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A Thoughtful Approach to Rhetorical Analysis

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This document discusses three essential questions for analyzing rhetorical devices in texts: 1) Notice and describe your reaction to the text, as any reaction indicates the author's use of rhetoric. 2) Identify the specific rhetorical devices causing your reaction by learning terms like parallelism, hyperbole, and puns. 3) Determine the author's underlying purpose by looking beneath the surface rhetoric to understand their reasons for using various devices.

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Considering and Answering Three Essential Questions 1
A carefully crafted text is designed to attract the readers attention. 2
Experiencing a distinct reaction to a text indicates, with a fair amount of certainty, the author has used rhetoric to manipulate the reader. 3
The effect of rhetorical constructions can be sudden or subtle, either immediately apparent (we laugh), or understated (we puzzle over our feeling). 4
Noticing and pinpointing our reaction to a text takes practice and diligence. Nonetheless, these two actions together remain the essential first step in any rhetorical analysis. 5
Without question, any reaction to a text is the result of some type of rhetorical device. It remains our task to find those rhetorical devices and to explain their function. 6
A basic familiarity with perhaps seventeen or so specific rhetorical terms greatly enhances our ability to spot and analyze the source of any reaction. 7
--Anaphora and Epistrophe --Chiasmus and Synchises --Asyndeton and Polysyndeton --Cacophony and Euphony --Zeugma --Parallelism --Litote and Hyperbole --Synecdoche and Metonymy --Oxymoron --Tautology --Pun 8
The obvious features of an essay should not be sidestepped. Even though lacking sparkle and zing, an author frequently uses the basic structures of writing to convey her or his intentions. Some of these overlooked structures are Sentence styling (including length) Diction Tone 9
Determining the authors purpose remains. Can we winnow beneath the surface of the rhetoric and discover the reason behind the verbal play? 10
The third question asks for more than a simple answer. The interrogative pronoun why requires that we understand. Understanding is derived through thoughtfulness. 11

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A Thoughtful Approach to Rhetorical Analysis

  • 2. A carefully crafted text is designed to attract the readers attention. 2
  • 3. Experiencing a distinct reaction to a text indicates, with a fair amount of certainty, the author has used rhetoric to manipulate the reader. 3
  • 4. The effect of rhetorical constructions can be sudden or subtle, either immediately apparent (we laugh), or understated (we puzzle over our feeling). 4
  • 5. Noticing and pinpointing our reaction to a text takes practice and diligence. Nonetheless, these two actions together remain the essential first step in any rhetorical analysis. 5
  • 6. Without question, any reaction to a text is the result of some type of rhetorical device. It remains our task to find those rhetorical devices and to explain their function. 6
  • 7. A basic familiarity with perhaps seventeen or so specific rhetorical terms greatly enhances our ability to spot and analyze the source of any reaction. 7
  • 8. --Anaphora and Epistrophe --Chiasmus and Synchises --Asyndeton and Polysyndeton --Cacophony and Euphony --Zeugma --Parallelism --Litote and Hyperbole --Synecdoche and Metonymy --Oxymoron --Tautology --Pun 8
  • 9. The obvious features of an essay should not be sidestepped. Even though lacking sparkle and zing, an author frequently uses the basic structures of writing to convey her or his intentions. Some of these overlooked structures are Sentence styling (including length) Diction Tone 9
  • 10. Determining the authors purpose remains. Can we winnow beneath the surface of the rhetoric and discover the reason behind the verbal play? 10
  • 11. The third question asks for more than a simple answer. The interrogative pronoun why requires that we understand. Understanding is derived through thoughtfulness. 11