Rhetorical Analysis for Steve only

English 1213

Assignment Sheet: Rhetorical Analysis

Description: For this assignment students are to choose one of four genres of text, then analyze aspects of that text. You may use the methodology as in your paper if you wish, determining how your text correlates to one or more parts of the rhetorical triangle (speaker, message, and audience). I will provide resources that model this process for each of the three genres listed below:

1. Literature: Students choosing this option will read a poem, play, or short story, then read this literary text for rhetoric in the manner outlined in class.

2. Music: Students choosing this option will analyze a song from the last hundred years of popular music. You should focus on lyrical content, but may also consider other aspects of the song such as instrumentation and vocal delivery.

3. Advertising: Students choosing this option will analyze an advertisement, whether print or television, applying the visual rhetorical techniques we practiced in class.

4. Film: Students choosing this option will view and analyze a film using methodology from this class, from a Film Appreciation class/text or from other resources for film analysis found in the library or online.

Specifications

Audience: a reader with an equal training in rhetorical analysis.

Evaluation: I will evaluate your essays based on criteria provided on Blackboard—one set for each genre and one set for all students.

Parameters: Second drafts should be at least 2-3 pages in length, typewritten, double-spaced, in 12 point font. First drafts should be two pages in length. List course information, single-spaced in the upper left corner.

Due Dates: First Draft: Wednesday, April 4; Second Draft: Friday, April 6

Remember also to adhere to the rules of standard English grammar. Have fun picking your text, and let me know if you have any questions.