English and Literature MLA

Rhetorical Essay Draft 1

Submit draft 1 of your rhetorical analysis essay here. Your draft does not need to have an intro paragraph (yet), but make sure that your essay at least has an underlined thesis statement with 3-4 distinct subpoints.

Your first draft needs to be at least 500 words. You should have an MLA header, heading, and title (Links to an external site.) (though the title can just be a placeholder for now). Your essay needs to have at least one body paragraph (i.e. your draft should not just be an introduction or conclusion). Each body paragraph should begin with a specific topic sentence.

Make sure your essay is structured according to the Outline for rhetorical analysis essay file on Canvas.

Keep in mind that your essay needs to include specific evidence (quotes from the speech). You then need to ANALYZE the evidence (see the outline on Canvas for analysis instructions).

If you would like feedback from me on your first draft, you should leave me a comment on your submission that asks me one or more SPECIFIC questions about your essay. Try to be more specific than (is this good? or am I on the right track?).  For example, you could ask me a question about your thesis statement, or about your analysis in body paragraph 2. Keep in mind that you can always get more in-depth help from me if you visit my office hours!

Ask yourself these questions as you analyze your speech:

What is the purpose of the speech?
Is the speech reacting to a particular historic or political moment? Research the context in which the speech was given. Consider exigence!
Who is the speechs intended audience? How can you tell?
Does the speaker use ethos, pathos, and/or logos? How does the use of these appeals inform the purpose of the speech?
What is the tone (optimistic, mournful, angry, etc.) of the speech? How is this tone well-suited for the occasion?
How is the speech delivered, and how does that delivery impact tone and affect the audience?
What impact do the visual elements of the speech have?
Is the speech intended to persuade, inform, etc? 
How does the rhetoric of the speech teach us about the values of the speaker, or the society in which they live? For example, what can we learn about Depression-era America from watching FDRs first inaugural address?
Does the speech contain figurative language? If so, what effect does it have?