Rhetorical Analysis - Due by 7:00am on Dec. 4

In this blog you will be doing a rhetorical analysis of a speech, article, editorial or news story.  This blog is based on the premise that all writing is aimed at a specific audience for a specific purpose (i.e. an argument).  Your task is to determine the purpose (not just the subject) of a piece of writing and explore the strategies and literary devices used by the writer to achieve this goal.

Begin by introducing the article you analyzed, stating the full name of the author and article, and putting the rest of the source information in the works cited section on the bottom of the blog.  If you found the article online then a link should be included.  Next, offer a concise, but thorough, summary of what the writer says and an analysis of the argument's rhetorical components.  These may include:

• How does the author establish his/her credibility (ethos)
• The purpose (to assert, inquire, negotiate or dominate)
• The significance of the medium (speech, academic periodical, popular newspaper, etc.)
• The context
• The reasons (logos) given as support
• The emotional appeals and/or mood created by the author (pathos)
• Literary techniques utilized in making the persuasive case (metaphors, repetition, alliteration, etc.)

This blog should be 300-400 words (two of which should be vocabulary words) and it should be edited to perfection.

4.2.d (analyze rhetorical devices)
3.3.a (conventions)
3.2.e (transitions)
3.2.a (support and evidence)