Blog Post #6: Prewriting for Rhetorical Analysis

For our class on Tuesday, February 1st, review Chapter 14 on Visual Arguments and finalize the selection of your texts for Essay #1: Rhetorical Analysis (see the assignment sheet passed out in class and posted to Blackboard). Then, start prewriting for your rough draft. For the prewriting, study your texts in detail and answer the questions on page 98 in Everything's an Argument-- type up your answers to all of the questions, and post your answers to your personal blog. Bring a printed copy of your prewriting to class for activities on Tuesday, 2/1. See you Tuesday.

P.S. See the documents related to Rhetorical Analysis that will be posted to Course Documents on Blackboard. Download those documents, including the PPT presentations, to keep track of the content and examples discussed in class.

Blog Post #5: Rhetorical Analysis

For our class on 1/27, read the chapter on Rhetorical Analysis (with particular attention to the questions on page 98). Understand that a rhetorical analysis is a close reading of a text to find whether it works to persuade and how. Then, find an interesting, a puzzling, troubling, or just a very effective argument that you want to analyze rhetorically. Remember that anything can be an argument-- you can choose an advertisement or a series of advertisements from a campaign (product ads, ads for raising social awareness, or political ads), a speech, an editorial, political cartoons, websites, etc. The argument can appear in any media (television, Internet, magazine, newspaper, radio, or virtual world). However, you must make sure that you choose an argument with accessible texts (written words, visuals or movie files that can be downloaded or taped, etc). In other words, you should be able to examine your text in detail. (See "Finding a Topic" on page 124 in Everything's an Argument for more information about how you can find a topic.)

Report where the argument comes from and describe it (for example, describe the content of the advertisement). Tell us why this text has got your attention, and why it might be appropriate for a rhetorical analysis.

This is a prewriting assignment for your upcoming writing project. Be prepared to present and discuss this post in class. Bring a printed copy of the post, if it will help you to retrieve your ideas.