty of information.
A good topic ought to be fascinating. That is to say, it should capture reader’s attention.
It must also give an excellent choice for research.

How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Topic?

An exciting rhetorical analysis essay topic is the first element in any writing that aims to pique the reader's curiosity. All writers strive to ensure their work is professional and appealing to the audience. Furthermore, the titles must be engaging to make your essay solid. Since finding subjects that are compelling and fascinating might be problematic, here are some tips to keep in mind when deciding on good rhetorical analysis essay topics.

Pick a subject that appeals to you. Before composing an analysis paper, choose a topic that interests you. Moreover, make sure there is room for research.
Consider your understanding of the topic. Selecting familiar rhetorical essay topics will be helpful in your writing. Remember to reveal your understanding of the author's writing technique when conducting the review.
Carry out background research. Make a list of subjects that catch your attention. After that, whittle down the selection and choose an ideal topic. You can achieve this by investigating the information that is already accessible on it.
Seek help from your instructor. Ask your lecturer for assistance if you are still unsure of the subject. Compile a list of appropriate rhetorical analysis topics to make it easy for the educator.

Best Rhetorical Analysis Topics List

The best rhetorical analysis topics are pertinent to tasks and have sufficient information for use. When handling these essays, choose an engaging subject to make the assignment more doable. Topics for study are not limited to speeches from notable presidents or popular poems. Investigate these interesting rhetorical analysis essay ideas related to cinema, artwork, prompt, and current affairs.

Justification of vengeance in The Odyssey .
The meaning underlying Mona Lisa’s smile.
Literary techniques used in The Chronicles of Narnia .
The primary theme in Winston Churchill's We Shall Fight on the Beaches .
How stylistic tactics affect a reader's impression of non-fiction material.
Purpose of literary devices in Oscar Wilde 's works.
How a creative topic and storyline might make a blockbuster.
What was the main point in president Trump's speech?
How to tell if a play uses the right rhetorical tactics.
What prevents speeches from garnering bigger crowds?

Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Perhaps you are seeking good topics to write rhetorical analysis on for your academic article. Good topics for rhetorical analysis essay are listed here.

How the use of casual and formal language influences speech.
Different rhetorical techniques used by Classical and Rogerian authors.
How preconceptions might limit successful application of rhetorical techniques.
Significance of abstract images within classical literature.
How literary works communicate information via words, expressions, and concepts.
Slavery, as discussed in Beloved by Toni Morrison.
What do Pepsi's logo colors symbolize?
How President Joe Biden utilized alliteration in his speech on democracy.
Linguistic trends in William Shakespeare's publications.
How former president Barack Obama applied logos, pathos, and ethos in his farewell speech.
A comprehensive rhetorical analysis of The Odyssey .
How to use stylistic techniques in a way that can foresee the audience's response.
Visual components of Hollywood filmmaking.
A criticism of the hyperbole of how innovation has affected culture.
Analysis of president Joe Biden's speech on democracy.

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Easy Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Do you wish to focus on easy rhetorical analysis topics? If so, you will discover some of the most effective suggestions in this paragraph. These subjects are easy to write about since information is readily available on the web. Nevertheless, you must be prepared to devote time and resources to studying and composing your easy rhetorical analysis essay topics.

How the American national anthem employs literary techniques.
TED's presentations and how they embrace rhetorical devices to entice viewers.
How writers approach themes of ethnicity and discrimination in their writing.
Differences between employment of stylistic elements in historical and contemporary cultures.
How linguistic strategies are used in religious books.
The difficulty of captivating an audience to a monologue.
Various rhetorical strategies that media presenters employ.
How can rhetorical depth of any discourse be identified?
How various authors handle heroism topics when it comes to their writing.
The significance of symbolism with regards to literature.
How Michael Scott applies rhetorical techniques.
R&B songwriting strategies.
Advertiser-selected terminologies on billboards and posters.
Creative methods used in the renowned portrait of Mona Lisa .
Rhetoric elements used in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Excellent Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

If you wish to focus on excellent rhetorical essay topics, below are a few you can select from. You only need to decide which rhetorical topics for essays to use.

How successful was Barack Obama’s speech during his presidency?
Use of stylistic devices in Nike’s Just Do It ad.
How does education stifle creative thinking?
A speech or piece that uses oratorical tactics.
How authors characterize heroism.
Rhetorical analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
The effect of rhetorical techniques on reader’s comprehension of a non-fiction story.
Brand identity and emotional appeal of Monster drink.
Impact of President Trump's tweets.
Literary devices utilized in eulogy speeches.
Relationship between racial discrimination and sexism in America.
Pepsi's marketing ideas.
A billboard that got your attention.
A rhetorical review of President Trump's tweets.

Did you spot a fitting topic? Now it’s time to see how to write a rhetorical analysis essay .

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Visual rhetorical analysis topic ideas might help readers recollect your paper. Consider the author's objective and demographics of the intended audience, as it will aid you in conducting complete research. The visual rhetoric essay topics suggestions below can help you achieve that aim.

Effects of soundtracks on movies.
Newspaper covers using rhetoric aspects.
How innovative advertising employs symbols.
Rhetorical evaluation of exhibits in art galleries.
How slow motion affects films.
Use of symbolism in Avatar .
William Shakespeare's best poems.
How Black Panther utilizes symbolism.
Use of arts in The Square .
How TV commercials employ texts.
Author's utilization of personification in Bluebird by Charles Bukowski.
Usage of audio, music, and narrative in presentations.
How does John Curran utilize imagery in The Painted Veil .
Ways in which Michael Lewis uses cinematography and soundtracks in The Blind Side .
How Jurassic Park transformed special effects.

Need more rhetorical topics? Give our Essay Title Creator a shot!

Controversial Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

If you consider debate intriguing, this part includes the best suggestions for rhetorical topics for essay. When composing scholarly articles, these rhetorical analysis topics are outstanding. Just do some research on the piece carefully and comprehend the debate.

Use of stereotypes and racial tropes in films.
Representation of science and technology in science fiction.
Religion and spirituality in Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.
The portrayal of mental health issues in popular culture.
Violence and its impact on society in Avatar.
Propaganda in the Triumph of the Will .
The Notebook and its illustration of love and friendships.
Schindler’s List and how it explains the Holocaust.
Dark humor as used in Catch-22 .
Police brutality and racial injustice in Copwatch .
Immigration and border control in A Better Life .
Rhetorical techniques affect how a reader interprets a non-fiction story.
Plot twist in The Titanic .
Is there something about William Shakespeare's writing style that really appeals to you?
How does the audience's impression of the story be affected by the author's credibility?

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Ideas for Students

The success of all academic writing depends on utilizing rhetorical analysis ideas efficiently. This is because the foundation of everything undertaken within schools is to influence thought patterns through speech application. Since language is typically hypnotic, it aims to educate. It is uncommon for students to avoid writing research papers on rhetorical analysis, as they appear as projects, articles, and term papers. Here are a few essay propositions for high school and university learners.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for High School Students

Topics for a rhetorical analysis essay are many. If you are a secondary school student having problems deciding on rhetorical analysis topics to select from, you are in the right place. Here are 15 essay topics for high school.

Use of metaphor in a speech from your school director on graduation day.
Main themes used in Alice in Wonderland .
Rhetorical devices used in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin .
How Arthur Miller uses foreshadowing in Death of a Salesman .
Literary elements used in An Enemy of the People .
Central concepts within William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Theme of social class in The Canterbury Tales .
Power of tradition as illustrated in The Lottery.
Fundamental concepts of Jordan Peele's Get Out .
Literary elements used in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
How Virginia Woolf utilizes the stream-of-consciousness tactic in The Waves .
How analogy is used in the inauguration speech of my math teacher.
Guilt and justice as discussed in And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
Synopsis of The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola.
Major theme in Gone With The Wind .

Rhetorical Analysis Topics for College Students

College students can choose from a wide range of rhetoric research paper topics. They will greatly gain from these analysis paper ideas in the last year of school. Below are essential topics that college learners can select for their essays.

How solitude is demonstrated within works of literature.
Poetic devices in performances and poems.
How does rhetoric function in websites and other digital writing?
Methods that can be used to evaluate a scene from a popular film.
Main themes in The Matrix .
Strength of speech writing in Barack Obama's speeches.
Michael Scott's primary writing techniques.
A movie that had a massive impact on your life.
A significant political discourse that is still discussed today.
How Rick Bragg uses comedy in his article The Guiltless Pleasure .
What justifications does David Grann make in The Mark of a Masterpiece ?
Stylistic devices used in The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
How using literary techniques has been streamlined thanks to technology.
What elements are commonly found in acceptance speeches?
How evangelists utilize rhetoric to engage their audiences.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics in Different Fields

There are many distinct and good topics to write a rhetorical analysis on. It is improbable that one could ever run out of ideas for them when writing any paper. Aside from the topics mentioned above, numerous other fields, for instance, speeches and fiction work, can be explored. Arts are the primary focus of the bulk of these rhetorical subjects. In addition, there are many resources to choose your topics for rhetorical analysis. This section provides examples of other fields that can be traversed.

Rhetorical Analysis Speech Topics

There have been many famous speeches throughout history. To analyze one, you need to consider different aspects of rhetoric topics. For example, the speaker's goals, the speech's historical text, and viewer's aspirations. Here are a handful of topics that can be explored for rhetorical analysis of a speech .

Quit India speech by Mahatma Gandhi.
How President Donald Trump utilized personification in his final speech.
Figures of speech that Richard Nixon employed in his resignation speech.
President Biden 's remarks on transgender issues.
Malala Yousafzai's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dark and vengeful undertones in William Blake's A Poison Tree .
How to get people to pay attention to Franklin Roosevelt's inaugural speech.
The majority of TED speeches use rhetorical tactics.
Literary devices used within the speech from Finding Forrester .
Discursive strategies used in Jack Ma's inspiring speech.
Tones used in Theodore Roosevelt's Duties of American citizenship .
Rhetorical devices utilized in JF. Kennedy's inauguration speech.
What were the goals of Ronald Reagan's Speech in Address to the Nation on the Challenger ?
Oprah's appraisal of Golden Globes' discourse.
How does Sam Bern’s outlook on life affect his ability to communicate in My Philosophy for a Happy Life ?

Rhetorical Analysis Ideas on Movies

Do you enjoy watching movies? Has your teacher given you freedom to select them as one of the rhetorical analysis essay ideas? If yes, you can look into some of the points on this list, which provide rhetorical analysis article ideas. In certain films, an individual makes a speech that everybody remembers. Whatever the case, taking observations is necessary for performing rhetorical assessment of movies discourse.

Black Panther’s application of literary devices.
How the film's author employs a rhetorical tactic in How To Train Your Dragon .
Salvatore Corsitta's remarks from The Godfather .
Use of imagery by Zack Snyder.
The Hunger Games’ use of figurative language.
Rhetorical devices used in Pursuit of Happiness .
Theme of hope in The Ultimate Gift .
The movie Get Out racial theme.
Moral standards as depicted in Gone Baby Gone .
How racism led to different issues in A Soldier's Story .
Concept of posttraumatic stress disorder as illustrated in Fearless movie .
Lessons from Life of a King movie.
Ethical behaviors as encapsulated by Charles Ferguson.
Main themes of Mind, Body, and Soul .
Power theme in My Kingdom .

Poetry Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

A plethora of topics to write a rhetorical analysis on is available online, and poem is among the unique subjects that can be explored. To analyze poetry, you need to consider the speaker, rhyme’s meaning, and structure. The following are distinct rhetorical analysis paper topics that students can use.

Primary metaphors used by Sylvia Plath .
Theme of rage and evil in A Poison Tree .
Primary rhetorical strategies employed by W.H.Auden.
How personification is used in Bluebird.
Concept of nature in Mary Oliver's Fall .
Function of contrast in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .
Role of street jargon as illustrated by Langstone Hughes.
Stylistic elements used by Jane Kenyon.
Poetic devices used in Disillusionment of Ten O'clock .
Primary theme in Love Song .
How the author employed poetic devices in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night .
Self-acceptance as illustrated in Phenomenal Woman .
Characteristics of the speaker as explained by Claude McKay.
Illustration of love in A Red, Red Rose .
Artistic devices used by William Shakespeare in Venus and Adonis .

Literature Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Are you searching for rhetorical analysis essay topics that will make your instructor smile? If that is the case, here are some fantastic ideas for rhetorical analysis.

Early literature from the 17th century.
Faith and religion in the Quran.
How to tell if a drama employs correct figures of speech.
An in-depth review of rhetorical tactics used in France and Europe.
Techniques used in Michelle Obama's Our Diversity Makes Us Who We Are .
Literary tactics used by Melania Trump in her farewell address as the first lady.
Textual analysis of A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare.
Theme of misogyny in Hamlet .
Central message in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
Impact of heroes' personal lives on the society in Oedipus and contemporary America.
Myth's influence on culture as explained in Adam and Eve’s story.
Metaphors used in the legendary speech made by Martin Luther.
What figurative language stands out in The Pearl Harbor Address ?
Humanity vs. Nature in Their Eyes Were Watching God .
Justice in Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby .

Rhetorical Analysis Topics on Fiction

Like all rhetorical topics, fiction has a point it wants to convey. You might consider how you reacted to the fiction content as a reader. Therefore, if you enjoy reading or watching fictional characters, feel free to choose any rhetorical analysis essay topic below.

One Hundred Years of Solitude's elitist theme.
Central themes in Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer .
How The Alchemist presents character growth.
How Erin Morgenstern created varied personalities in The Night Circus .
Behavior as illustrated by Jesse Stuart.
How Code Name Verity delivers its message of friendship.
Depiction of war in Men At Arms .
Significance of dreams in Of Mice and Men .
How relevant is Macbeth in the modern era?
What linguistic techniques does Ayn Rand use?
What distinguishes A Room of One's Own from other books?
Major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Mysterious language as used by Beatriz Williams.
How The Lord of the Flies explores conflict between civilization and barbarism.
Writing styles used in The Midnight Library .

Non-Fictional Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Non-fiction works are those that are fact-based. When analyzing them, examine the environmental components surrounding rhetorical analysis paper topics. If you enjoy non-fictional topics for a rhetorical analysis, consider using these ideas.

Rhetorical techniques in Cold Blood .
What was the plot in Charlie Chaplin's speech from The Great Dictator ?
Use of allegory in Avengers: Endgame .
Traveling Mercies ' rhetoric techniques.
How Someday Maybe utilizes personification.
Theme of racism in Absolute Beginners .
How Ron Chernow explores the concept of triumph in Alexander Hamilton .
Stylistic elements in Out of Africa .
John Hersey's linguistic interpretation of the suffering in Hiroshima .
Themes explored in the Sermons .
Religious beliefs according to The Ethics of Belief by William Kingdom.
How Mohsin Hamid explores themes of love and turmoil in Exit West .
Stylistic techniques in A Brief History of Time .
What motivates bibliophiles to read Beloved?
Theme of fanaticism in Fever Pitch .

Rhetorical Analysis Topics About Advertisements

The main goal of any advertisement is to convince the audience. Therefore, a successful campaign forges a bond between the client and the product. When exploring rhetorical analysis essay topics, consider the general appeal of the advertisement. Additionally, take into account the target audience and rhetorical techniques. You can choose rhetorical analysis topic ideas from this list.

Examples of innovative and powerful advertising.
BluBlocker Sunglasses marketing campaign.
Advertising's ability to reach a particular audience.
Impact of advertising on brand recognition.
Effectiveness of Coca-Cola’s share a coke advertisements of 2018.
Central idea behind Red Bull's Giving Life to the Night ad.
How effective is Apple's Think Different ad.
Was Toyota Moving Forward campaign a success?
Success behind Disney's The happiest place on Earth tagline.
How does Samsung advertise products?
How are rhetorical tactics used in television advertising?
Effectiveness of Pepsi's video campaigns.
Use of logos, ethos, and pathos in MacBook commercials.
How do advertisers choose the language that appears on billboards and posters?
History of Fanta's effective utilization of advertising.

>> Read more: Marketing Topics for Research

Bottom Line on Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Many of you ask a common question: "what is a good topic for a rhetorical analysis essay?" Feel inclined to utilize any rhetorical analysis topics highlighted in this blog article to write a top-notch essay. Hopefully, you have found a suitable topic. Feel free to browse our blog for more analytical essay topics and writing tips. From process analysis essay topics to critical analysis essay writing suggestions, we have a bunch of useful guides for students.

If you need assistance with rhetorical analysis article topics or have no idea how to create such essays, get in touch with us. We have a group of qualified academic scholars who can provide essay writing assistance on top subjects for rhetorical analysis papers.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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