Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics – 120+ Unique Ideas

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

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Looking for the right rhetorical analysis essay topic can be a tough challenge for some people!

It’s a well-established fact that for such essays, you need to have an excellent grip on the topic you choose.

For that purpose, we have created a comprehensive list of rhetorical analysis essay topics, so you can pick the topic that matches your interest perfectly. 

Before coming to the topic ideas, let’s briefly discuss what is a rhetorical analysis essay.

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  • 1. Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing
  • 2. Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics
  • 3. How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topic?
  • 4. Professional Tips to Write Rhetorical Analysis Essay Fast
  • 5. Elevate Your Analytical Skills with Rhetorical Analysis Essay Questions 

Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis Essay Writing

In a rhetorical analysis essay , a writer deeply analyzes a work of literature, art, or film, takes a stance, and thoroughly evaluates the purpose of the original content.

The goal is to ensure effective delivery to the audience.

Having said that, a rhetorical analysis essay finds out how effective the message of the original content was. And how the author or speaker uses rhetorical advice and strategies to convey their message.   

Now, let’s move on to the handpicked list of topics! 

Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Being aware of a student’s academic struggles, we have gathered some interesting topics for your rhetorical analysis essay needs. So if you are looking for rhetorical essay ideas, you’ve landed at the perfect place! 

Choose the best rhetorical topics from the list below and draft a compelling essay.

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.
  • “The Revenant” by Michael Punke.
  • “Witches' Loaves” by O. Henry.
  • “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.
  • “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand.
  • “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.
  • “Yes Please” by Amy Poehler.
  • “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.
  • “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk.
  • “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for High School

  • “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie.
  • “Beloved” by Toni Morrison.
  • “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer.
  • “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller.
  • “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen.
  • “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley.
  • “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
  • “The Waves” by Virginia Woolf.
  • “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston.
  • “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Middle School

  • "Yes, Please" By Amy Poehler
  • "The Revenant" By Michael Punke
  • The Primary Themes In "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland"
  • "Huckleberry Finn" Rhetorical Analysis
  • "Witches Loaves" By O'Henry
  • Discuss My Philosophy for a Happy Life by Sam Berns.
  • The Painted Veil.
  • Analyze Romeo and Juliet.
  • Analyze the “The Power of Introverts” by Susan Cain.
  • Amy Poehler. “Yes, Please.”

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for College Students

  • “Antigone” by Sophocles.
  • “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
  • “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller.
  • “Dubliners” by James Joyce.
  • “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck.
  • “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.
  • “A Yellow Raft in Blue Water” by Michael Dorris.
  • “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls.
  • “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare.
  • “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison.

Non-Fictional Topics for Rhetorical Analysis Essay

  • “Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results” by Stephen Guise.
  • “The Ethics of Belief” by William Kingdon Clifford.
  • “Easter Island's End” by Jared Diamond.
  • “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards.
  • “Traveling Mercies” by Anne Lamott.
  • “A nation among nations” by Thomas H. Bender.
  • “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond.
  • “The Price of Inequality” by Joseph Stiglitz.
  • “The Spirit Level” by Kate Pickett and Richard G. Wilkinson.
  • “The Status Syndrome” Michael Marmot.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics About Speeches

  • “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Inaugural Address of President John F. Kennedy.
  • Emma Goldman’s Address to the Jury.
  • League of Nations Final Address by Thomas Woodrow Wilson.
  • “Every Man a King” by Huey Pierce Long.
  • “The Evil Empire” by Ronald Reagan.
  • “Mercy for Leopold and Loeb” by Clarence Seward Darrow.
  • “A Time for Choosing” by Ronald Reagan.
  • “The Struggle for Human Rights” by Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Movies

  • Manhattan Project.
  • Jurassic Park.
  • The Phantom of the Opera.
  • Rhetorical analysis of Almost Famous.
  • A Streetcar Named Desire.
  • Rhetorical analysis of Romeo + Juliet.
  • Rhetorical analysis essay on Man of Steel.
  • Rhetorical analysis of Macbeth.
  • Wuthering Heights.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for 2023

  • “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” by William Butler Yeats.
  • “The Epic” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
  • “Shakespeare’s Sonnets” by William Shakespeare.
  • “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope.
  • “England in 1819” by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
  • The Price of Inequality by Joseph Stiglitz
  • “The Price Of Inequality” By Joseph Stiglitz
  • "Cri De Coeur” By Romeo Dallier
  • "Traveling Mercies” By Anne Lamott
  • "A Nation Among Nations"

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Analyze Poe's Poetry, “The Raven.”
  • A favorite poem written by William Shakespeare.
  • Analysis of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
  • Martin Luther King Jr.’s last speech.
  • Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
  • Clifford's "The Ethics Of Belief" Summary And Analysis
  • "Easter Islands' End" By Jared Diamond
  • "Success Strategies” Analysis
  • Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons
  • "Guns, Germs, And Steel” By Jared Diamond

Literary Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • “I Am Prepared to Die” by Nelson Mandela
  • Gettysburg Monologue in Remember the Titans
  • “Full Power of Women” by Priyanka Chopra
  • Speech from Finding Forrester
  • Red’s Parole Hearing from Shawshank Redemption
  • The movie industry.
  • The insider.
  • Enough of the movie.

Funny Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Maximus’ Speech to Commodus from Gladiator
  • “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” by Tim Urban
  • Harvard Graduation Speech by Donovan Livington
  • Obama’s Final Farewell Speech
  • Pink’s VMA acceptance speech
  • Do you love your family members or not?
  • Do all people grow old?
  • A rhetoric analysis of Coca-Cola’s logo colors
  • What is your opinion of prequels and remakes?
  • Payment of college athletes

Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • The lottery vs. the hunger games
  • Non-fictional novels and fictional novels
  • President Obama’s speech at the inauguration compared to that of President Trump
  • Religious texts and their rhetorical composition.
  • Medicines vs. natural remedies
  • Social sciences vs. humanities
  • Economic upliftment vs. better standard of living
  • Compare movies based on Stephen King’s works versus his novels
  • Hurricanes vs. tornadoes
  • Football vs. basketball

Argumentative Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics 

  • Political Speeches and Rhetoric
  • Advertising Influence on Consumer Behavior
  • Climate Change Communication
  • Social Media Persuasion
  • Rhetoric in Gun Control Debates
  • Fake News and Rhetorical Techniques
  • Environmental Activism and Rhetoric
  • Healthcare Debates and Persuasion
  • Rhetoric in Civil Rights Movements
  • Rhetorical Strategies in Literature

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How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topic?

The first thing in any writing that attempts to grab the reader’s interest is an engaging topic. Every writer aims to make his writing readable and exciting for the audience. 

Coming up with an interesting and engaging topic for your essay can be a tough job. The following are some tips to consider while selecting the topics for your rhetorical analysis paper.

Deliberate your Interest

The fundamental trick of making writing impressive and exciting is to focus on the topic of your interest. Before you start writing a rhetorical analysis essay, try to pick the topic that catches your attention and interest. Also, ensure that it has scope for research and writing.

Choosing something not to have any broad scope or data will not be an ideal topic for your essay.

Do not force yourself to write about a topic that seems popular and promising but not impressive. At least find a rhetorical question that interests you and has good research opportunities.

Reflect on your Knowledge

The second important thing to consider while choosing analytical essay topics is that you have little knowledge about them. Selecting something entirely unfamiliar will not help you. 

Remember that you need to provide insight into the writing style of the author while doing the analysis. Word choice also depicts your strength. Gather knowledge about the rhetorical devices and literary critics used in the work, which you can discuss and explain in your essay. 

Most of the time, you decide to pick topics you have discussed in class. Reflect on the level of your knowledge before finalizing your options.

Do Background Research

Another vital trick to consider while picking the topic is to do background research. You can compile a list of topics, which seem captivating. After that, narrow down the list and select the final topic by researching the topic’s available information.

Do not forget to make notes of the background research. In case you forget the points while writing your essay, you will have the notes for reference.

Get the Suggestions of your Instructor

After going through all the above options, if you cannot make a decision. Prepare a list of suitable topics and ask your instructor to provide you with suggestions. 

It is much better than contemplating on your own. You will have a fixed path to walk on, and you will research the points presented in your paper.

Professional Tips to Write Rhetorical Analysis Essay Fast

Students always look for tips and tricks to make their academic assignments perfect. Below are some professional tips gathered by the writers at MyPerfectWords.com to help you write your essay in no time:

  • Identify the target audience to choose a good topic for your rhetorical essay.
  • Define the purpose of the work chosen. Grab your reader’s attention by drafting a catchy opening for your essay.
  • Provide a structure to the content by drafting an excellent  rhetorical analysis essay outline . The outline should divide your information into the introduction,  thesis statement , main body, and conclusion sections.
  • Use simple sentences. The strength of a rhetorical essay is the clarity of the content that comes from using simple sentences.
  • Avoid using narrow terminologies. Make sure that the vocabulary used compliments the theme and context of the content.
  • Gather information from credible sources. Use references from journals, articles, books, and research papers to make the content of the essay authentic.

Elevate Your Analytical Skills with Rhetorical Analysis Essay Questions 

Queries are present in rhetorical analysis essays, meant to help the writer. These questions aid the writer in further sharpening their writing proficiency.

As a plus, the questions serve the purpose of motivating writers to become actively involved in understanding the outlook of a rhetorical essay.

  • What methods do you plan to employ to engage your readers?
  • Does the conclusion of the argument resonate with your audience?
  • How has the author employed stylistic devices within the narrative?
  • Defining satire: How has the author used it, and what impact does it have
  • How does the author build credibility, evoke emotions, and use logic in the text?
  • Do cultural or historical references in the text support the author's argument?
  • Do repeat words or phrases for emphasis in the text have a noticeable impact?
  • Does the tone impact the author's credibility, and how?
  • How is the audience likely to receive the message?
  • How has the author engaged the audience in their discourse?

To conclude, writing a rhetoric paper can be challenging. It is suggested to take a professional’s help for your academic writing assignments and not risk your grades.

To get professional assistance, get help from the expert analytical essay writing service at MyPerfectWords.com. Our qualified writers draft 100% original content for the students and guarantee better grades. 

Visit our legit essay writing service  now and push your essay writing game to new heights.

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Nova A.

Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.

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200 rhetorical analysis topics for students in 2023.

rhetorical analysis topics

The first thing to note when writing anything on rhetorical analysis is that the essay requires you having a wide and in-depth knowledge about the specific topic you’ll be basing your essay on. A good mastery of rhetorical essay topics entails the ability to write effectively.

Sometimes, the challenge looks like not knowing where to begin. But, understanding that a rhetorical analysis essay requires the writer to deeply and accurately analyze a piece of work and make a plausible argument with supporting evidence about it will give you an edge when crafting and choosing a topic.

However, rhetorical analysis topics are majorly predominant in topics associated with the arts but are also not limited to it. Topics can be based on literature, movies, billboards, popular culture, ads, speeches, and even ordinary human conversations.

Aside from understanding what rhetorical topics are, having ample information about any selected topic is crucial as it helps to develop sound rhetorical analysis ideas. Here are some topics you can base your rhetorical analysis essay topics on.

Rhetorical Essay Topics to Choose From

In any rhetorical essay, what the writer does is highlight a problem, carry out extensive analysis on the listed problem to make a strong-base argument on the subject matter.

A rhetorical essay isn’t complete without sound backup evidence to the highlighted problem. Carrying out an essay writing of this form requires you to have done thorough research on whatever you will be writing on.

Knowing how to choose smart topics for rhetorical analysis isn’t enough to write the essay, there must be the existence of extensively done research as this enables the writing to come fully alive. Rhetorical analysis topics list can look like.

  • Do social media encourage low productivity in young adults?
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Shonda Rhimes’s How to Get Away with Murder
  • Obama’s first presidential speech
  • A textual analysis of Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life
  • Analysis of Dove ’s beauty Ads over the last 5 years
  • A Feminist look at Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own
  • Importance of complex themes in American TV shows and Movies
  • Analysis of the Instagram aesthetics and what it entails
  • The role of symbolism in Literature and art piece
  • The work of representation in Popular Culture
  • TV shows: That’s what I Like and Here’s Why you should too
  • The implication of Horror movies on middle and preschoolers
  • Do Smartphones encourage low productivity in Young Adults or not?
  • The impact of Diversity representation in Hollywood
  • A cultural exploration of Beyoncé’s Lemonade
  • Madam CJ Walker, Diversity beauty-representation
  • Explicit sexual exploration: the Hip Hop culture
  • Purity culture an offspring of Rape culture
  • Social exploration of the movie adaptation of Les Misérables
  • Does Social media obscure reality or not?
  • Rhetorical analysis: Mom blogs and the role they play within the society
  • The Hidden Reality of Foodbanks in the American system
  • Welfare mom, bad mom?
  • Analyze the political implications of George Orwell’s Animal Farm
  • The unsettling effect of Dan Fogelman’s This Life
  • Homeschooling, the bane of many high school students.
  • The impacts of gaming on preschoolers
  • How PBS for Kids has changed the Parenting game
  • The Role of the Erotica: The poems by E. E Cummings
  • The absurdity of the Afterlife

More Topics on Rhetorical Analysis

There are varieties of different kinds of rhetorical analysis topics that it is unlikely that one can run out of ways to craft rhetorical analysis topics for any essay at all.

Since the majority of these rhetoric topics are mostly within the arts, there’s a wide range of sources and inspiration to draw your essay topic from. This is because art is an interesting field that keeps on giving.

These topics can be relevant for high school and for college students. Here are a handful of rhetorical analysis example topics to consider for rhetorical analysis.

  • A comparative analysis of non-fictional novels and fictional novels
  • Analysis: Obama’s Farewell speech
  • Rhetorical analysis of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre
  • The Failure of Charity, Classism, Victorian era, the folly of Individualism: Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist .
  • Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Joyce Cary’s Mister Johnson : an Anthropological exploration
  • The realism of 11th century Scotland and how it’s portrayed in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
  • The Surrealism of the 20th-century art and Literary explorations with that era
  • F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and how it’s an indictment to the “American Dream”
  • Rhetorical Analysis of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and Another Country
  • Why Movie adaptations can never measure up to Books
  • The social and economic implications of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
  • The story of Leonardo da Vinci and the Monalisa painting
  • Painting, Artistry and how Paul Cézanne’s art interrogates the subject of late-blooming
  • What the use of mostly women for domestic Ads suggests
  • How new Hollywood producers and showrunners address the issue of inclusivity and diversity in TV.
  • What the use of the omniscient narrator in books suggests
  • The Monalisa painting: Why is it Talked about so much?
  • The rhetorical device in D.H Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover
  • This is why best-seller books are called best-sellers
  • Why kids avoid watching the news at all cost
  • How the presence of social media impacts mental illness negatively
  • The Role of Tv and Popular in promoting Misogyny and Misogynoir
  • A call to Love: the recurring theme within James Baldwin’s works
  • How reality Tv shows obscure actual reality
  • How racism permeates Langston Hughes I, Too
  • What is the distinction between Symbolism and Imagery
  • The recurring effect of Misogyny in Malala Yousafzai’s real-life experiences
  • Why documentaries on Minimalism should be encouraged
  • Minimalism: a direct response to Late Capitalism
  • The wide distinction between Liberalism and NeoLiberalism

Rhetorical Situation Essay Topics for 2023

Before embarking on choosing any essay topic in a rhetorical situation, you must first understand the role of rhetoric in writing. Good rhetorical analysis essay topics aim to compel action through oral, written, visual, and sound forms. Rhetorical analysis compels the reader or the present audience to reassess their perspectives based on what you are saying or have written.

A good rhetorical analysis essay topic primarily seeks to capture the base attention of the reader or audience. One of the most common situations where rhetorics come in handy is in the political field.

However, rhetorical situation essays are impassioned, affective and are intended to capture the emotion of the reader or the audience; luring emotion is its basic and most tactical style for a call to action.

  • How the legislation on Birth Control pills has resulted in the untimely death of Women in rural areas
  • The rise of inflation and its resulting consequences in low-income homes
  • Was capitalism not okay enough? How the pandemic has displaced even more households
  • How does Popular Culture contribute to the continuous subjugation of women
  • Rape, teen pregnancy and the delegitimization of birth control pills: How they all conjure to control women’s bodies
  • Television is helping us understand the complexities of human lives
  • How the epidemic of drug abuse and its prevalence affects the lives of young Americans in the Deep South
  • Gun Control: Why we should pay attention to guns rather than women’s bodies
  • How lack of access and poverty is affecting homeschooling for young Americans
  • Paying low-income workers below minimum wage is a late capitalist concept
  • Gentrification: how it’s displacing people from their communities and homes
  • Capitalism is the main reason why millennials can’t afford to buy a house
  • The capitalist undertones of the “black to office” maximum
  • The Vernacular of Fatphobia in American Popular Culture
  • This is why America isn’t Post-racial
  • Myth: The Post-racial American Society
  • Why the rhetoric “The Future of Remote Work is Lonely” is a Myth
  • The Fatphobia of the American Wellness Culture
  • How Homeschooling is Demoralizing Teachers
  • Navigating various identities: the reality of the immigrant household
  • The Big lessons from Covid era: the diminishing returns of Hyper-productivity
  • What it means to be displaced within a Pandemic
  • Rhetorical Analysis of the Work Culture
  • The Unrealized myth of Self-care culture
  • The US Women as Social safety nets
  • Analysis of how Email became Work
  • What the Pandemic has taught workers about Unionism
  • The insidious nature of work culture and how it contributes to Burnouts
  • How Publishing is promoting Diversity and Inclusivity
  • Want it means to live within a pandemic as a low-income worker

30 Rhetorical Analysis Example Topics

The challenge that students often face when asked to write a rhetorical essay is the problem of how to craft a topic that best conveys their thoughts as well as that which they can grasp easily and have adequate available and accessible information on.

There are so many researchable ideas to write on; the hitch is often crafting your topic into something capable of inciting attention and encouraging conversations.

This is because, in rhetorics and persuasive writing, the rhetorical analysis topics for essay are also of crucial importance as much as the content. Here are some easy rhetorical analysis topics.

  • Why is Disneyland referred to as the Happiest Place on the Planet Earth
  • Why free Sanitary items is essential in every public space
  • The impact of Hip Hop in growing the Feminist Consciousness
  • Ted Talk: How it gives and encourages voices
  • Why Some blogs become Influential within a short period
  • The Myth of Consistency is Key
  • How Access is Key
  • How Shame culture emerged from Respectability Culture
  • Calling Survivors of Abuse Victims is Derogatory
  • How Speaking up exposes Survivors to more Harm
  • Analysis of Cancel Culture and Social Media Justice
  • The Importance of Commercials on Tv
  • How Commercials promote Falsehood
  • The impacts of Colorism and the Issue of Color Complex
  • A Room of One’s Own : The coming of Virginia Woolf before her time
  • A Rhetorical Analysis of Reality Tv
  • This is how Commercials can be more Relatable
  • How Relatability Tv impacts us
  • The importance of Inclusivity, Diversity, and Representation in Popular Culture
  • The Therapeutic effect of Representation
  • The Therapeutic effect of Yoga and Meditation
  • Why Low-income Workers should be exempted from Tax
  • The Ripple Effect of the Internet on Young Adults
  • Where the realistic depiction of Tv begins and ends
  • An Existential analytical approach to the works of Sylvia Path
  • The Rhetorical strategy in Frederick Douglas’ Memoir
  • Rhetoric as style in Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream
  • Why the Bob Dylan Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 was deserving
  • Award Culture is slowly Killing Creativity
  • A Historical approach to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

Ideas on Rhetoric Research Paper Topics

Every writing within academia hinges on the effective use of rhetorical situation essay topics; this is because the basis of everything done within academia is to impact ideas through the use of language and this language is usually persuasive in nature even while it seeks to educate.

For university students, it’s most likely very rare that you can run away from rhetoric research paper topics during your school year, in fact, it’s a prerequisite while in school.

It comes in the form of assignments, research, and term papers. If you are looking for topics, there are a variety of good topics to write a rhetorical analysis on. Below is a list of rhetorical analysis assignment ideas.

  • An Analysis of the Rhetorical Device implored in Beowulf
  • A Case study of Contemporary Popular Culture
  • The political and social implications of 90’s Hip Hop
  • A Comparative Analysis of Tv shows and Movies
  • The Futility of the American Dream as explored in F.S Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
  • The Symbolic exploration of “The Green Light” in The Great Gatsby
  • The Impact of Technological Innovation on American Student’s attention span
  • The Misogyny of the American Entertainment Industry
  • Structural Racism: The Mother of Gentrification
  • The Growing Concern of the Broken American Childcare System
  • The Triumph and the Bold Rhetorics employed in Diversity Tv
  • Restructuring: Why Diversity, Inclusivity, and Representation should be Championed
  • Purity Culture: A social construct that seeks to control women’s body
  • The representation distinction in the movie adaptation of Push and the book
  • A Comparative Analysis of Digital Literature and Traditional Literature
  • Innovation: The growing effects of Technological advancement
  • Late Capitalism: Self-care culture as a tool
  • The need for Inclusivity in the discussion of Beauty Culture
  • American Gun Culture and how it perpetuates greater harm
  • Domestic Violence, Abuse: The Battered Woman Syndrome
  • Affirmative Action: A Tool for Subjugation and Intellectual Relegation of the Minority Communities
  • Race Relations: The future of the American System
  • The Intrinsic effect of the exploration and promotion of interracial marriage on American popular Culture
  • Obesity: The distinction between Fatphobia and a need for Medical Attention
  • The Evolution of Identity Politics within the American System
  • Diversity Higher: Why America Needs a quick Racial intervention
  • A Comparative Study of 90s Hip Hop Culture and early 2010s Hip Hop
  • Rape Culture, Victim Blaming: The need to listen to Survivors
  • The Explicit Way American Hip Hop Explores Abuse and Misogyny
  • The Institutional Bias of the American System

Rhetorical Argument Essay Topics

When writing an argumentative essay, rhetoric is employed as the tool to not just convey thoughts and opinions but also to capture the interest of the audience or reader(s).

In any rhetorical argument essay, the writer must employ ethos, pathos, and logos as this enables the writer to navigate the topic better. For every form of rhetorical argumentative essay, there has to be a thoroughly carried out research, an understanding of the audience, a solid thesis statement, and the use of a writing style that captures attention.

The basis of an argumentative essay is that it must contain persuasive elements, without that, the argument isn’t complete. Here are some rhetorical argument essay topics to look into while writing your essay.

  • Can Drug Abuse be Contained by Legalizing and Regulating certain Drugs?
  • High-end and Fast fashion, how does it contribute to the Unhealthy lifestyle in our environment
  • Does a Democratic system have any significant drawbacks?
  • Why working moms and nursing moms should be given more workplace privilege
  • Why Maternal paid leave should be legalized
  • Is Cyberbullying capable of affecting mental health?
  • Should Diversity Higher, Affirmative Action and Inclusivity be made mandatory?
  • Does Feminism obscure the need for women to lash out at their fellow women?
  • Is Religion really the Opium of the Masses as Suggested by Karl Max?
  • Are there significant drawbacks to marrying off of a Dating App?
  • How Social Media Fame negatively impacts one’s real-life experiences
  • Is the presence of Artificial Intelligence going to lead to human extinction?
  • How hyperactivity on Social media plays out in impacting loneliness
  • Is there a possibility of Electronic money wiping out paper money?
  • Can human society experience growth without the presence of technology?
  • Is the consistent attachment to cell phones contributing to depression and anxiety?
  • Do public cameras infringe on individual privacy?
  • Is sustainable living capable of helping us reverse Climate Change?
  • Limiting Children’s screen time, does it contribute to their academic growth?
  • Should people be encouraged to use Marijuana now its health benefits have been dictated?
  • Are Academic Stress and excessive academic workload a form of psychological torture?
  • Has homeschooling improved the nature and operation of the school system?
  • Does beauty pageantry influence the concept and idea of beauty in society?
  • Is it Ethical to demand maternity leave for fathers?
  • Is Killing a Murderer a Punishable offense?
  • Should High school children be introduced to sex education in school?
  • How does the knowledge of sex education impact high schoolers?
  • Lecturer-Student friendship: is it an ethical practice?
  • Are students supposed to bring school work back home?
  • Impromptu test within the University system: Cancelled or Promoted?
  • Does access to so much information lead to Misinformation?
  • Does homeschooling contribute to students’ anti-socialism?
  • Should College Education be made completely free?
  • Will free education make or mar the performance of the academic institution?
  • Is GPA a sound determinant of intelligence?

Visual Rhetoric Essay Topics

There are different means through which rhetoric can be employed as a communication feature. Rhetorics occur in oral form, in written format as well as in the visual display. Visual rhetoric essay topics detail effective communication that is attained through the use and analysis of visual images, this is what differentiates it from other forms of rhetorical essays.

Communication through visual presentation has been noted to be effective and visual rhetoric makes communication and understanding very easy. It occurs in movies, painting, commercials, and other forms of art exploration.

For college students, especially those majoring in media studies and visual arts, assignments usually fall under visual rhetoric essays and visual text analysis. Here are some of the topics to look at within this subject matter.

  • Analyze the impact of TV Commercials and Ads on consumers
  • A case study of a prominent Hollywood production and the visual arts involved
  • Rhetorical analysis of the emotional appeals employed in web ads
  • Dissecting the ad of a TV Commercial and its implications
  • The emotional appeal within the movie The Help and permeates the entire Movie
  • A critical exploration of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Painting
  • The use of Lighting and Effect in Movies and what they Signify
  • The Cinematography of a Movie: A Language of its own
  • How Visual Commercials influence us more than Written Commercials
  • An exploration of the use of visuals in marketing
  • Analysis of Yellow Journalism
  • What is the most effective visual ad you’ve seen and how did it influence you towards a product?
  • How Visual ads increase people’s purchasing power
  • An in-depth analysis of effective visual campaigns
  • How TV influences our understanding of and our relation to society

Having a Hard Time Thinking of Rhertorical Analysis Topics?

Writing a rhetorical essay can be quite tasking as it requires that you embark on extensive research, digging through myriad materials in order to have a substantial essay. What is required to achieve a sound essay can really be a lot of work especially if you’re already engulfed with other activities. Nevertheless, there is the presence of fast expert writers online that offer essay writing help to you in any situation. Our essay writing service isn’t just high quality but is also very cheap. You do not just get the value of a great job, but also the promise of high grades and a stress-free and reliable service.

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Lindsay Ann Learning English Teacher Blog

70 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Secondary ELA

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May 28, 2019 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   8 Comments

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Before we get to the rhetorical analysis essay prompts (a.k.a. tons of ready-to-analyze texts at your fingertips), let’s take a time-out to lay the groundwork for understanding a rhetorical analysis essay using ethos, pathos, and logos.

Rhetoric is Defined As…

Put simply, rhetoric refers to any technique an author uses to persuade an audience.

Or, the behind-the-scenes choices an author makes to give you all the feels. 

Chances are, if you consider a text or speech to be  really good , rhetorical techniques are working like a master puppeteer to pull at your heart strings, make an impact on your brain, and get you to let down your guard because you trust the author or speaker.

That’s why political figures have speech writers.

That’s why authors spend time fine-tuning their words and sentences.

Rhetoric is important.

In addition, rhetoric goes back to the ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle, the “father” of rhetoric.

rhetorical-analysis-essay-high-school

The Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Moving on, if rhetoric is the art of persuasion, then the rhetorical analysis essay analyzes how an author or speaker creates opportunity for persuasion in his/her text.

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay involves understanding of context and occasion for writing. It also involves understanding the subject matter of the speech and intended audience.

Beyond this, noticing how the author uses rhetorical appeals and rhetorical devices to impact the target audience can help you to write an in-depth rhetorical essay analysis.

The BEST Rhetoric Topics

rhetorical-analysis-essay

As a teacher, I’m always in search of engaging texts for students to analyze. In this post, I’m sharing the best speeches, advertisements, and essays  for rhetorical analysis. You’ll never run out of rhetorical analysis essay topics again!

So, you’ll definitely want to stop right now and pin this post. 

Your future English-teacher-self will thank you. 

47 Rhetoric Examples in Speeches

The following speeches work well individually, but I’ve also tried to add value by pairing texts together.

Whether you’re analyzing rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos or looking at rhetorical devices, these speeches will work for discussion or as the text for a rhetorical analysis essay.

rhetorical-analysis-essay

  • Gettysburg Monologue in Remember the Titans  – Pair with “ The Gettysburg Address ” by Abraham Lincoln
  • “ Full Power of Women ” by Priyanka Chopra – Pair with Emma Watson’s speech on the Power of Women
  • Speech from Finding Forrester – Pair with “ Integrity ” by Warren Buffet
  • Red’s Parole Hearing from Shawshank Redemption – Pair with the Freedom Speech from Braveheart
  • Ending Scene from The Breakfast Club – Pair with  “ The Danger of a Single Story ” by Chimamanda Ngozi Achichi
  • Authentic Swing Speech from The Legend of Bagger Vance – Pair with  “ How Winning is Done ” from  Rocky Balboa
  • Maximus’ Speech to Commodus from Gladiator – Pair with  The Revolutionary Speech  from  V for Vendetta
  • The Natural State of Mankind from Amistad – Pair with “ Our Diversity Makes Us Who We Are ” by Michelle Obama
  • Denzel Washington’s  Dillard University Commencement Speech – Pair with “ The Last Lecture ” by Randy Pausch
  • “ Like Pieces of Glass in my Head ” from The Green Mile – Pair with “ Eulogy for Beau Biden ” by Barack Obama
  • Oprah’s  2018 Golden Globes speech – Pair with  Seth Myers’ Golden Globes Monologue  and/or  Ellen says #MeToo
  • Independence Day speech – Pair with  Aragorn’s Helm’s Deep Speech  from LOTR: The Two Towers
  • Pair  “I am Human”  &  “Love Liberates” , both by Maya Angelou
  • Pink’s  VMA acceptance speech – Pair with “ If I Should Have a Daughter ” by Sarah Kay
  • Ellen’s  People’s Choice Humanitarian Award Acceptance Speech – Pair with “ Pep Talk ” by Kid President
  • Gandalf Speaks to Frodo in Moria  from  LOTR : Fellowship of the Ring – Pair with   Sam’s Speech   in LOTR: The Two Towers
  • Obama’s  Final Farewell Speech – Pair with Al Pacino’s  Any Given Sunday  speech – clean version
  • Harvard Graduation Speech by Donovan Livingston – Pair with Steve Jobs  2005 Stanford Commencement Speech
  • “ Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator ” by Tim Urban – Pair with “ Five Second Rule ” by Mel Robbins
  • Rachel Hollis “Inspire Women to be Their Best” (mild profanity)
  • My Philosophy for a Happy Life by Sam Berns
  • “ To this Day: For the Bullied and the Beautiful ” by Shane Koyczan – Pair with Kid President’s “ Pep Talk to Teachers and Students “
  • “ The Power of Introverts ” by Susan Cain – Pair with “ Don’t Let Others Stop You From Living Your Own Truth “

Rhetoric in Advertising: 23 Examples

This next list holds a blend of print advertisements and commercials, perfect for introducing close reading and rhetorical analysis and for writing a rhetorical analysis essay.

Ads are short, but pack a punch. Honestly, my students love analyzing the rhetoric of advertisements a lot because they are accessible and visual.

Rhetoric Commercials & Print Advertisements

  • “ Web of Fries “
  • Duracell “ Teddy Bear ” Commercial
  • Apple 1984 Commercial Introducing the New Macintosh Computer
  • Nike “ Find Your Greatness ” Ads
  • Pepsi, Superbowl 53 Commercial: “ More than Okay ”
  • “ Get a Mac ” Commercial Compilation
  • “ Can You Hear Me Now ” Verizon Wireless
  • Apple iPhone X – “ Unlock ”
  • Kiwi “ First Steps ” Print Advertisement
  • Vauxhall’s  Backwards Cinderella
  • Lego Print Advertisement
  • Top 10 Powerful Ads of 2014

Rhetoric of the Image

  • Entourage NGO for the Homeless Print Advertisement Images
  • 33 Creative Print Ads
  • Protege Group
  • Greenpeace Print Advertisement Collection
  • “ Divorce Furniture “
  • L’Oréal Paris: “This Ad Is For Men, 1 ” L’Oréal Paris: “This Ad Is For Men, 2 ” L’Oréal Paris: “This Ad Is For Men, 3 ”
  • “ It’s Not Acceptable to Treat a Woman Like One”
  • “ 50 Creative and Effective Advertising Examples “
  • Juvenile Protective Association
  • Anti-Bullying Campaign
  • 25 Serious Ads

Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

No doubt, writing a rhetorical analysis essay is like taking apart a puzzle and putting it back together again. Teachers, help your students to understand how all of the pieces fit together in order to see the bigger picture of what the author is trying to accomplish.

First, take time to understand how a text “works” for a rhetorical analysis essay using ethos, pathos, and logos:

  • Read or listen to understand overall content. Look up unfamiliar words.
  • Mark the text for the author’s main points and sub-points.
  • descriptive
  • compare/contrast
  • cause/effect
  • argumentative
  • Take notes on SOAPS: subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker
  • Discuss the text(s) in Socratic Seminar .

Next, identify rhetorical appeals . 

  • Ethos: How an author demonstrates credibility and builds trust.
  • Pathos: How an author creates an emotional response.
  • Logos: How an author demonstrates expertise and knowledge.

Look for rhetorical devices & patterns in the text.

  • Rhetorical devices refer to an author’s use of diction and syntax.
  • Does the author repeat key words / phrases? What’s the impact?
  • Does the author return to the same idea or image? Why?

Finally, write a clear thesis statement & topic sentences for your rhetorical analysis essay.

  • Use your thesis statement to generate topic sentences.
  • In your body paragraphs, identify a technique, provide an example, and discuss the “right there” and “beneath the surface” meanings. How does the author’s choice impact the audience, further a message, establish a tone?
  • What’s the context for the repetition?
  • What connotations are important?
  • How is the anaphora used to move the reader to greater understanding (logos), emotional investment (pathos), and/or trust in the author’s ideas (ethos)?

Six Strategies for Teaching Rhetorical Analysis

I’ve created an awesome free guide to inspire English teachers who teach rhetoric and the rhetorical analysis essay in their classrooms. Even if you don’t teach AP lang, you can benefit from these strategies !

rhetorical-analysis-teaching-guide

Rhetorical Analysis Essay FAQ’s

How do you write a rhetorical analysis essay.

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay is like writing a literary analysis essay, except the focus is on one or more non-fiction texts and the analysis targets an author’s style or rhetorical “moves” (a.k.a. use of rhetorical appeals and/or devices). Rhetorical analysis essays usually prove a claim about the author’s message or purpose for writing. The paragraphs in a rhetorical analysis essay unpack “what” an author is doing to send this message and “how” these choices impact the audience.

What does it mean to write a rhetorical analysis?

Writing a rhetorical analysis means that you are aware, as an audience member, reader, listener, human being, of the messages you consume. As a critical consumer of others’ ideas, you ask hard questions about how these messages are shaped, why they’re being delivered in certain ways, and why this is important for you and for society.

What are the three rhetorical strategies?

The three most commonly known rhetorical strategies are known as rhetorical appeals. Ethos (ethics) refers to credibility and trustworthiness. Pathos (passion) refers to engaging an audience’s emotions. Logos (logic) refers to engaging an audience’s brain through logical organization and use of evidence and arguments.

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About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Reader Interactions

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January 9, 2023 at 9:38 am

Hi Lindsay Ann, thanks so much for these great resources. Just wanted to gently point out a couple errors that you might want to fix:

#12: should be Seth Myers’ (not Seth Myer’s) #13: should be independence (not independance)

Teachers have to help each other out 🙂

Best, Nikkee

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January 9, 2023 at 5:44 pm

Thank you so much for letting me know, Nikkee!

[…] a lot of options and extensions for analyzing rhetoric in social media. Who knows, maybe your next rhetorical analysis essay assignment will be focused on rhetoric in social […]

[…] 70 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Secondary ELA […]

[…] find that teaching rhetorical analysis and close reading skills go hand-in-hand with teaching voice in […]

[…] helps students to remember that everything comes back to the author’s purpose or message in rhetorical analysis. Author’s purpose is central to unpacking an author’s choices, including use of […]

[…] you assigning a rhetorical analysis essay? Why not try having students use rhetorical analysis sentence […]

[…] I introduced students to rhetoric. First, we journaled on this topic: Think of a time someone talked you into doing something or believing something. How did they do it? What tactics did they use? Students may share out journals. I gave students a graphic organizer with a PAPA analysis (purpose, audience, persona, argument) and picked a speech. Frankly, the speech I picked, which was Samwise Gamgee’s speech to Frodo Baggins in The Two Towers, failed spectacularly since students had no frame of reference. Note: that movie is old now. I know. It makes me sad, too. So go cautiously if you use this, but maybe pick something else. You can find a massive list here. […]

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122 Various Rhetorical Analysis Topics To Help Your Progress

rhetorical analysis topics

Many students don’t know where to start when choosing rhetorical analysis topics for academic papers. That’s because writing about these topics requires students to explore the subject in detail and prove their standpoint. Usually, educators expect learners to use effective and persuasive methods to achieve this goal. In simple terms, a rhetorical essay involves writing about writing.

This article presents a rhetorical analysis topics list for learners at different educational levels. It’s useful because it provides helpful ideas to help students with difficulties create interesting titles for their papers.

What Is Rhetorical Analysis?

Before diving into the list of rhetorical analysis topics, let’s define rhetoric.

A dictionary will say rhetoric is “the effective or persuasive art of writing or speaking, especially one that exploits figures of speech and other compositional techniques.”

However, rhetoric is more than just an art form. It’s also a tool that a writer can use to achieve a specific goal. In the context of academic writing, learners often use rhetoric to persuade the reader to see things from their point of view.

For example, consider the following statement:

“The death penalty is naturally an inhuman and cruel punishment that governments should abolish.”

This statement is an example of rhetoric because the writer uses persuasive language to make an argument. They want to convince the reader that the death penalty is wrong and governments should stop it.

What Are Good Rhetorical Analysis Topics?

Good rhetorical analysis titles allow the writer to analyze something and its effect on the audience or themselves. Although a rhetorical analysis essay can be about a speech or literature, it can also be about a movie or art. Some educators even ask learners to write rhetorical analyses about billboards or commercials. Nevertheless, an ideal topic allows the writer to acquire and analyze sufficient information.

Remember, the goal of a rhetorical analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of an argument or a piece of work. Therefore, pick a topic that allows you to do this. Once you’ve known what rhetorical analysis is and what makes good topics, let’s delve into some of the titles worth considering.

Best Topics For Rhetorical Analysis In 2023

Maybe you’re looking for the best ideas to consider for your academic essays or papers. In that case, here are some of the titles to consider for your write-up.

  • How social media affects body image
  • Common rhetorical strategies in advertising
  • What is the relationship between violence and video games?
  • How does music affect mood?
  • The role of the internet in education
  • Should governments lower the legal drinking age?
  • Should governments legalize marijuana?
  • Euthanasia: To be or not to be?
  • Cloning: The ethical implications and applications
  • Is homeschooling a viable educational alternative?
  • Is childhood obesity a reflection of bad parenting?
  • Are beauty pageants exploitative?
  • Should the government censor the internet?
  • Can the death penalty deter crime?
  • Should abortion be legal?
  • Are zoos ethical?
  • Should governments dictate the number of children a family can have?
  • Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their child?
  • Is it ethical to buy organs on the black market?
  • What are the ethical implications of human cloning?
  • The impact of social media on relationships
  • How do the media influence body image and eating disorders?
  • The effect of advertising on consumerism
  • Exploring music’s influence on emotions
  • Investigating the internet’s impact on education
  • The changing face of family structure and its effects
  • The pros and cons of homeschooling
  • Cyber-bullying- Its impact and how to prevent it
  • School uniforms: Are they necessary?
  • Religion in schools: Should the government allow it?
  • Censorship in schools: What are the criteria for choosing books, art, music, and film?
  • Are standardized tests an accurate measure of student ability?
  • Is tracking students by ability level beneficial?
  • Should schools eliminate homework?
  • Is the current educational system preparing students for the workforce?

Pick any of these ideas and investigate them to provide a detailed analysis. You can consult different sources to present an informative paper.

Rhetorical Analysis Ideas For College Students

Perhaps, you’re pursuing your college or university education, and the professor wants you to write a rhetorical analysis essay. In that case, here’s a list of topic ideas to consider for your paper.

  • How do authors use ethos, pathos, and logos in their work?
  • What is the purpose of the author’s argument?- Provide an example
  • Choose a piece of literary work and describe the target audience
  • Explain the methods the author uses to persuade their audience- Choose your scholarly work.
  • Explain the implications of the author’s argument in your preferred literary work
  • Use an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the author’s rhetoric
  • The rhetoric issue in Plato’s Republic
  • Why did “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King break the internet?
  • Rhetorical analysis of the film, Black Panther
  • Analyze the speech writing power in George Washington’s speeches
  • Rhetorical devices and their use in television advertising
  • Analyzing the rhetorical analysis devices in the Monalisa portrait
  • Literary devices and their function in plays and poetry
  • Rhetorical devices in Harry Porter
  • Analyzing the September 11 speech- Which rhetorical devices stand out?
  • How online content like blogs use rhetoric
  • Analyze your favorite book and show how it affected your life
  • Analyze rhetorical devices in your preferred political speech of the 21st century
  • How technology facilitates the manipulation of rhetoric devices
  • Analyzing rhetorical devices in Charles Spurgeon’s sermons
  • Rhetorical analysis of The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin
  • Critical analysis of a scene from your favorite movie- Highlight rhetoric devices
  • What marks acceptance speeches, and how do speakers use rhetorical devices
  • Rhetoric in preaching- How preachers impact the congregation
  • Discuss how authors use solitude in literature

These college-level rhetorical analysis ideas allow you to investigate different aspects of writing. Also, they provide a detailed perspective that helps you understand how to approach the assignments.

Good Rhetorical Analysis Topics For High School Learners

Maybe you’re in high school, and the teacher wants you to write a rhetorical analysis essay. If so, this list has ideal titles to consider for your paper.

  • Can a real friendship exist between a dog and a man?
  • Language is crucial to society- A detailed rhetorical analysis
  • The dog is the best housekeeper- A rhetorical analysis of this phrase
  • A comparison of how men and women consume ad messages
  • Rhetorical analysis of women’s attitudes towards fashion compared to men
  • Consumerism and environment- A rhetorical analysis
  • Analysis and summary of “The Kite Runner.”
  • The Animal Farm- A detailed rhetorical analysis of this book
  • Write a rhetorical analysis essay on your favorite birthday
  • A detailed rhetorical analysis of a speech by the school’s head teacher on graduation day
  • Rhetorical analysis of the inaugural address by your favorite teacher
  • Rhetorical analysis of a Nobel Peace Prize Winner’s speech
  • Rhetorical analysis and themes of William Shakespeare’s Pride and Prejudice
  • Online consumers- A detailed rhetorical analysis of their behavior
  • A rhetorical analysis of the electronic media’s impact on culture
  • Social media and its power- A rhetorical analysis of its power in turning the world into a global village
  • Olympics and World Cup- A detailed rhetorical analysis
  • National anthem in Olympic games- A rhetorical analysis
  • A rhetorical analysis of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
  • Primary themes in Alice in the Wanderland- A rhetorical analysis

These are good topics to write a rhetorical analysis on if you’re in high school. However, you may want to read some books or study the works to write informative and winning papers.

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Maybe you don’t have adequate time to read or investigate somebody else’s work and write about it. In that case, the following ideas could be excellent for your titles.

  • The Hunger Games- What are this work’s most practical rhetorical strategies?
  • How ancient and modern stylistic devices differ
  • A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf- Exploring the primary rhetorical devices
  • Rhetorical analysis of the class representative’s speech on the Memorial Day
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray- Investigating the critical stylistic devices
  • Develop a rhetorical composition of varying religious texts
  • Rhetorical analysis of Mona Lisa’s smile and its meaning
  • A detailed rhetorical analysis of pop-culture songs
  • Rhetorical analysis of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso
  • Heroism as a theme- How does it come out in different literary works?
  • How authors handle race and prejudice in their works
  • Rhetorical strategies in Harry Potter’s work
  • Rhetorical analysis of a speech by Alexander the Great
  • Themes and their relevance in literary texts about love and hope
  • Rhetorical analysis of Louisa May Alcott in promoting feminism
  • Investigating the American National Anthem- What are the vital rhetorical devices?
  • Does the Fight Song by Rachel Platten mark creativity and art?
  • Why do Ted Talks attract so many listeners?
  • How advertisers curate poster and billboard language in advertising
  • The impact of vivid description and symbols on literary work’s visual impression

These rhetoric topics are relatively easy to write about, but some may require a little research. Nevertheless, most learners will find working on these subjects straightforward.

Rhetoric Research Paper Topics

Maybe you’re writing a research paper and need a rhetorical title. If so, consider these ideas for your project or thesis from professional dissertation writers .

  • How has the definition of rhetoric changed over time?
  • What are the different types of rhetoric?
  • How do persuasive and argumentative rhetorics differ?
  • What are the ethical implications of rhetoric?
  • How does rhetoric affect society?
  • How can authors use rhetoric for good or evil?
  • How art uses rhetoric
  • Creative ads and symbolism
  • Game of Thrones- How does the film use visual arts?
  • Rhetorical devices in digital media campaigns
  • How does the film/television show portray its characters?
  • What is the purpose of the film/television show?
  • Who is the target audience for this piece?
  • What methods does the film/television show use to persuade its audience?
  • What are the implications of the film/television show?
  • Is the film/television show’s rhetoric effective? Why or why not?
  • Works about GMO and human health- A rhetorical analysis
  • Automated system use and rhetorical devices
  • Sports segregation by gender- a rhetorical analysis
  • Data privacy and social media- A detailed rhetorical analysis
  • College athletes’ payment- A rhetorical analysis
  • Investigating gun legalization- Rhetorical analysis of this topic

These are some of the best rhetorical analysis example topics to consider for your essay or paper. Choose a title that interests you and investigate it to present a detailed perspective.

Get Custom Essay Help Online

Maybe you have a title for your paper but not the time or skills to write a quality essay. In that case, get help from our experts to write a winning piece or undergraduate thesis . We’re professional writers with a proven track record of helping learners across the academic levels. Our crew makes completing a writing assignment an awesome experience. You will realize that writing a rhetorical paper is fun with our assistance. We will deliver a masterpiece even if you need help with an advanced essay.

Moreover, we guarantee the security of the information you share with us. Also, you will consistently score top grades whenever you seek our assistance. Contact us now!

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Are you having trouble thinking of rhetorical analysis topics to explore? Selecting a title for such an essay is an excellent place to start. Afterward, proceed to introduction, body, and then conclusion. In this section, we have compiled a short list of greatest topics for rhetorical analysis to help you improve your grades. Through the catalog, you will discover how to create best topics for rhetorical analysis essay about a worthwhile issue. Need professional essay help online ? Visit StudyCrumb! Simply share your instructions and get your rhetorical analysis or any other essay completed by a pro.

What Are Rhetorical Analysis Topics?

Rhetorical analysis essay topics refer to the subject matter in which researchers examine how different parts of a work produce a specific effect on the reader. They then develop an argument and find compelling evidence to support their opinion. Such topics focus on a particular work of literature, discourse, or art. Unlike a literary analysis ,  rhetorical analysis paper topics are intended to analyze works from a rhetorical standpoint. Thus, the tricks used to convince readers are assessed. Rhetorical analysis ideas and topics are designed to evaluate students' reasoning ability for close attention to detail. Given this, you should dissect literary work into its elements and assess the author's effective strategies.

Basics of Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Characteristics of Good Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Pick a subject that interests you when selecting topics for analysis. Additionally, it requires adequate information to be used in research. What are good rhetorical analysis topics ? This is one of the questions that students keep asking themselves. Below is a listing of characteristics of good topics for rhetorical analysis. The subject matter must consider the scenario's target audience, goal, and background.

  • It should be broad with plenty of information.
  • A good topic ought to be fascinating. That is to say, it should capture reader’s attention.
  • It must also give an excellent choice for research.

How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Topic?

An exciting rhetorical analysis essay topic is the first element in any writing that aims to pique the reader's curiosity. All writers strive to ensure their work is professional and appealing to the audience. Furthermore, the titles must be engaging to make your essay solid. Since finding subjects that are compelling and fascinating might be problematic, here are some tips to keep in mind when deciding on good rhetorical analysis essay topics.

  • Pick a subject that appeals to you. Before composing an analysis paper, choose a topic that interests you. Moreover, make sure there is room for research.
  • Consider your understanding of the topic. Selecting familiar rhetorical essay topics will be helpful in your writing. Remember to reveal your understanding of the author's writing technique when conducting the review.
  • Carry out background research. Make a list of subjects that catch your attention. After that, whittle down the selection and choose an ideal topic. You can achieve this by investigating the information that is already accessible on it.
  • Seek help from your instructor. Ask your lecturer for assistance if you are still unsure of the subject. Compile a list of appropriate rhetorical analysis topics to make it easy for the educator.

Best Rhetorical Analysis Topics List

The best rhetorical analysis topics are pertinent to tasks and have sufficient information for use. When handling these essays, choose an engaging subject to make the assignment more doable. Topics for study are not limited to speeches from notable presidents or popular poems. Investigate these interesting rhetorical analysis essay ideas related to cinema, artwork, prompt, and current affairs.

  • Justification of vengeance in The Odyssey .
  • The meaning underlying Mona Lisa’s smile.
  • Literary techniques used in The Chronicles of Narnia .
  • The primary theme in Winston Churchill's We Shall Fight on the Beaches .
  • How stylistic tactics affect a reader's impression of non-fiction material.
  • Purpose of literary devices in Oscar Wilde 's works.
  • How a creative topic and storyline might make a blockbuster.
  • What was the main point in president Trump's speech?
  • How to tell if a play uses the right rhetorical tactics.
  • What prevents speeches from garnering bigger crowds?

Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Perhaps you are seeking good topics to write rhetorical analysis on for your academic article. Good topics for rhetorical analysis essay are listed here.

  • How the use of casual and formal language influences speech.
  • Different rhetorical techniques used by Classical and Rogerian authors.
  • How preconceptions might limit successful application of rhetorical techniques.
  • Significance of abstract images within classical literature.
  • How literary works communicate information via words, expressions, and concepts.
  • Slavery, as discussed in Beloved by Toni Morrison.
  • What do Pepsi's logo colors symbolize?
  • How President Joe Biden utilized alliteration in his speech on democracy.
  • Linguistic trends in William Shakespeare's publications.
  • How former president Barack Obama applied logos, pathos, and ethos in his farewell speech.
  • A comprehensive rhetorical analysis of The Odyssey .
  • How to use stylistic techniques in a way that can foresee the audience's response.
  • Visual components of Hollywood filmmaking.
  • A criticism of the hyperbole of how innovation has affected culture.
  • Analysis of president Joe Biden's speech on democracy.

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Easy Rhetorical Analysis Topics

Do you wish to focus on easy rhetorical analysis topics? If so, you will discover some of the most effective suggestions in this paragraph. These subjects are easy to write about since information is readily available on the web. Nevertheless, you must be prepared to devote time and resources to studying and composing your easy rhetorical analysis essay topics.

  • How the American national anthem employs literary techniques.
  • TED's presentations and how they embrace rhetorical devices to entice viewers.
  • How writers approach themes of ethnicity and discrimination in their writing.
  • Differences between employment of stylistic elements in historical and contemporary cultures.
  • How linguistic strategies are used in religious books.
  • The difficulty of captivating an audience to a monologue.
  • Various rhetorical strategies that media presenters employ.
  • How can rhetorical depth of any discourse be identified?
  • How various authors handle heroism topics when it comes to their writing.
  • The significance of symbolism with regards to literature.
  • How Michael Scott applies rhetorical techniques.
  • R&B songwriting strategies.
  • Advertiser-selected terminologies on billboards and posters.
  • Creative methods used in the renowned portrait of Mona Lisa .
  • Rhetoric elements used in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Excellent Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

If you wish to focus on excellent rhetorical essay topics, below are a few you can select from. You only need to decide which rhetorical topics for essays to use.

  • How successful was Barack Obama’s speech during his presidency?
  • Use of stylistic devices in Nike’s Just Do It ad.
  • How does education stifle creative thinking?
  • A speech or piece that uses oratorical tactics.
  • How authors characterize heroism.
  • Rhetorical analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
  • The effect of rhetorical techniques on reader’s comprehension of a non-fiction story.
  • Brand identity and emotional appeal of Monster drink.
  • Impact of President Trump's tweets.
  • Literary devices utilized in eulogy speeches.
  • Relationship between racial discrimination and sexism in America.
  • Pepsi's marketing ideas.
  • A billboard that got your attention.
  • A rhetorical review of President Trump's tweets.

Did you spot a fitting topic? Now it’s time to see how to write a rhetorical analysis essay . 

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Visual rhetorical analysis topic ideas might help readers recollect your paper. Consider the author's objective and demographics of the intended audience, as it will aid you in conducting complete research. The visual rhetoric essay topics suggestions below can help you achieve that aim.

  • Effects of soundtracks on movies.
  • Newspaper covers using rhetoric aspects.
  • How innovative advertising employs symbols.
  • Rhetorical evaluation of exhibits in art galleries.
  • How slow motion affects films.
  • Use of symbolism in Avatar .
  • William Shakespeare's best poems.
  • How Black Panther utilizes symbolism.
  • Use of arts in The Square .
  • How TV commercials employ texts.
  • Author's utilization of personification in Bluebird by Charles Bukowski.
  • Usage of audio, music, and narrative in presentations.
  • How does John Curran utilize imagery in The Painted Veil .
  • Ways in which Michael Lewis uses cinematography and soundtracks in The Blind Side .
  • How Jurassic Park transformed special effects.

Need more rhetorical topics? Give our Essay Title Creator a shot!

Controversial Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

If you consider debate intriguing, this part includes the best suggestions for rhetorical topics for essay. When composing scholarly articles, these rhetorical analysis topics are outstanding. Just do some research on the piece carefully and comprehend the debate.

  • Use of stereotypes and racial tropes in films.
  • Representation of science and technology in science fiction.
  • Religion and spirituality in Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.
  • The portrayal of mental health issues in popular culture.
  • Violence and its impact on society in Avatar.
  • Propaganda in the Triumph of the Will .
  • The Notebook and its illustration of love and friendships.
  • Schindler’s List and how it explains the Holocaust.
  • Dark humor as used in Catch-22 .
  • Police brutality and racial injustice in Copwatch .
  • Immigration and border control in A Better Life .
  • Rhetorical techniques affect how a reader interprets a non-fiction story.
  • Plot twist in The Titanic .
  • Is there something about William Shakespeare's writing style that really appeals to you?
  • How does the audience's impression of the story be affected by the author's credibility?

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Ideas for Students

The success of all academic writing depends on utilizing rhetorical analysis ideas efficiently. This is because the foundation of everything undertaken within schools is to influence thought patterns through speech application. Since language is typically hypnotic, it aims to educate. It is uncommon for students to avoid writing research papers on rhetorical analysis, as they appear as projects, articles, and term papers. Here are a few essay propositions for high school and university learners.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for High School Students

Topics for a rhetorical analysis essay are many. If you are a secondary school student having problems deciding on rhetorical analysis topics to select from, you are in the right place. Here are 15 essay topics for high school.

  • Use of metaphor in a speech from your school director on graduation day.
  • Main themes used in Alice in Wonderland .
  • Rhetorical devices used in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin .
  • How Arthur Miller uses foreshadowing in Death of a Salesman .
  • Literary elements used in An Enemy of the People .
  • Central concepts within William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
  • Theme of social class in The Canterbury Tales .
  • Power of tradition as illustrated in The Lottery.
  • Fundamental concepts of Jordan Peele's Get Out .
  • Literary elements used in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
  • How Virginia Woolf utilizes the stream-of-consciousness tactic in The Waves .
  • How analogy is used in the inauguration speech of my math teacher.
  • Guilt and justice as discussed in And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
  • Synopsis of The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola.
  • Major theme in Gone With The Wind .

 Rhetorical Analysis Topics for College Students

College students can choose from a wide range of rhetoric research paper topics. They will greatly gain from these analysis paper ideas in the last year of school. Below are essential topics that college learners can select for their essays.

  • How solitude is demonstrated within works of literature.
  • Poetic devices in performances and poems.
  • How does rhetoric function in websites and other digital writing?
  • Methods that can be used to evaluate a scene from a popular film.
  • Main themes in The Matrix .
  • Strength of speech writing in Barack Obama's speeches.
  • Michael Scott's primary writing techniques.
  • A movie that had a massive impact on your life.
  • A significant political discourse that is still discussed today.
  • How Rick Bragg uses comedy in his article The Guiltless Pleasure .
  • What justifications does David Grann make in The Mark of a Masterpiece ?
  • Stylistic devices used in The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
  • How using literary techniques has been streamlined thanks to technology.
  • What elements are commonly found in acceptance speeches?
  • How evangelists utilize rhetoric to engage their audiences.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics in Different Fields

There are many distinct and good topics to write a rhetorical analysis on. It is improbable that one could ever run out of ideas for them when writing any paper. Aside from the topics mentioned above, numerous other fields, for instance, speeches and fiction work, can be explored. Arts are the primary focus of the bulk of these rhetorical subjects. In addition, there are many resources to choose your topics for rhetorical analysis. This section provides examples of other fields that can be traversed.

Rhetorical Analysis Speech Topics

There have been many famous speeches throughout history. To analyze one, you need to consider different aspects of rhetoric topics. For example, the speaker's goals, the speech's historical text, and viewer's aspirations. Here are a handful of topics that can be explored for rhetorical analysis of a speech .

  • Quit India speech by Mahatma Gandhi.
  • How President Donald Trump utilized personification in his final speech.
  • Figures of speech that Richard Nixon employed in his resignation speech.
  • President Biden 's remarks on transgender issues.
  • Malala Yousafzai's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • Dark and vengeful undertones in William Blake's A Poison Tree .
  • How to get people to pay attention to Franklin Roosevelt's inaugural speech.
  • The majority of TED speeches use rhetorical tactics.
  • Literary devices used within the speech from Finding Forrester .
  • Discursive strategies used in Jack Ma's inspiring speech.
  • Tones used in Theodore Roosevelt's Duties of American citizenship .
  • Rhetorical devices utilized in JF. Kennedy's inauguration speech.
  • What were the goals of Ronald Reagan's Speech in Address to the Nation on the Challenger ?
  • Oprah's appraisal of Golden Globes' discourse.
  • How does Sam Bern’s outlook on life affect his ability to communicate in My Philosophy for a Happy Life ?

Rhetorical Analysis Ideas on Movies

Do you enjoy watching movies? Has your teacher given you freedom to select them as one of the rhetorical analysis essay ideas? If yes, you can look into some of the points on this list, which provide rhetorical analysis article ideas. In certain films, an individual makes a speech that everybody remembers. Whatever the case, taking observations is necessary for performing rhetorical assessment of movies discourse.

  • Black Panther’s application of literary devices.
  • How the film's author employs a rhetorical tactic in How To Train Your Dragon .
  • Salvatore Corsitta's remarks from The Godfather .
  • Use of imagery by Zack Snyder.
  • The Hunger Games’ use of figurative language.
  • Rhetorical devices used in Pursuit of Happiness .
  • Theme of hope in The Ultimate Gift .
  • The movie Get Out racial theme.
  • Moral standards as depicted in Gone Baby Gone .
  • How racism led to different issues in A Soldier's Story .
  • Concept of posttraumatic stress disorder as illustrated in Fearless movie .
  • Lessons from Life of a King movie.
  • Ethical behaviors as encapsulated by Charles Ferguson.
  • Main themes of Mind, Body, and Soul .
  • Power theme in My Kingdom .

Poetry Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

A plethora of topics to write a rhetorical analysis on is available online, and poem is among the unique subjects that can be explored. To analyze poetry, you need to consider the speaker, rhyme’s meaning, and structure. The following are distinct rhetorical analysis paper topics that students can use.

  • Primary metaphors used by Sylvia Plath .
  • Theme of rage and evil in A Poison Tree .
  • Primary rhetorical strategies employed by W.H.Auden.
  • How personification is used in Bluebird.
  • Concept of nature in Mary Oliver's Fall .
  • Function of contrast in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .
  • Role of street jargon as illustrated by Langstone Hughes.
  • Stylistic elements used by Jane Kenyon.
  • Poetic devices used in Disillusionment of Ten O'clock .
  • Primary theme in Love Song .
  • How the author employed poetic devices in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night .
  • Self-acceptance as illustrated in Phenomenal Woman .
  • Characteristics of the speaker as explained by Claude McKay.
  • Illustration of love in A Red, Red Rose .
  • Artistic devices used by William Shakespeare in Venus and Adonis .

Literature Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Are you searching for rhetorical analysis essay topics that will make your instructor smile? If that is the case, here are some fantastic ideas for rhetorical analysis.

  • Early literature from the 17th century.
  • Faith and religion in the Quran.
  • How to tell if a drama employs correct figures of speech.
  • An in-depth review of rhetorical tactics used in France and Europe.
  • Techniques used in Michelle Obama's Our Diversity Makes Us Who We Are .
  • Literary tactics used by Melania Trump in her farewell address as the first lady.
  • Textual analysis of A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare.
  • Theme of misogyny in Hamlet .
  • Central message in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
  • Impact of heroes' personal lives on the society in Oedipus and contemporary America.
  • Myth's influence on culture as explained in Adam and Eve’s story.
  • Metaphors used in the legendary speech made by Martin Luther.
  • What figurative language stands out in The Pearl Harbor Address ?
  • Humanity vs. Nature in Their Eyes Were Watching God .
  • Justice in Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby .

Rhetorical Analysis Topics on Fiction

Like all rhetorical topics, fiction has a point it wants to convey. You might consider how you reacted to the fiction content as a reader. Therefore, if you enjoy reading or watching fictional characters, feel free to choose any rhetorical analysis essay topic below.

  • One Hundred Years of Solitude's elitist theme.
  • Central themes in Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer .
  • How The Alchemist presents character growth.
  • How Erin Morgenstern created varied personalities in The Night Circus .
  • Behavior as illustrated by Jesse Stuart.
  • How Code Name Verity delivers its message of friendship.
  • Depiction of war in Men At Arms .
  • Significance of dreams in Of Mice and Men .
  • How relevant is Macbeth in the modern era?
  • What linguistic techniques does Ayn Rand use?
  • What distinguishes A Room of One's Own from other books?
  • Major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird.
  • Mysterious language as used by Beatriz Williams.
  • How The Lord of the Flies explores conflict between civilization and barbarism.
  • Writing styles used in The Midnight Library .

Non-Fictional Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Non-fiction works are those that are fact-based. When analyzing them, examine the environmental components surrounding rhetorical analysis paper topics. If you enjoy non-fictional topics for a rhetorical analysis, consider using these ideas.

  • Rhetorical techniques in Cold Blood .
  • What was the plot in Charlie Chaplin's speech from The Great Dictator ?
  • Use of allegory in Avengers: Endgame .
  • Traveling Mercies ' rhetoric techniques.
  • How Someday Maybe utilizes personification.
  • Theme of racism in Absolute Beginners .
  • How Ron Chernow explores the concept of triumph in Alexander Hamilton .
  • Stylistic elements in Out of Africa .
  • John Hersey's linguistic interpretation of the suffering in Hiroshima .
  • Themes explored in the Sermons .
  • Religious beliefs according to The Ethics of Belief by William Kingdom.
  • How Mohsin Hamid explores themes of love and turmoil in Exit West .
  • Stylistic techniques in A Brief History of Time .
  • What motivates bibliophiles to read Beloved?
  • Theme of fanaticism in Fever Pitch .

Rhetorical Analysis Topics About Advertisements

The main goal of any advertisement is to convince the audience. Therefore, a successful campaign forges a bond between the client and the product. When exploring rhetorical analysis essay topics, consider the general appeal of the advertisement. Additionally, take into account the target audience and rhetorical techniques. You can choose rhetorical analysis topic ideas from this list.

  • Examples of innovative and powerful advertising.
  • BluBlocker Sunglasses marketing campaign.
  • Advertising's ability to reach a particular audience.
  • Impact of advertising on brand recognition.
  • Effectiveness of Coca-Cola’s share a coke advertisements of 2018.
  • Central idea behind Red Bull's Giving Life to the Night ad.
  • How effective is Apple's Think Different ad.
  • Was Toyota Moving Forward campaign a success?
  • Success behind Disney's The happiest place on Earth tagline.
  • How does Samsung advertise products?
  • How are rhetorical tactics used in television advertising?
  • Effectiveness of Pepsi's video campaigns.
  • Use of logos, ethos, and pathos in MacBook commercials.
  • How do advertisers choose the language that appears on billboards and posters?
  • History of Fanta's effective utilization of advertising.

>> Read more: Marketing Topics for Research

Bottom Line on Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Many of you ask a common question: "what is a good topic for a rhetorical analysis essay?" Feel inclined to utilize any rhetorical analysis topics highlighted in this blog article to write a top-notch essay.   Hopefully, you have found a suitable topic. Feel free to browse our blog for more analytical essay topics and writing tips. From process analysis essay topics to critical analysis essay writing suggestions, we have a bunch of useful guides for students. 

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Top Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Students

By: Betty P.

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Feb 25, 2020

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of essay in which you write about a piece of literature, art, or speech. Most of the students find it extremely stressful and scary to write rhetorical essays. They have no idea what it is, how to write one because they are not into reading.

Are you one of those students?

We cannot help it because, If you want to get an A in this type of assignment. You need to read the book thoroughly. Also, analyze the literary devices employed in the book. But we can help you get some rhetoric essay ideas.

Many students are stuck at the very beginning of writing this type of essay. They don’t know how to select a topic or subject to analyze.

In this blog, you get a complete list of interesting topics to help you in your writing phase.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

On this Page

Good Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Students

A good topic is the key to a perfect essay. Here is a list of topics for essays that assist you in making the right choice.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for College Students

  • "The Odyssey" And "Beowulf"
  • "The Prince" Summary
  • The symbolism of Bullfighting In “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway.
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "Romeo And Juliet"
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "The Great Gatsby"
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "Hamlet"
  • Main Themes And Analysis of Plato's "Republic"
  • "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" Summary
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "Pride And Prejudice"
  • Rhetorical Analysis of “The Fault in Our Stars”

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for High School Students

  • An attitude of consumers towards Fast Fashion
  • Rhetorical Analysis of the Cultural Industry
  • Consumers Habits: Women Vs. Men“
  • 1950’s Fashion” Rhetorical Analysis
  • Rhetorical Analysis of the Commercials and the Media“
  • 1970’s Fashion” Analysis
  • Martin Luther King jr last speech
  • Rhetorical Analysis of E-commerce
  • “Electronic Media and Culture” Rhetorical Analysis
  • Environment and Consumerism Analysis

Sports Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Rhetorical Analysis of “Olympics”
  • “NFL And the Concussion Rules”
  • BCS or Playoffs
  • Kobe or LeBron
  • Players or Owners
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Presidential Sports Encomia
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Symbolic Power of Sports
  • Rhetorical Analysis of the use of steroids
  • Rhetorical Analysis on “Football World Cup”

Fiction Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • O'Henry’s "Witches Loaves"
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "Huckleberry Finn"
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "Fight Club"
  • Michael Punke’s "The Revenant""The White Heron" Analysis
  • Rhetorical Analysis of “Death of A Salesman"
  • "The Lottery" Main ThemesLiterary Analysis of "Life In The Iron Mills"
  • "Alice In The Wonderland" Primary Themes"
  • The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand Analysis

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • A blog that you are passionate about
  • England in 1819” by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
  • Do we allow our fears to restrain us from action?
  • Is there anything weird in the rhetoric of Amy Poehler?
  • Faces of love in A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns.
  • Analyze Edgar Allan Poe’s poem ‘Raven.
  • ’The similarities and differences between two Ovidian tales
  • Steve Jobs commencement speech
  • Is there no age for education?
  • What is under our feet?

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Movies

  • Rhetorical analysis of Romeo + Juliet.
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Analyze TV shows based on true events
  • Summary of "The Prince"
  • Use of symbolism Harry Potter series
  • Analyze a famous historical movie
  • Martin Luther King and “I Have a Dream.” How it changes.
  • Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • The Shawshank Redemption

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics About Speeches

  • “Full Power of Women” by Priyanka Chopra
  • Analysis of the farewell address of a famous president
  • Joseph Stiglitz’ The Price of Inequality
  • A rhetorical analysis of President Biden’s speech on inauguration day
  • Speech from President Trump
  • Malala Yousafzai speech for students
  • Any speech delivered by George W. Bush: what does it carry?
  • Rhetorical analysis of Pope Urban II’s Speech at Clermont, 1095.
  • Any given Sunday speech

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • The rhetoric of blogs and online writing.
  • Animal Farm
  • Yellow journalism
  • The spirit level
  • “The Hunger Games” vs. “The Lottery”
  • Art through history
  • Out of Africa
  • Rhetorical analysis of creative ads
  • Culture and arts
  • Analyze the text in a famous TV campaign

Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • The Hunger Games vs. the Lottery
  • Backpacks vs. Briefcases
  • Jazz vs. Rock
  • "Death of a Salesman" Vs. "The White Heron"
  • Lord of the Flies: civilization vs. savagery.
  • The Breakfast Club Ending Scene vs. The Danger of a Single Story
  • Life in high school vs. life in college
  • Adolf Hitler vs. Joseph Stalin
  • American vs. Chinese concepts of beauty.
  • Gandalf vs. Dumbledore

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for 2022

  • Rhetorical Analysis of "The Ethics of Belief" by Clifford
  • Summary and Analysis of Jared Diamond’s "Easter Islands' End"
  • Rhetorical Analysis of "Success Strategies”
  • Anne Lamott’s "Traveling Mercies
  • ”Joseph Stiglitz “The Price of Inequality”
  • Rhetorical Analysis of “The Sun Is Also a Star”
  • Summary and Analysis "Guns, Germs, And Steel”
  • Rhetorical Analysis of “Forty Rules of Love”
  • “The Host” Summary“
  • The Kite Runner” Summary and Analysis

How to Choose a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topic?

When you choose the topic for the rhetorical analysis essay, you should follow some tips. Also, save yourself from selecting a bad essay topic. For your help, we gathered some tips that will make your topic selection phase easy.

  • Choose an interesting rhetorical question that has the scope of research or writing.
  • Brainstorm the essay topic ideas.
  • Pick the one that grabs the reader’s attention.
  • You have little information about the topic.
  • Select the topic by knowing the opposing viewpoints.
  • Consult your professor and get guidance from them for your topic.
  • Know the target audience’s interests and choices.
  • Collect information about the rhetorical devices that you can discuss in the essay.
  • Determine the rhetorical strategy.

We hope that the lists mentioned above will help you select your next rhetorical analysis topic. Therefore, choose the best one according to your interest and scope.

Are you still having trouble choosing your topic or writing your rhetorical analysis essay? Consult 5StarEssays.com . We are here for you round the clock and provide the best essay writing services.

Our qualified essay writers deliver high-quality work at the most affordable rates. You only have to request to write my essay and our writers are ready to help you.

So, place your order now and free yourself from the stress of strict deadlines and poor grades.

Betty P.

Betty is a freelance writer and researcher. She has a Masters in literature and enjoys providing writing services to her clients. Betty is an avid reader and loves learning new things. She has provided writing services to clients from all academic levels and related academic fields.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

3-minute read

  • 22nd August 2023

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of academic writing that analyzes how authors use language, persuasion techniques , and other rhetorical strategies to communicate with their audience. In this post, we’ll review how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, including:

  • Understanding the assignment guidelines
  • Introducing your essay topic
  • Examining the rhetorical strategies
  • Summarizing your main points

Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to rhetorical analysis.

What Is a Rhetorical Strategy?

A rhetorical strategy is a deliberate approach or technique a writer uses to convey a message and/or persuade the audience. A rhetorical strategy typically involves using language, sentence structure, and tone/style to influence the audience to think a certain way or understand a specific point of view. Rhetorical strategies are especially common in advertisements, speeches, and political writing, but you can also find them in many other types of literature.

1.   Understanding the Assignment Guidelines

Before you begin your rhetorical analysis essay, make sure you understand the assignment and guidelines. Typically, when writing a rhetorical analysis, you should approach the text objectively, focusing on the techniques the author uses rather than expressing your own opinions about the topic or summarizing the content. Thus, it’s essential to discuss the rhetorical methods used and then back up your analysis with evidence and quotations from the text.

2.   Introducing Your Essay Topic

Introduce your essay by providing some context about the text you’re analyzing. Give a brief overview of the author, intended audience, and purpose of the writing. You should also clearly state your thesis , which is your main point or argument about how and why the author uses rhetorical strategies. Try to avoid going into detail on any points or diving into specific examples – the introduction should be concise, and you’ll be providing a much more in-depth analysis later in the text.

3.   Examining the Rhetorical Strategies

In the body paragraphs, analyze the rhetorical strategies the author uses. Here are some common rhetorical strategies to include in your discussion:

●  Ethos : Establishing trust between the writer and the audience by appealing to credibility and ethics

●  Pathos : Appealing to the audience’s emotions and values

●  Logos : Employing logic, reason, and evidence to appeal to the reader

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●  Diction : Deliberately choosing specific language and vocabulary

●  Syntax : Structuring and arranging sentences in certain ways

●  Tone : Conveying attitude or mood in certain ways

●  Literary Devices : Using metaphors, similes, analogies , repetition, etc.

Keep in mind that for a rhetorical analysis essay, you’re not usually required to find examples of all of the above rhetorical strategies. But for each one you do analyze, consider how it contributes to the author’s purpose, how it influences the audience, and what emotions or thoughts it could evoke in the reader.

4.   Summarizing Your Main Points

In your conclusion , sum up the main points of your analysis and restate your thesis. Without introducing any new points (such as topics or ideas you haven’t already covered in the main body of your essay), summarize the overall impact that the author’s rhetorical strategies likely had on their intended audience.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay–Examples & Template

topics for rhetorical analysis essay

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

A rhetorical analysis essay is, as the name suggests, an analysis of someone else’s writing (or speech, or advert, or even cartoon) and how they use not only words but also rhetorical techniques to influence their audience in a certain way. A rhetorical analysis is less interested in what the author is saying and more in how they present it, what effect this has on their readers, whether they achieve their goals, and what approach they use to get there. 

Its structure is similar to that of most essays: An Introduction presents your thesis, a Body analyzes the text you have chosen, breaks it down into sections and explains how arguments have been constructed and how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section sums up your evaluation. 

Note that your personal opinion on the matter is not relevant for your analysis and that you don’t state anywhere in your essay whether you agree or disagree with the stance the author takes.

In the following, we will define the key rhetorical concepts you need to write a good rhetorical analysis and give you some practical tips on where to start.

Key Rhetorical Concepts

Your goal when writing a rhetorical analysis is to think about and then carefully describe how the author has designed their text so that it has the intended effect on their audience. To do that, you need to consider a number of key rhetorical strategies: Rhetorical appeals (“Ethos”, “Logos”, and “Pathos”), context, as well as claims, supports, and warrants.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were introduced by Aristotle, way back in the 4th century BC, as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience. They still represent the basis of any rhetorical analysis and are often referred to as the “rhetorical triangle”. 

These and other rhetorical techniques can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify the concepts they are based on.

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical appeal #1: ethos.

Ethos refers to the reputation or authority of the writer regarding the topic of their essay or speech and to how they use this to appeal to their audience. Just like we are more likely to buy a product from a brand or vendor we have confidence in than one we don’t know or have reason to distrust, Ethos-driven texts or speeches rely on the reputation of the author to persuade the reader or listener. When you analyze an essay, you should therefore look at how the writer establishes Ethos through rhetorical devices.

Does the author present themselves as an authority on their subject? If so, how? 

Do they highlight how impeccable their own behavior is to make a moral argument? 

Do they present themselves as an expert by listing their qualifications or experience to convince the reader of their opinion on something?

Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos

The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a “good cause”. To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories, and employ vivid imagery so that the reader can imagine themselves in a certain situation and feel empathy with or anger towards others.

Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos

Logos, the “logical” appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic texts, as should anyone’s reputation, beliefs, or personal opinions. 

Text and Context

To analyze a piece of writing, a speech, an advertisement, or even a satirical drawing, you need to look beyond the piece of communication and take the context in which it was created and/or published into account. 

Who is the person who wrote the text/drew the cartoon/designed the ad..? What audience are they trying to reach? Where was the piece published and what was happening there around that time? 

A political speech, for example, can be powerful even when read decades later, but the historical context surrounding it is an important aspect of the effect it was intended to have. 

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

To make any kind of argument, a writer needs to put forward specific claims, support them with data or evidence or even a moral or emotional appeal, and connect the dots logically so that the reader can follow along and agree with the points made.

The connections between statements, so-called “warrants”, follow logical reasoning but are not always clearly stated—the author simply assumes the reader understands the underlying logic, whether they present it “explicitly” or “implicitly”. Implicit warrants are commonly used in advertisements where seemingly happy people use certain products, wear certain clothes, accessories, or perfumes, or live certain lifestyles – with the connotation that, first, the product/perfume/lifestyle is what makes that person happy and, second, the reader wants to be as happy as the person in the ad. Some warrants are never clearly stated, and your job when writing a rhetorical analysis essay is therefore to identify them and bring them to light, to evaluate their validity, their effect on the reader, and the use of such means by the writer/creator. 

bust of plato the philosopher, rhetorical analysis essay

What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?

A “rhetorical situation” refers to the circumstance behind a text or other piece of communication that arises from a given context. It explains why a rhetorical piece was created, what its purpose is, and how it was constructed to achieve its aims.

Rhetorical situations can be classified into the following five categories:

Asking such questions when you analyze a text will help you identify all the aspects that play a role in the effect it has on its audience, and will allow you to evaluate whether it achieved its aims or where it may have failed to do so.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Analyzing someone else’s work can seem like a big task, but as with every assignment or writing endeavor, you can break it down into smaller, well-defined steps that give you a practical structure to follow. 

To give you an example of how the different parts of your text may look when it’s finished, we will provide you with some excerpts from this rhetorical analysis essay example (which even includes helpful comments) published on the Online Writing Lab website of Excelsior University in Albany, NY. The text that this essay analyzes is this article on why one should or shouldn’t buy an Ipad. If you want more examples so that you can build your own rhetorical analysis template, have a look at this essay on Nabokov’s Lolita and the one provided here about the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s writing instruction book “Bird by Bird”.

Analyzing the Text

When writing a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose the concepts or key points you think are relevant or want to address. Rather, you carefully read the text several times asking yourself questions like those listed in the last section on rhetorical situations to identify how the text “works” and how it was written to achieve that effect.

Start with focusing on the author : What do you think was their purpose for writing the text? Do they make one principal claim and then elaborate on that? Or do they discuss different topics? 

Then look at what audience they are talking to: Do they want to make a group of people take some action? Vote for someone? Donate money to a good cause? Who are these people? Is the text reaching this specific audience? Why or why not?

What tone is the author using to address their audience? Are they trying to evoke sympathy? Stir up anger? Are they writing from a personal perspective? Are they painting themselves as an authority on the topic? Are they using academic or informal language?

How does the author support their claims ? What kind of evidence are they presenting? Are they providing explicit or implicit warrants? Are these warrants valid or problematic? Is the provided evidence convincing?  

Asking yourself such questions will help you identify what rhetorical devices a text uses and how well they are put together to achieve a certain aim. Remember, your own opinion and whether you agree with the author are not the point of a rhetorical analysis essay – your task is simply to take the text apart and evaluate it.

If you are still confused about how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, just follow the steps outlined below to write the different parts of your rhetorical analysis: As every other essay, it consists of an Introduction , a Body (the actual analysis), and a Conclusion .

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The Introduction section briefly presents the topic of the essay you are analyzing, the author, their main claims, a short summary of the work by you, and your thesis statement . 

Tell the reader what the text you are going to analyze represents (e.g., historically) or why it is relevant (e.g., because it has become some kind of reference for how something is done). Describe what the author claims, asserts, or implies and what techniques they use to make their argument and persuade their audience. Finish off with your thesis statement that prepares the reader for what you are going to present in the next section – do you think that the author’s assumptions/claims/arguments were presented in a logical/appealing/powerful way and reached their audience as intended?

Have a look at an excerpt from the sample essay linked above to see what a rhetorical analysis introduction can look like. See how it introduces the author and article , the context in which it originally appeared , the main claims the author makes , and how this first paragraph ends in a clear thesis statement that the essay will then elaborate on in the following Body section:

Cory Doctorow ’s article on BoingBoing is an older review of the iPad , one of Apple’s most famous products. At the time of this article, however, the iPad was simply the latest Apple product to hit the market and was not yet so popular. Doctorow’s entire career has been entrenched in and around technology. He got his start as a CD-ROM programmer and is now a successful blogger and author. He is currently the co-editor of the BoingBoing blog on which this article was posted. One of his main points in this article comes from Doctorow’s passionate advocacy of free digital media sharing. He argues that the iPad is just another way for established technology companies to control our technological freedom and creativity . In “ Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (and Think You Shouldn’t, Either) ” published on Boing Boing in April of 2010, Cory Doctorow successfully uses his experience with technology, facts about the company Apple, and appeals to consumer needs to convince potential iPad buyers that Apple and its products, specifically the iPad, limit the digital rights of those who use them by controlling and mainstreaming the content that can be used and created on the device . 

Doing the Rhetorical Analysis

The main part of your analysis is the Body , where you dissect the text in detail. Explain what methods the author uses to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience. Use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the other key concepts we introduced above. Use quotations from the essay to demonstrate what you mean. Work out why the writer used a certain approach and evaluate (and again, demonstrate using the text itself) how successful they were. Evaluate the effect of each rhetorical technique you identify on the audience and judge whether the effect is in line with the author’s intentions.

To make it easy for the reader to follow your thought process, divide this part of your essay into paragraphs that each focus on one strategy or one concept , and make sure they are all necessary and contribute to the development of your argument(s).

One paragraph of this section of your essay could, for example, look like this:

One example of Doctorow’s position is his comparison of Apple’s iStore to Wal-Mart. This is an appeal to the consumer’s logic—or an appeal to logos. Doctorow wants the reader to take his comparison and consider how an all-powerful corporation like the iStore will affect them. An iPad will only allow for apps and programs purchased through the iStore to be run on it; therefore, a customer must not only purchase an iPad but also any programs he or she wishes to use. Customers cannot create their own programs or modify the hardware in any way. 

As you can see, the author of this sample essay identifies and then explains to the reader how Doctorow uses the concept of Logos to appeal to his readers – not just by pointing out that he does it but by dissecting how it is done.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

The conclusion section of your analysis should restate your main arguments and emphasize once more whether you think the author achieved their goal. Note that this is not the place to introduce new information—only rely on the points you have discussed in the body of your essay. End with a statement that sums up the impact the text has on its audience and maybe society as a whole:

Overall, Doctorow makes a good argument about why there are potentially many better things to drop a great deal of money on instead of the iPad. He gives some valuable information and facts that consumers should take into consideration before going out to purchase the new device. He clearly uses rhetorical tools to help make his case, and, overall, he is effective as a writer, even if, ultimately, he was ineffective in convincing the world not to buy an iPad . 

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetorical Analysis Essays 

What is a rhetorical analysis essay.

A rhetorical analysis dissects a text or another piece of communication to work out and explain how it impacts its audience, how successfully it achieves its aims, and what rhetorical devices it uses to do that. 

While argumentative essays usually take a stance on a certain topic and argue for it, a rhetorical analysis identifies how someone else constructs their arguments and supports their claims.

What is the correct rhetorical analysis essay format?

Like most other essays, a rhetorical analysis contains an Introduction that presents the thesis statement, a Body that analyzes the piece of communication, explains how arguments have been constructed, and illustrates how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section that summarizes the results of the analysis. 

What is the “rhetorical triangle”?

The rhetorical triangle was introduced by Aristotle as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience: Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, Ethos to the writer’s status or authority, and Pathos to the reader’s emotions. Logos, Ethos, and Pathos can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify what specific concepts each is based on.

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100 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Rhetorical analysis essay topics always stood out from other tasks of similar nature. There are many assignments students get at college, but this one is more difficult, largely because few people understand what it even means. Rhetorical analysis means writing an essay where you research a specific text or speech and determine what elements it contains to impact the audience.

These could be literary devices, plot, characterization, style, method of influence, and many other things. To write a good essay, you should understand what makes an author’s rhetoric effective, but even more importantly, you must choose an appropriate topic for your future analysis. The choice is vast, so it’s not an easy task, but fortunately, we have many interesting options you could choose from.

How to Pick Rhetorical Analysis Ideas

The first thing to know is that any topic you select must resonate with your believes in particular. Sure, it has to have academic value — one cannot just write whatever comes into their mind, but your own interest is almost equally important. If you think the text you’re analyzing is boring, you’ll never succeed with your essay. If you hate your chosen topic, there is actually a bigger chance of getting great results with it because you could always pick a negative stance, introducing an argument against the author’s usage of literary techniques. So, passion for the text is everything, whether it’s of positive or negative nature. Recall any works that affected you on some level and use them as the basis for your essay.

Another strategy for picking good topics for rhetorical analysis is to discuss it with friends or professors. They might not know your preferences, but they could give new ideas through their brainstorming. Doing research before you start working on assignment is also crucial. For example, you decided to analyze a short article written by an unknown writer, but you don’t entirely understand how rhetorical analysis works. You won’t be able to find other similar analyses available, so you’ll be stuck. If this is your first try, be sure to select an essay topic other people have already explored before — it’ll give an idea of how to proceed.

100 Rhetorical Analysis Topics List Developed for You

Still feeling uncertain? It’s not a problem, so there is no need to worry! Take a look at the list we’ve composed below. It has 100 topics you could use for your essay.

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Essays Topics

Let’s start with something you won’t have any problems with! Some texts are widely known, so finding research on them isn’t difficult.

  • What literary devices used in “Pride and Prejudice” turn this book into being so popular even now?
  • Literary tactics used within Wordsworth’s poems
  • What symbolism do Harry Potter’s green eyes have?
  • What makes TV Hannibal Lecter’s monologues influential?
  • Fox Mulder’s vs. Dana Scully’s modes of persuasion
  • How true love is depicted in cartoons to resonate with children?
  • Tone of TV Sherlock Holmes & Why he rubs people the wrong way
  • Why are King Arthur’s speeches inspiring within ‘Merlin’ TV show?
  • Describe setting of the Hunger Games & Explain what makes it gruesome
  • Explore choice of dresses in your favorite TV show & Explain what it implies

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Ideas For High School

Good rhetorical analysis essay topics for high school are also pretty easy. Here they are.

  • Frankenstein novel and movies: Their stylistic similarities and differences
  • Why is Ron Weasley less compelling character for many readers/viewers?
  • How setting in ‘Games of Thrones’ reflects its plot
  • Which elements help create the perfect setting in magical realism genre
  • Why are movies usually worse than books they are based on?
  • Harry Potter in the movies vs. books: Differences in portrayal
  • Elements within fiction that inspire fans to write fanfiction on its basis
  • Three stories by Kate Chopin – Their similarities in terms of stylistics
  • Why Romeo and Juliet are still known in our days?
  • Details about secondary characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Rhetorical Essay Prompts For College

How about rhetorical analysis example topics for college? They are a little more complicated, but it just makes them all the more interesting!

  • Your favorite Shakespeare’s poem & Why you like it
  • Role that color green plays in Twilight saga
  • Analyze appearance of vampires from Twilight vs. Interview with a Vampire
  • Compare movies based on Stephen King’s works versus his novels
  • Explore every chilling element in “The Birthmark” by Hawthorne
  • Choose your favorite novel and elaborate on how characters communicate in it
  • Soap operas & Why many people consider characters’ behavior in them exaggerated
  • Setting and conflict in Joyce’s “Ulysses”
  • Analyze the major conflict in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”
  • Elements of presidency and dictatorship within “Hunger Games”

Non-Fictional Ideas

Analyzing fiction is the most popular choice, but how about rhetorical essay topics on other kinds of works?

  • Trump’s least effective speech: Why was it not successful?
  • Obama’s introduction of new health policies: How did people react?
  • What tactics should ancient kings’ speeches follow to motivate their armies?
  • Surrender speech, its weaknesses & strengths
  • What elements should historical books have to be perceived as convincing?
  • Pathos in real-life stories written by survivors of tragic events
  • How to separate true accounts written by victims from fake ones?
  • Choose any article written by journalist and analyze its efficiency
  • Ethos in reports presented by medical personnel
  • Logos of arguments used by teachers to prove usefulness of their subjects to students

 Rhetorical Topics for Art and Culture

Creative topics for rhetorical analysis essay is something lots of students prefer.

  • Why is Mona Lisa’s smile considered elusive?
  • Painting that stopped you in your tracks
  • Most successful billboards ever created
  • Least effective billboards you have ever seen
  • Song that you consider the best representative of your culture
  • Advertisement that struck a chord with you
  • Can rap be considered American cultural heritage?
  • What makes known blogs popular?
  • Which elements help make a successful ad?
  • What design of an apartment could say about its owner

Ideas for Rhetorical Analysis Essay on Movies

Probably everyone likes movies. If so, these rhetoric topics might be your best pick.

  • Analyze actors’ performance in ‘Titanic’: Is it believable?
  • How do horror movies manage to scare their audience?
  • How fighting scenes in ‘Twilight’ look
  • ‘Saw’ movie: A mindless horror or a chilling thriller?
  • Which version of King Kong is better and why?
  • Analyze the oldest movie and techniques used in it for influencing audience.
  • Which Harry Potter movie is the worst in an entire franchise?
  • Compare versions of ‘Pride & Prejudice’ & State which one stays closest to the original
  • Can we consider “Jurassic Park” impressive in our days?
  • Compare Chinese action movies against American ones

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History Prompts

The past is fascinating, and these rhetorical analysis paper topics could help analyze it more deeply.

  • Pick an old historical figure & Analyze how they became known
  • Winston Churchill: His actions versus his words
  • What people thought about honesty in the past & How did they express it?
  • Why are many important historical documents locked away from the public?
  • Analyze reasons for WW2 based on available historical documents
  • How weddings were organized in the past & What do people do now to express their love?
  • What role symbolism played in Ancient Egypt?
  • People’s dreams of immortality and how they progressed over the years based on literature & art
  • Understanding how Syrian politics promoted war
  • Analyze setting in Troy and reasons that brought war into it

Advanced Rhetorical Ideas

If you like a challenge, check out these more difficult rhetorical essay topic ideas.

  • Portrayal of hope in three different works of art: How did their authors express it?
  • Value and meaning of food as presented in “Hunger Games”
  • What does the Stag man mean in TV show “Hannibal”?
  • Depictions of Mind Palace in “Sherlock” and “Hannibal”
  • Christmas in poor vs. rich families in literature: How are they portrayed?
  • Analyze every speech of Martin Luther King in regard to their effectiveness
  • How animals communicate within different literary works
  • Compare & Contrast leadership strategies of two historically relevant people
  • Why is Mother Teresa talked about still? Delve deeply into reasons
  • Pick two different ambitious people & Evaluate how they fought to realize these ambitions

Enjoy What You Write and Write What You Enjoy

We hope that our list of topics helped find good rhetorical analysis topics. Pick any idea and develop it into a unique essay. Personal involvement means a lot when it comes to analysis, especially of a rhetorical nature. Since it requires taking firm position on a subject, you should have an actual interest in it. Remember what stories you’ve read before, think about the last inspirational or funny speech, and you’re ready to go!

But if something else is bothering you and you don’t feel up to looking for topics for rhetorical analysis, let us know. We’ve been assisting students in different ways including essay, research paper of coursework writing service  for quite a while, so we could help figure out which theme to choose or even craft an essay in your stead. Explain your requirements, talk with your specialist, and get your essay done right by your deadline.

Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you

Want to write a winning essay but lack experience? Browse our free essay samples

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120 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

When examining a non-fiction piece of content, be it literature, advertising, media promotions, or some other element of the written word, the term rhetorical analysis essay may be used.

This essay format examines the creator’s intentions and techniques to persuade the audience of a particular course of action or a specific train of thought. The rhetorical analysis essay also looks at how this message is delivered from the standpoint of style and tone, as well as other elements, including statistics, facts, anecdotes, and figures.

In its simplest definition, a rhetorical analysis essay is an article that has been written to examine the effectiveness of a content creator’s techniques and whether those techniques reach the intended goal.

Beyond the strict formatting and stylistic writing elements mandatory for this type of essay writing, students may find themselves challenged to create a topic that is interesting and relevant to analyze.

However, this list of 120 rhetorical analysis essay topics along with a guide on the critical elements of writing a rhetorical analysis essay will ensure that every student assigned this task can complete it successfully.

A Guide to Writing an Effective Essay on Rhetoric

One definition of rhetoric refers to the art or system of writing and speaking that seeks to persuade or convince an audience using effective, productive techniques.

A rhetorical analysis essay examines Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos, to determine which was used most effectively.

Ethos examines an author’s character and credibility. In a rhetorical analysis essay, the writer must assess whether or not the author has established trustworthiness through personal appearance and lifestyle choices, as well as educational background and career accomplishments.

This element of rhetoric is also known as logic. It examines how effectively someone’s argument makes sense to an audience. This includes statistics, facts, figures, and other information meant to support a central thesis.

This element of rhetoric involves an author’s use of emotionally-charged language to sway the audience. This includes the use of anecdotes, analogies, humor, and other details that tug at the audience’s emotions as opposed to their logic or reasoning skills.

One or all of these elements may be used in a rhetorical analysis essay, but the writer needs to determine which was used most effectively.

How to Write a Rhetorical Essay?

When it comes to writing a rhetorical analysis essay, students will want to ensure that they cover the five aspects of a rhetorical situation:

The writer of any rhetorical analysis essay must determine the purpose of their message and whether or not it has been accomplished through their use of ethos, logos, and pathos in the target audience’s best interest.

2. Audience

The writer of a rhetorical analysis essay must also assess their audience and what that audience may understand or expect based on prior socialization and knowledge of the topic.

The writer of a rhetorical analysis essay must also determine what genre they are writing in, be it argumentative or expository. This dictates the type of information they will need to include in their essay and which elements of rhetoric they may focus on most effectively.

The writer of a rhetorical analysis essay must establish credibility and trustworthiness. This is done by establishing one’s ethos and refuting opposing arguments to show that their argument is the most logical and well-reasoned.

What are the means of persuasion used in the essay? The writer must establish credibility by using logical arguments and evidence to support their claims and separate themselves from the opposition through refutation and deflection.

Outlining a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Rather than try to write a rhetorical analysis essay from scratch, it’s best to create an outline of the main points that will need to be covered in the essay to ensure that the writing stays on track. Outlines should include:

  • Introduction – Designed to hook the reader by providing context and background information for the topic. This should also include a strong thesis that will be supported throughout the rest of the essay.
  • Body – Includes three to five paragraphs that support that thesis with logical arguments and empirical evidence.
  • Conclusion – A brief paragraph summarizes the main idea and relates it to the introduction for a nice clean finish. It should end with a powerful or thought-provoking statement of the overall impact of the non-fictional content being examined.

With the fundamentals of a rhetorical analysis essay above and the many rhetorical analysis essay topics below, students should be well equipped to write a stellar rhetorical analysis essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics About English & Literature

  • Shakespeare’s use imagery to support theme and mood in “Othello”
  • The impact of the narrator’s tone on meaning and tone in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
  • The use of foreshadowing in “Frankenstein”
  • How Shakespeare uses the dramatic structure to influence the meaning and tone of Romeo and Juliet
  • How Edgar Allan Poe builds suspense in The Tell-Tale Heart
  • The use of irony in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
  • Analyzing the mood created through imagery used in Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare
  • The effect of symbolism in “Catcher in the Rye”
  • How J. D. Salinger uses language to influence meaning and tone in The Catcher in the Rye
  • Analyzing how William Blake creates a mood through imagery in Auguries of Innocence
  • Menippean satire used in Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne
  • The use of symbolism in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
  • Disillusionment and cynicism encountered through dialogue and setting in The Great Gatsby
  • Irony used to reveal theme and tone in Animal Farm by George Orwell
  • How Louisa May Alcott establishes a mood and tone with descriptive language in “Little Women”
  • Analyzing symbolism throughout Hamlet by Shakespeare
  • The effect of setting on tone and mood in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • Language used to create a tone of alienation in 1984 by George Orwell
  • Foreshadowing in Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • Symbolism throughout The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • The effects of genetic modification on individuality in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  • A comparison of individualism vs. collectivism in novels “Fahrenheit 451” and The Giver by Lois Lowry
  • Genetic engineering’s impact on identity in Gattaca by Andrew Niccol
  • Impact of the dramatic structure on tone and mood in The Crucible, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • How Stephen Crane uses symbolism to develop theme and tone in his short story “The Open Boat”
  • The symbolism used to create atmosphere in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
  • The symbolism used to enhance tone and mood in Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • How Dr. Seuss uses word choice, imagery, and rhyme to create a tone of whimsy in Green Eggs and Ham
  • Analyzing the use of hyperbole throughout Animal Farm by George Orwell
  • A comparison of the tone and mood created in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “1984” by George Orwell
  • Use of symbolism to enhance theme in Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

Rhetorical Essay Topics About Famous Speeches

  • Rhetorical analysis of “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!”
  • The impact of King’s rhetorical strategies on the Civil Rights Movement
  • Rhetorical Analysis on Ronald Reagan Speech on Challenger Disaster
  • How does Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s rhetoric build tension to create an aura of despair for African Americans in his “I Have a Dream” speech?
  • Analyzing the impact of Winston Churchill’s rhetoric on England during World War II
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” Speech
  • How effective was Lincoln’s use of logos, ethos, and pathos in his Second Inaugural Address?
  • The influence of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Solitude of Self” speech on the women’s rights movement
  • The effectiveness of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address in creating a new generation of American citizens
  • How effective was Malcolm X’s “Message to the Grass Roots” speech in gaining black nationalistic pride?
  • How does JFK contribute to the Cold War rhetorical strategies used in his Address at American University?
  • Analysis on George W. Bush’s address to Congress after September 11, 2001
  • George H. W. Bush’s speech on the Gulf War being a New World Order
  • Analyzing Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech
  • Analyzing Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address as President of the United States
  • How does Barack Obama differ from Donald Trump in his use of rhetorical strategies?
  • What makes the most effective presidential inaugural address, and why do you believe so?
  • The use of inflection throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
  • Structure and content of the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
  • The effect of Taft’s “A Time for Action” speech on his campaign
  • How effective was Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” speech in ending World War I?
  • Presidential rhetoric used to push America into WWI, WWII, and Vietnam
  • Using a rhetorical analysis of a presidential speech to analyze the effectiveness of a president’s administration
  • Presidential rhetoric used to justify U.S. involvement in WWII
  • How effective was FDR’s use of pathos and ethos in his “Day of Infamy” speech?
  • Rhetorical analysis of President Reagan’s “Star Wars” speech and its effect on the Cold War
  • The effect of FDR’s “Four Freedoms” speech and whether it achieved its goal
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of President Nixon’s Vietnamization program

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics About T.V. & Film

  • How effective is the symbolism used in Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan?”
  • A rhetorical analysis of Andrew Niccol’s “Lord of War” film
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove”
  • The effectiveness of Spielberg’s incorporation of the Holocaust into his films through a rhetorical analysis
  • Rhetorical analysis on the symbolism in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
  • The symbolism used to create atmosphere in the opening scene of Ridley Scott’s “Alien”
  • Rhetorical Analysis of the symbolism in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar”
  • The effect on the Cold War brought about by Hans Zimmer’s score for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar
  • What is Spielberg trying to communicate about American values through his use of symbolism in E.T.?
  • A rhetorical analysis of the effectiveness of “The Hunger Games” film series in communicating its message to society
  • Rhetorical Analysis on Spielberg’s use of symbolism in “War Horse”
  • How does Pixar’s movie Up contribute to the discussion over euthanasia?
  • Rhetorical analysis on how Shrek communicates modern values through its story and symbolism
  • Using a rhetorical analysis to determine whether or not the symbolism in “300” is empowering for women
  • How does Tarantino’s use of violence contribute to his films’ success?
  • The effect of negative imagery as used by Tyler Perry within the opening scene of “For Colored Girls.”
  • The impact on society from Quentin Tarantino’s use of violence within his films
  • The effect on society from the impact Quentin Tarantino’s use of violence has had on Hollywood.
  • Analysis of how effective it is for Tyler Perry to include dialogue and monologue within his films
  • How does the opening scene of “12 Years a Slave” contribute to the discussion about race relations in America?
  • A rhetorical analysis of Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue in “Pulp Fiction”
  • The effect that the symbolism in David Fincher’s “Fight Club” film has on society
  • How does art house director Terrence Malick communicate the effects of war through a rhetorical analysis of his film, The Thin Red Line?
  • Rhetorical Analysis on Terrence Malick’s use of symbolism in “The Thin Red Line”
  • Rhetorical analysis of Quentin Tarantino’s view on violence as communicated through his films
  • Analyzing the impact that the film, American Sniper, had on society regarding the War on Terror
  • Analyzing how effective David Fincher is at directing horror films through a rhetorical analysis of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
  • A rhetorical analysis of Tarantino’s dialogue in Django Unchained and its effect on race relations in America
  • The effectiveness of David Fincher’s use of violence as a plot device in “Gone Girl”

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics About Advertising & Marketing

  • How does the symbolism in Apple’s 1984 commercial influence its effectiveness?
  • A rhetorical analysis of Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad, “Halftime in America”
  • The symbolism used to communicate ideas about marriage in Nike’s 2013 commercial, “The Next Wave”
  • The effect that the symbolisms used in Nike’s “Unlimited” commercial have on society
  • How does Honda use rhetoric to influence the American public through its Fitnation campaign?
  • Analyzing Adidas’ World Cup 2014 ad and how it works to sell Germany as a nation of winners.
  • Using a rhetorical analysis to determine what effect the symbolism used in Nike’s “I am Tiger Woods” commercial has on society
  • A rhetorical analysis of how the strategy used by Beats by Dre in their #HearWhatYouWant campaign works to influence the public
  • A rhetorical analysis of the effectiveness for McDonald’s in its “I’m Lovin’ it” campaign
  • Analyzing how Skittles uses symbolism in its commercial entitled, “#TasteTheRainbow.”
  • A rhetorical analysis of Burger King’s use of a social media hashtag, #EatLikeAndy to market its product.
  • The effectiveness of the symbolism used in Adidas’ “All In For #BETRUE” campaign
  • Analyzing how effective Burger King’s use of social media was in their “Whopper Sacrifice” campaign
  • The effect that the use of Sean Bean as a spokesperson has on Samsung’s product, Galaxy Note 3.
  • How effective is Red Bull at using symbolism to market its product?

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics About Arts & Entertainment

  • Analysis of how effective Iggy Pop is as a frontman in the music video “The Passenger”
  • Rhetorical analysis on what makes Nirvana’s performance in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” so significant and influential
  • A rhetorical analysis of Jay-Z’s use of symbolism, imagery, and irony to communicate ideas in his music video for “Big Pimpin”
  • An analysis of how effective Tupac’s use of symbolism and rhetoric was in “Brenda’s Got a Baby” to communicate what life was like for African American women.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of Kendrick Lamar’s use of language and metaphor in his song, “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
  • Rhetorical analysis on the symbolism and irony present in Jay-Z’s music video “99 Problems”
  • The use of irony found in Beyonce’s song, “Partition”
  • Analyzing how effective U2 was at using lyrics to communicate ideas about politics and justice.
  • How does director David Lynch communicate violence and evil through a rhetorical analysis of his film, Blue Velvet?
  • The effectiveness of Tupac’s use of irony and symbolism in his song, “Changes”
  • A rhetorical analysis on how effective Antonio Canova was at communicating ideas about the past through a statue commissioned by Napoleon.
  • How does Van Gogh’s Starry Night communicate ideas about the interaction between light, darkness, and the world as a whole?
  • A rhetorical analysis of how effective Prometheus Rising is at communicating its point through symbolism and irony.
  • How effective is The Beatles’ song “Eleanor Rigby” at using symbolism to make its point about life and loneliness?
  • An analysis of Iron Maiden’s music video for “Number of the Beast” and how it works to communicate its point through symbolism and imagery.
  • A rhetorical analysis on the effectiveness of using sexuality as a plot device in “Pretty Woman.”
  • A rhetorical analysis on the use of irony and humor that is found in Miley Cyrus’ song, “We Can’t Stop.”

Rhetorical essays can effectively teach students how to analyze, understand and separate rhetorical elements of writing, speaking, and presenting the material. Be sure to combine these essay topics with the writing guide above to ensure that you get the grade you need on your rhetorical essay to pass your course and earn a degree.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis: Full Guide

topics for rhetorical analysis essay

Have you ever been completely fascinated by a speech or ad, wondering how it managed to convince you so effectively? From powerful political speeches to catchy commercials, persuasion is all around us, shaping our thoughts and choices every day.

In this guide, we'll explain all about a rhetorical analysis essay. We'll break down the clever tricks writers and speakers use to win over their audience, like how they choose their words carefully and play with our emotions. This article will give you the tools you need to understand and analyze texts more deeply. So, let’s jump right in and start by understanding the nature of this assignment first.

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of essay where you examine how authors or speakers use words, phrases, and other techniques to influence or persuade their audience. This type of essay focuses on analyzing the strategies used by the writer or speaker to achieve their purpose, whether it's to inform, persuade, entertain, or provoke.

You'll dissect the text or speech into its components, looking at how each part contributes to the overall message. This might involve examining the introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, evidence, and conclusion.

Once you've identified the strategies used, you'll assess their effectiveness in achieving the author's or speaker's purpose. This involves considering the intended audience, context, and the impact of the communication.

As per our essay writing service , some common topics for rhetorical analysis include analyzing speeches by influential leaders, dissecting political advertisements, or examining the rhetoric used in literary works.

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Rhetorical Analysis Topic Ideas

Now that we've grasped the essence of a rhetorical analysis essay let's explore some potential topics you might consider for your own analysis. Here are 15 specific ideas to get you started:

  • The Use of Metaphors in Barack Obama's 'Yes We Can' Speech
  • Visual Rhetoric in Dove's 'Real Beauty' Advertising Campaign
  • The Role of Irony in Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'
  • The Manipulation of Emotions in Coca-Cola's 'Share a Coke' Campaign
  • The Repetition Technique in Winston Churchill's 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' Speech
  • The Argument Structure in Michelle Obama's Speech on Education
  • The Use of Imagery in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'
  • Gender Stereotypes in Old Spice's 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' Ad
  • Satirical Elements in George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'
  • The Influence of Tone in Greta Thunberg's Climate Change Speeches
  • Political Symbolism in Banksy's Street Art
  • Humor as Persuasion in Ellen DeGeneres' Stand-Up Comedy
  • The Power of Silence in Emma Watson's UN Speech on Gender Equality
  • Ethical Appeals in ASPCA's Animal Rights Advertisements
  • The Cultural References in Super Bowl Commercials: A Case Study

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Understanding how to start a rhetorical analysis essay involves dissecting a piece of communication to learn how it works and what effect it aims to achieve. This analytical process typically includes five paragraphs and three main parts: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Below, our analytical essay writing service will explain each in more detail

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Major Rhetorical Elements

Before heading towards the analysis process, it's essential to grasp some key rhetorical concepts that will help guide your examination of the text or speech. These concepts provide a framework for understanding how authors and speakers use language to persuade and influence their audience.

Ethos, pathos logos in rhetorical analysis form the foundation of persuasive communication and are often intertwined in rhetorical strategies. Ethos refers to the credibility or authority of the speaker or author. Pathos involves appealing to the audience's emotions, while logos appeals to reason and logic.

There are also other rhetorical devices that are specific techniques or patterns of language used to convey meaning or evoke particular responses. Examples include metaphor, simile, imagery, irony, repetition, and hyperbole. Recognizing and analyzing these devices can provide insight into the author's intended message and its impact on the audience.

Tone and mood also play crucial roles in shaping the audience's perception and response to the communication. Tone refers to the author's attitude toward the subject matter, while mood describes the emotional atmosphere created by the text.

Whether you ask us - write my essay , or tackle the task yourself, familiarizing yourself with these concepts will help you analyze the text and persuade the audience more effectively.

Understanding Rhetorical Appeals

Understanding Rhetorical Appeals

First off, what is ethos in rhetorical analysis? Well, it revolves around establishing the credibility and authority of the speaker or author. This appeal seeks to convince the audience that the communicator is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and reliable. Ethos in rhetorical analysis can be built through various means, including:

  • Professional Credentials : Demonstrating expertise in the subject matter through relevant qualifications or experience.
  • Personal Character : Highlighting traits such as honesty, integrity, and sincerity to engender trust and respect.
  • Association : Aligning oneself with respected individuals, institutions, or causes to enhance credibility by association.

For instance, in a health-related speech, a doctor might leverage their medical expertise and professional experience (credentials) to establish ethos. Similarly, a celebrity endorsing a product is using their fame and reputation (association) to persuade consumers.

Now, let's understand what is pathos in rhetorical analysis. Pathos involves appealing to the audience's emotions, aiming to evoke feelings such as empathy, sympathy, joy, anger, or fear. This emotional connection can be a powerful tool for persuasion, as it resonates with the audience on a personal level. Strategies for employing pathos in rhetorical analysis include:

  • Vivid Imagery : Painting a vivid picture or narrative that elicits strong emotional responses from the audience.
  • Anecdotes : Sharing personal stories or anecdotes that evoke empathy or sympathy and make the message more relatable.
  • Language Choice : Using emotive language, sensory details, and rhetorical devices to evoke specific emotional reactions.

For example, in a charity advertisement for children in need, images of impoverished and suffering children coupled with heart-wrenching stories (anecdotes) are used to evoke feelings of compassion and a desire to help.

Lastly, what is logos in rhetorical analysis, you may ask. It appeals to reason and logic, aiming to persuade the audience through rational argumentation and evidence. This appeal relies on facts, statistics, logical reasoning, and sound arguments to convince the audience of the validity of the message. Strategies for employing logos in rhetorical analysis include:

  • Factual Evidence : Providing empirical data, research findings, or expert opinions to support the argument.
  • Logical Reasoning : Presenting a well-structured argument with clear premises and conclusions that logically follow one another.
  • Counterarguments : Addressing potential counterarguments and refuting them with logical reasoning and evidence.

For instance, in a persuasive essay advocating for environmental conservation, the author might present scientific data on climate change (factual evidence) and use logical reasoning to explain the consequences of inaction.

Text and Context

Text analysis involves closely examining the language, structure, and rhetorical devices employed within the communication. This includes identifying key themes, rhetorical appeals, persuasive strategies, and stylistic elements used by the author or speaker to convey their message.

For example, in a political speech advocating for healthcare reform, text analysis might involve identifying the use of rhetorical appeals such as ethos (e.g., highlighting the speaker's experience in healthcare policy), pathos (e.g., sharing anecdotes of individuals struggling with medical costs), and logos (e.g., presenting statistics on healthcare affordability).

Contextual analysis involves considering the broader social, cultural, and historical factors that shape communication and influence its reception. This includes examining the audience demographics, the political and cultural climate, the historical events surrounding the communication, and any relevant societal norms or values.

For instance, when analyzing a historical speech advocating for civil rights, contextual research paper writers might involve considering the social and political context of the time, including prevailing attitudes towards race, ongoing civil rights movements, and recent legislative developments.

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

A claim is a statement or assertion that the author or speaker is advocating for or seeking to prove. Claims can take various forms, including factual claims (assertions of fact), value claims (judgments about what is good or bad), and policy claims (proposals for action). For example, in an argumentative essay about the importance of exercise, the claim might be that regular physical activity is essential for maintaining good health.

Supports are the evidence, reasoning, or examples provided to substantiate and strengthen the claims being made. Supports can take many forms, including empirical data, expert testimony, personal anecdotes, logical reasoning, and analogies. The quality and relevance of the supports provided play a critical role in the persuasiveness of the argument.

Continuing with the example of the argumentative essay about exercise, supports might include scientific studies demonstrating the health benefits of physical activity, testimonials from fitness experts, and personal stories of individuals who have experienced positive changes from incorporating exercise into their routine.

Warrants are the underlying assumptions or principles that connect the supports to the claims. They provide the reasoning or justification for why the supports are relevant and valid evidence for supporting the claims. Warrants are often implicit rather than explicit and require careful analysis to uncover. In the context of the essay on exercise, the warrant connecting the supports to the claim might be the assumption that actions that promote good health are inherently valuable and worthy of pursuit.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Whether you opt for the option to buy essay or start writing it yourself, it's important to use a clear plan to organize your thoughts well. This plan usually includes four main steps, each looking at different parts of your analysis.

Analyzing the Text

Before writing a rhetorical analysis, take the time to thoroughly analyze the text you'll be examining. This means more than just skimming through it; it requires a thorough understanding of its subtleties and complexities. Here are some questions to guide your analysis:

  • How does the text try to sway its audience? What methods does it use to convince or influence them?
  • Which rhetorical appeals—ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), logos (logic)—does the author use, and how do they contribute to the overall argument?
  • What specific rhetorical devices and strategies does the author employ to effectively convey their message? Are there any patterns or recurring motifs?
  • How does the structure of the text contribute to its persuasive power or overall impact?
  • Are there any cultural, historical, or contextual factors that influence how the text is perceived or understood?

By scrutinizing the text in this manner, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how it functions and the techniques employed by the author to achieve their desired effect.

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for your analysis by providing essential context and framing the discussion. Start by introducing the text you're analyzing, including the author's name and the title of the work. Provide some background information to give context to your analysis. For example, if you're analyzing a speech, mention the occasion or event where it was delivered.

Next, summarize the main arguments or claims made by the author. Highlight the rhetorical techniques they use to persuade their audience. Are they appealing to logic, emotion, credibility, or a combination of these? Use specific examples from the text to illustrate these techniques discussed by our dissertation service .

For instance, if you're analyzing a speech on climate change, mention the speaker's expertise in environmental science to establish credibility. Summarize the key points they make about the consequences of inaction and the urgent need for change.

Finally, conclude your introduction with a clear thesis statement. This statement should encapsulate the main argument or purpose of your analysis.

Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraph

The body paragraphs form the crux of your analysis, where you delve into the details of the text and dissect its rhetorical strategies. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the text, such as the use of ethos, pathos, logos, or specific rhetorical devices.

Utilize Aristotle's rhetorical triangle and other key concepts introduced earlier to guide your analysis. Provide quotations or examples from the text to illustrate your points and explain why the author chose certain approaches. Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in achieving the author's goals and persuading the audience.

For instance, if you're discussing the use of pathos in a marketing campaign, analyze the emotional appeal of the imagery or language used and consider how it resonates with the target audience.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

In the conclusion, it's crucial to reinforce your main arguments and evaluate the author's effectiveness in achieving their goals, whether you're writing an MLA or APA essay format . Reflect on the overall impact of the text on both its immediate audience and society at large, underscoring the importance of your analysis.

Resist the temptation to introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Instead, draw upon the points you've already explored in the body of your essay to strengthen your analysis. Conclude with a poignant statement that resonates with your readers, encapsulating the essence of your interpretation and leaving a lasting impression. This final remark should tie together the threads of your analysis, leaving the reader with a deeper understanding of the text's rhetorical strategies and significance.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

In this section, you'll discover two essay samples that skillfully demonstrate the application of rhetorical analysis. These examples offer insightful insights into the effective use of rhetorical techniques in writing.

5 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Tips

Here are five focused tips that will help you lay a solid foundation for your examination.

  • Dissect Rhetorical Strategies : Break down the text to identify specific rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, or parallelism.
  • Evaluate Tone and Diction : Pay attention to the author's tone and word choice. Analyze how these elements contribute to the overall mood of the text.
  • Probe Ethos, Pathos, Logos : Explore how the author establishes credibility (ethos), evokes emotions (pathos), and employs logic (logos) to sway the audience.
  • Contextualize Historical Significance : Consider the historical, cultural, and social backdrop against which the text was written.
  • Craft a Structured Analysis : Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific rhetorical elements, and a conclusion that synthesizes your findings.

Final Words

As we near the end, it's important to analyze carefully whether you're examining a speech, an advertisement, or a story. Pay attention to the smart tactics that influence our thinking. It's all about revealing how we communicate and relate to one another. Ultimately, understanding rhetoric offers a fresh perspective on the world beyond just academic success.

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What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

How to structure a rhetorical analysis essay, how to write a rhetorical analysis essay.

Daniel Parker

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

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is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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How to write a rhetorical analysis

Rhetorical analysis illustration

What is a rhetorical analysis?

What are the key concepts of a rhetorical analysis, rhetorical situation, claims, supports, and warrants.

  • Step 1: Plan and prepare
  • Step 2: Write your introduction
  • Step 3: Write the body
  • Step 4: Write your conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions about rhetorical analysis

Related articles.

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion and aims to study writers’ or speakers' techniques to inform, persuade, or motivate their audience. Thus, a rhetorical analysis aims to explore the goals and motivations of an author, the techniques they’ve used to reach their audience, and how successful these techniques were.

This will generally involve analyzing a specific text and considering the following aspects to connect the rhetorical situation to the text:

  • Does the author successfully support the thesis or claims made in the text? Here, you’ll analyze whether the author holds to their argument consistently throughout the text or whether they wander off-topic at some point.
  • Does the author use evidence effectively considering the text’s intended audience? Here, you’ll consider the evidence used by the author to support their claims and whether the evidence resonates with the intended audience.
  • What rhetorical strategies the author uses to achieve their goals. Here, you’ll consider the word choices by the author and whether these word choices align with their agenda for the text.
  • The tone of the piece. Here, you’ll consider the tone used by the author in writing the piece by looking at specific words and aspects that set the tone.
  • Whether the author is objective or trying to convince the audience of a particular viewpoint. When it comes to objectivity, you’ll consider whether the author is objective or holds a particular viewpoint they want to convince the audience of. If they are, you’ll also consider whether their persuasion interferes with how the text is read and understood.
  • Does the author correctly identify the intended audience? It’s important to consider whether the author correctly writes the text for the intended audience and what assumptions the author makes about the audience.
  • Does the text make sense? Here, you’ll consider whether the author effectively reasons, based on the evidence, to arrive at the text’s conclusion.
  • Does the author try to appeal to the audience’s emotions? You’ll need to consider whether the author uses any words, ideas, or techniques to appeal to the audience’s emotions.
  • Can the author be believed? Finally, you’ll consider whether the audience will accept the arguments and ideas of the author and why.

Summing up, unlike summaries that focus on what an author said, a rhetorical analysis focuses on how it’s said, and it doesn’t rely on an analysis of whether the author was right or wrong but rather how they made their case to arrive at their conclusions.

Although rhetorical analysis is most used by academics as part of scholarly work, it can be used to analyze any text including speeches, novels, television shows or films, advertisements, or cartoons.

Now that we’ve seen what rhetorical analysis is, let’s consider some of its key concepts .

Any rhetorical analysis starts with the rhetorical situation which identifies the relationships between the different elements of the text. These elements include the audience, author or writer, the author’s purpose, the delivery method or medium, and the content:

  • Audience: The audience is simply the readers of a specific piece of text or content or printed material. For speeches or other mediums like film and video, the audience would be the listeners or viewers. Depending on the specific piece of text or the author’s perception, the audience might be real, imagined, or invoked. With a real audience, the author writes to the people actually reading or listening to the content while, for an imaginary audience, the author writes to an audience they imagine would read the content. Similarly, for an invoked audience, the author writes explicitly to a specific audience.
  • Author or writer: The author or writer, also commonly referred to as the rhetor in the context of rhetorical analysis, is the person or the group of persons who authored the text or content.
  • The author’s purpose: The author’s purpose is the author’s reason for communicating to the audience. In other words, the author’s purpose encompasses what the author expects or intends to achieve with the text or content.
  • Alphabetic text includes essays, editorials, articles, speeches, and other written pieces.
  • Imaging includes website and magazine advertisements, TV commercials, and the like.
  • Audio includes speeches, website advertisements, radio or tv commercials, or podcasts.
  • Context: The context of the text or content considers the time, place, and circumstances surrounding the delivery of the text to its audience. With respect to context, it might often also be helpful to analyze the text in a different context to determine its impact on a different audience and in different circumstances.

An author will use claims, supports, and warrants to build the case around their argument, irrespective of whether the argument is logical and clearly defined or needs to be inferred by the audience:

  • Claim: The claim is the main idea or opinion of an argument that the author must prove to the intended audience. In other words, the claim is the fact or facts the author wants to convince the audience of. Claims are usually explicitly stated but can, depending on the specific piece of content or text, be implied from the content. Although these claims could be anything and an argument may be based on a single or several claims, the key is that these claims should be debatable.
  • Support: The supports are used by the author to back up the claims they make in their argument. These supports can include anything from fact-based, objective evidence to subjective emotional appeals and personal experiences used by the author to convince the audience of a specific claim. Either way, the stronger and more reliable the supports, the more likely the audience will be to accept the claim.
  • Warrant: The warrants are the logic and assumptions that connect the supports to the claims. In other words, they’re the assumptions that make the initial claim possible. The warrant is often unstated, and the author assumes that the audience will be able to understand the connection between the claims and supports. In turn, this is based on the author’s assumption that they share a set of values and beliefs with the audience that will make them understand the connection mentioned above. Conversely, if the audience doesn’t share these beliefs and values with the author, the argument will not be that effective.

Appeals are used by authors to convince their audience and, as such, are an integral part of the rhetoric and are often referred to as the rhetorical triangle. As a result, an author may combine all three appeals to convince their audience:

  • Ethos: Ethos represents the authority or credibility of the author. To be successful, the author needs to convince the audience of their authority or credibility through the language and delivery techniques they use. This will, for example, be the case where an author writing on a technical subject positions themselves as an expert or authority by referring to their qualifications or experience.
  • Logos: Logos refers to the reasoned argument the author uses to persuade their audience. In other words, it refers to the reasons or evidence the author proffers in substantiation of their claims and can include facts, statistics, and other forms of evidence. For this reason, logos is also the dominant approach in academic writing where authors present and build up arguments using reasoning and evidence.
  • Pathos: Through pathos, also referred to as the pathetic appeal, the author attempts to evoke the audience’s emotions through the use of, for instance, passionate language, vivid imagery, anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response.

To write a rhetorical analysis, you need to follow the steps below:

With a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose concepts in advance and apply them to a specific text or piece of content. Rather, you’ll have to analyze the text to identify the separate components and plan and prepare your analysis accordingly.

Here, it might be helpful to use the SOAPSTone technique to identify the components of the work. SOAPSTone is a common acronym in analysis and represents the:

  • Speaker . Here, you’ll identify the author or the narrator delivering the content to the audience.
  • Occasion . With the occasion, you’ll identify when and where the story takes place and what the surrounding context is.
  • Audience . Here, you’ll identify who the audience or intended audience is.
  • Purpose . With the purpose, you’ll need to identify the reason behind the text or what the author wants to achieve with their writing.
  • Subject . You’ll also need to identify the subject matter or topic of the text.
  • Tone . The tone identifies the author’s feelings towards the subject matter or topic.

Apart from gathering the information and analyzing the components mentioned above, you’ll also need to examine the appeals the author uses in writing the text and attempting to persuade the audience of their argument. Moreover, you’ll need to identify elements like word choice, word order, repetition, analogies, and imagery the writer uses to get a reaction from the audience.

Once you’ve gathered the information and examined the appeals and strategies used by the author as mentioned above, you’ll need to answer some questions relating to the information you’ve collected from the text. The answers to these questions will help you determine the reasons for the choices the author made and how well these choices support the overall argument.

Here, some of the questions you’ll ask include:

  • What was the author’s intention?
  • Who was the intended audience?
  • What is the author’s argument?
  • What strategies does the author use to build their argument and why do they use those strategies?
  • What appeals the author uses to convince and persuade the audience?
  • What effect the text has on the audience?

Keep in mind that these are just some of the questions you’ll ask, and depending on the specific text, there might be others.

Once you’ve done your preparation, you can start writing the rhetorical analysis. It will start off with an introduction which is a clear and concise paragraph that shows you understand the purpose of the text and gives more information about the author and the relevance of the text.

The introduction also summarizes the text and the main ideas you’ll discuss in your analysis. Most importantly, however, is your thesis statement . This statement should be one sentence at the end of the introduction that summarizes your argument and tempts your audience to read on and find out more about it.

After your introduction, you can proceed with the body of your analysis. Here, you’ll write at least three paragraphs that explain the strategies and techniques used by the author to convince and persuade the audience, the reasons why the writer used this approach, and why it’s either successful or unsuccessful.

You can structure the body of your analysis in several ways. For example, you can deal with every strategy the author uses in a new paragraph, but you can also structure the body around the specific appeals the author used or chronologically.

No matter how you structure the body and your paragraphs, it’s important to remember that you support each one of your arguments with facts, data, examples, or quotes and that, at the end of every paragraph, you tie the topic back to your original thesis.

Finally, you’ll write the conclusion of your rhetorical analysis. Here, you’ll repeat your thesis statement and summarize the points you’ve made in the body of your analysis. Ultimately, the goal of the conclusion is to pull the points of your analysis together so you should be careful to not raise any new issues in your conclusion.

After you’ve finished your conclusion, you’ll end your analysis with a powerful concluding statement of why your argument matters and an invitation to conduct more research if needed.

A rhetorical analysis aims to explore the goals and motivations of an author, the techniques they’ve used to reach their audience, and how successful these techniques were. Although rhetorical analysis is most used by academics as part of scholarly work, it can be used to analyze any text including speeches, novels, television shows or films, advertisements, or cartoons.

The steps to write a rhetorical analysis include:

Your rhetorical analysis introduction is a clear and concise paragraph that shows you understand the purpose of the text and gives more information about the author and the relevance of the text. The introduction also summarizes the text and the main ideas you’ll discuss in your analysis.

Ethos represents the authority or credibility of the author. To be successful, the author needs to convince the audience of their authority or credibility through the language and delivery techniques they use. This will, for example, be the case where an author writing on a technical subject positions themselves as an expert or authority by referring to their qualifications or experience.

Appeals are used by authors to convince their audience and, as such, are an integral part of the rhetoric and are often referred to as the rhetorical triangle. The 3 types of appeals are ethos, logos, and pathos.

topics for rhetorical analysis essay

625 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics & Good Ideas

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Rhetorical analysis essay topics can revolve around a range of intriguing subject areas. They involve dissecting the persuasive methods employed by authors in their works, such as written texts, objects, sculptures, visuals, advertisements, arts, or speeches. Some themes may span from analyzing landmark political speeches to unraveling the rhetoric in renowned advertising campaigns. Topics also may delve into the rhetoric of iconic literature, dissecting the persuasive language techniques utilized by authors. Others probe into social media’s influence, critiquing the strategies influencers use to sway public opinion. Moreover, topics may explore historical documents or manifestos, scrutinizing the influential rhetoric in shaping societal views. As a result, rhetorical analysis essay topics allow students to improve their critical thinking skills, master the art of persuasion, and understand the impact of effective communication in molding societal perceptions.

Best Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Examining Metaphors in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”
  • Pathos and Humor: A Look at Satire in Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
  • Rhetoric in Political Speeches: Analysis of Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address
  • Influence of Persuasive Language in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
  • Orwellian Doublethink: Studying “1984” and its Rhetorical Devices
  • Decoding Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”: A Rhetorical Perspective
  • Unraveling Biblical Allusions in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”
  • Speech Patterns and Influence: Examining Hitler’s Rhetoric
  • Deconstructing the Rhetoric of Fear in McCarthy Era Propaganda
  • Inspirational Rhetoric in JFK’s Moon Speech: An Analysis
  • Breaking Down Patriotic Appeals in “Star Spangled Banner” Lyrics
  • Visual Rhetoric: Analyzing Iconic Photographs of the Vietnam War
  • Unpacking Anti-War Sentiments in Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est”
  • Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Rhetoric in Advertisements: Analyzing Nike’s “Just Do It” Campaign
  • Metaphorical Language in Emily Dickinson’s Poetry: A Rhetorical Study
  • Euphemisms and Political Correctness: A Rhetorical Analysis
  • Social Media Influence: Rhetorical Strategies in Influencer Marketing
  • Dissecting Irony in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”
  • Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”: Analyzing Antony’s Funeral Speech
  • Rhetorical Power in Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”
  • Analyzing Patriotic Appeals in the Lyrics of National Anthems

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics & Good Ideas

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Roles of Rhetoric in Advertising: The Case of Apple Inc.
  • Repetition and Rhetoric in Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred”
  • Manipulative Language: The Rhetoric of Cult Leaders
  • Propaganda Analysis: Rhetorical Techniques in World War II Posters
  • Visual Rhetoric in Political Cartoons: A Comprehensive Study
  • A Rhetorical Study of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”
  • Reviewing the Power of Silence: A Rhetorical Analysis of “A Quiet Place”
  • Persuasive Language in Health Campaigns: Rhetorical Analysis of “5 a Day”
  • J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” Series: A Study of Magical Rhetoric
  • Rhetorical Devices in Horror Films: The Case of “Psycho”
  • Rhetorical Elements in George Washington’s Farewell Address
  • Persuasion in Fashion Marketing: A Rhetorical Analysis
  • Studying Rhetoric in Social Movements: The Case of #MeToo
  • Rhetoric of Social Media Memes: A Linguistic Analysis
  • Rhetoric in Documentaries: Unraveling “An Inconvenient Truth”
  • Rhetoric in Graphic Novels: A Study of “Maus” by Art Spiegelman
  • “A Tale of Two Cities”: A Rhetorical Analysis of Dickens’ Narrative
  • Medical Rhetoric: Analyzing Pharmaceutical Advertisements
  • Dystopian Rhetoric: A Study of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”
  • The Art of War: A Rhetorical Analysis of Sun Tzu’s Tactics
  • Analyzing Pathos in Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”

Interesting Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Decoding the Rhetoric of Comic Strips: A Look at “Calvin and Hobbes”
  • Unveiling Rhetoric in Public Service Announcements: An Analysis
  • The Rhetoric of Children’s Books: A Study of Dr. Seuss
  • Analyzing Rhetorical Strategies in “Schindler’s List”
  • Iconic Advertisements: A Rhetorical Analysis of Coca-Cola’s Campaigns
  • Rhetorical Devices in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
  • Deconstructing Dramatic Irony in Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”
  • Rhetorical Strategies in Supreme Court Decisions: A Study
  • Revealing Environmental Rhetoric in Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”
  • Rhetoric in Self-Help Books: A Look at “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne
  • Analyzing Persuasion in Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”
  • Rhetoric in the Workplace: A Study of Corporate Communication
  • Unpacking Rhetoric in College Admission Essays: An Analysis
  • Rhetoric in Video Games: A Study of “The Last of Us”
  • Revealing Rhetoric in Pulitzer Prize-Winning News Articles
  • Decoding Rhetoric in Climate Change Reports: A Study
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Conspiracy Theories: A Case Study
  • Rhetoric in Infographics: A Comprehensive Analysis
  • The Rhetoric of Online Dating Profiles: An Analysis
  • Revealing Rhetoric in UN Speeches: A Look at Malala Yousafzai
  • The Power of Rhetoric in Comic-Con Panels: A Study
  • Rhetoric in Animation: A Look at Disney’s “Moana”

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for High School

  • Evaluating Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech: An Examination of Rhetoric
  • Rhetoric in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: A Comprehensive Analysis
  • Impacts of Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” Speech on World War II
  • Persuasion Techniques in John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: An Insight
  • Assessing the Rhetorical Power of Mahatma Gandhi’s “Quit India” Speech
  • Delving Into Susan B. Anthony’s Speech on Women’s Rights: A Rhetorical Analysis
  • Power and Persuasion: Analyzing Rhetoric in Nelson Mandela’s “I Am Prepared to Die” Speech
  • Speech Analysis: The Rhetoric of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address
  • Examining Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” Speech: A Study in Effective Rhetoric
  • Influence of Rhetoric in Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech
  • Dissecting the Persuasive Techniques in Theodore Roosevelt’s “Duties of American Citizenship” Speech
  • Elucidating Rhetoric in George W. Bush’s Post 9/11 Speech
  • Explicating the Impact of Rhetoric in Eleanor Roosevelt’s “The Struggle for Human Rights” Speech
  • The Rhetoric of Hope: A Study on Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nobel Lecture
  • Impacts of Rhetoric in Malala Yousafzai’s Speech to the United Nations
  • Deconstructing the Rhetoric in Maya Angelou’s “On the Pulse of Morning”
  • Rhetoric in Action: Analysis of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” Speech
  • Examining the Rhetorical Devices in Jimmy Carter’s “Crisis of Confidence” Speech
  • The Art of Persuasion: Analyzing Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “The Solitude of Self” Speech
  • Revealing the Power of Rhetoric in Angela Davis’s “On Violence” Speech
  • Rhetoric’s Roles in Indira Gandhi’s “True Liberation of Women” Speech

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Middle School

  • Dissecting Rhetoric in Dalai Lama’s Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize
  • The Rhetoric of Justice: A Study on Thurgood Marshall’s “Speech on the Constitution”
  • Articulating the Rhetoric in Vladimir Putin’s Munich Security Conference Speech
  • Rhetoric in Pablo Neruda’s Nobel Lecture: An Analysis
  • Elucidating Rhetoric in Hillary Clinton’s “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” Speech
  • Scrutinizing the Rhetorical Devices in Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” Speech
  • Investigating the Rhetoric in Vaclav Havel’s “The Power of the Powerless” Speech
  • The Rhetoric of Freedom: Analysis of Simon Bolivar’s “Cartagena Manifesto”
  • Unraveling Rhetoric in Emmeline Pankhurst’s “Freedom or Death” Speech
  • Assessing Rhetorical Strategies in Fidel Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” Speech
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric in Che Guevara’s “Message to the Tricontinental”
  • Reviewing the Rhetorical Techniques in Bill Clinton’s “I Have Sinned” Speech
  • Dissecting the Rhetoric in Emma Watson’s “HeForShe” Campaign Speech
  • Analyzing Rhetoric in Michelle Obama’s “When They Go Low, We Go High” Speech
  • The Rhetorical Power of J.K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Speech
  • Persuasion Techniques in Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address: An Analysis
  • Examining Rhetoric in Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” Speech
  • Elucidating the Rhetoric in Charles de Gaulle’s “Appeal of 18 June” Speech
  • Impacts and Analysis of Rhetoric in Benazir Bhutto’s “Democracy Is the Best Revenge” Speech
  • Rhetoric in Action: Examining Richard Nixon’s “Checkers” Speech
  • Unraveling the Power of Rhetoric in Dwight Eisenhower’s “Farewell” Speech
  • The Influence of Rhetoric in Desmond Tutu’s “We the People of South Africa” Speech

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for College Students

  • The Rhetoric and Power of Language in George Orwell’s “1984”
  • Examining Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech: A Rhetorical Analysis
  • How Does Shakespeare Utilize Rhetoric in “Julius Caesar”?
  • Use of Rhetoric in Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address
  • Analysis of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
  • Persuasive Techniques in John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech”
  • Evaluating Rhetoric in the Age of Social Media
  • The Impact of Rhetorical Devices in J.K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Address
  • Rhetoric and Reality in “Brave New World”
  • Impacts of Rhetorical Strategies in Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
  • Understanding the Rhetorical Power of Winston Churchill’s Speeches
  • The Role of Rhetoric in Advertising: An Analysis
  • Deconstructing the Rhetorical Elements in Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”
  • How Does Rhetoric Shape Public Opinion in Politics?
  • Rhetorical Strategies in Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”
  • The Rhetorical Purpose of Humor in Mark Twain’s Works
  • Analyzing Rhetorical Devices in “The Diary of Anne Frank”
  • The Rhetoric of Resistance in Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”
  • How Do “The Simpsons” Series Use Rhetoric to Satirize Contemporary Issues?
  • Influence of Rhetoric in Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”
  • Impacts of Rhetoric in Campaign Speeches and Its Effect on Voter Perception

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for University

  • “Harry Potter”: A Study in Rhetorical Analysis and Narrative Technique
  • Power of Rhetoric in Environmental Awareness Campaigns
  • The Rhetoric of Horror: An Analysis of Stephen King’s “The Shining”
  • Examining the Rhetorical Approach of Feminism in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”
  • Rhetorical Strategies Employed in “The Godfather” Movies
  • Understanding Rhetorical Techniques in Cult Recruitment
  • Analysis of the Rhetoric in Cybersecurity Debates
  • The Rhetoric of Rebellion in George R. R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones”
  • Roles of Rhetoric in the Anti-Vaccination Movement: An Analysis
  • The Art of Rhetoric in Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address
  • Use of Rhetoric in Hip-Hop Lyrics: A Study of Kendrick Lamar’s Music
  • Understanding the Rhetorical Power in Oprah Winfrey’s Speeches
  • Rhetoric and Symbolism in Banksy’s Artwork: An Analysis
  • Dissecting the Rhetoric of Manifestos: An Exploration
  • The Rhetoric of Space Exploration in Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Speeches
  • Analysis of Rhetorical Techniques in Climate Change Denial Arguments
  • Use of Rhetoric in TED Talks: A Case Study of Brene Brown’s Presentations
  • How Does “The Catcher in the Rye” Use Rhetoric to Discuss Adolescence?
  • Rhetorical Strategies in “The Fault in Our Stars” to Portray Tragedy
  • Rhetoric in Fashion: How Do Designers Communicate Through Clothing?
  • The Rhetoric of Protest: A Study of Greta Thunberg’s Speeches
  • Roles of Rhetoric in “Star Wars”: Persuasion in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Advertisements Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Social Awareness Through Advertising: Examining the Truth Anti-Smoking Campaign
  • Environmental Consciousness: A Rhetorical Analysis of Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Advertisement
  • Unveiling Beauty Standards: Decoding Calvin Klein’s “My Calvins” Campaign
  • Emotional Appeal in Advertising: Analyzing Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” Commercial
  • Redefining Luxury: Interpreting Chanel’s “Coco Mademoiselle” Advertisement
  • Inspiring Dreams: Dissecting the BMW “The Hire” Film Series
  • Empathy and Connection: Unpacking Google’s “Parisian Love” Advertisement
  • Breaking Barriers: A Rhetorical Analysis of Under Armour’s “I Will What I Want” Campaign
  • Capturing Adventure: Analyzing GoPro’s “Be a Hero” Advertisement
  • Social Impact through Storytelling: Decoding the P&G “Thank You, Mom” Campaign
  • Innovation and Technology: Examining IBM’s “Watson” Commercial
  • Unleashing Creativity: Interpreting Lego’s “Imagine” Ad Campaign
  • Bold and Fearless: Dissecting Red Bull’s “Gives You Wings” Slogan
  • Inspiring Philanthropy: Analyzing the Coca-Cola Foundation’s “It’s Beautiful” Advertisement
  • The Art of Storytelling: Unpacking John Lewis’ Christmas Advertisements
  • Raising Environmental Awareness: Decoding the Volkswagen “Think Small” Campaign
  • Authenticity and Self-Expression: Examining Levi’s “Live in Levi’s” Advertisements
  • Cultural Impact: Interpreting Nike’s “Kaepernick” Campaign
  • Emotional Resonance: Dissecting the Budweiser “Whassup?” Commercial
  • Empowering Youth: Analyzing Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” Ad Campaign
  • Inclusion and Acceptance: A Rhetorical Analysis of Coca-Cola’s “Pool Boy” Advertisement

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Cultural Manifestos

  • The Power of Artistic Manifestos: Catalysts for Cultural Movements
  • Exploring Rhetorical Strategies in Feminist Manifestos: Challenging Gender Norms
  • Decoding the Manifesto of Surrealism: Unlocking the Depths of the Subconscious
  • Analyzing Environmental Manifestos: Inspiring Ecological Consciousness
  • Revolutionary Language: Unveiling the Black Arts Movement Manifestos
  • Postcolonial Manifestos: Reclaiming Cultural Identity Through Rhetoric
  • LGBTQ+ Manifestos: Advocating for Equality and Acceptance
  • Analyzing Cyberpunk Culture: The Rhetoric of Subverting Technological Paradigms
  • Unpacking Indigenous Manifestos: Empowering Native Voices Through Rhetoric
  • Anti-Consumerism in Culture Jamming Manifestos: A Rhetorical Perspective
  • Pop Art Manifestos: Redefining Popular Culture Through Rhetoric
  • Hip Hop Manifestos: Empowering Marginalized Communities Through Rhetoric
  • Riot Grrrl Movement Manifestos: Amplifying Feminist Voices
  • Rhetorical Strategies in Dogme 95 Manifesto: Redefining Filmmaking Conventions
  • Unveiling Dada Manifestos: Embracing Chaos and Nihilism
  • Afrofuturism Manifestos: Imagining New Cultural Realities
  • Minimalism in Design Manifestos: Embracing Simplicity and Functionality
  • Beat Generation Writers’ Manifestos: Embracing Spontaneity and Nonconformity
  • Punk Manifestos: Channeling Anger and Rebellion
  • Postmodernist Manifestos: Challenging Grand Narratives

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Environmental Campaigns

  • The Impact of the “Save the Whales” Campaign on Global Marine Conservation
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of the “Keep America Beautiful” Anti-Littering Campaign
  • The Power of Greenpeace’s Rhetorical Strategies in the Fight Against Deforestation
  • Examining the Effectiveness of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” Slogan in Promoting Sustainability
  • Unveiling the Rhetorical Techniques of the “Go Green” Movement
  • Assessing the Language of the “Ban Plastic Bags” Campaign and Its Environmental Implications
  • The Influence of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” on Environmental Awareness
  • Analyzing the Rhetorical Impact of the “Ditch the Car, Go Green” Initiative
  • Rhetoric of the “Beyond Coal” Campaign and its Role in Promoting Renewable Energy
  • Examining the Effectiveness of the “Water Is Life” Campaign in Advocating for Clean Water Access
  • Unveiling the Rhetorical Strategies of the “Earth Hour” Movement and its Call for Energy Conservation
  • The Power of Indigenous Voices in Environmental Advocacy: A Case Study of the “Standing Rock” Campaign
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of the “Beyond Plastic” Initiative in Fighting Single-Use Plastics
  • The Rhetorical Techniques of the “Earth Day” Movement and Its Contributions to Environmental Awareness
  • Addressing the Language of the “Clean Air Act” and Its Impact on Air Pollution Control
  • The Influence of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” on the Environmental Movement
  • Analyzing the Rhetorical Impact of the “Save the Rainforests” Campaign in Biodiversity Conservation
  • Unveiling the Rhetorical Strategies of the “No More Straws” Initiative and Its Fight Against Plastic Waste
  • The Power of Visual Rhetoric in the “Before It’s Too Late” Climate Change Campaign

Funny Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Analyzing Humor in Charlie Chaplin’s Silent Films
  • Unwrapping the Absurdity in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”
  • Deconstructing the Wit in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”
  • Satirical Elements in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
  • Dissecting the Humor in “The Office”: A Study of Workplace Comedy
  • Lessons From “Looney Tunes”: Anthropomorphism and Absurdity
  • “Parks and Recreation”: A Study in Political Satire
  • Sarcasm and Social Commentary in “South Park”
  • Unveiling Irony in “The Big Bang Theory”
  • Dark Humor in Tim Burton’s Movies: A Case Study
  • Reading Between the Lines: Puns in Shakespeare’s Works
  • Humor in Comic Strips: A Critical Analysis of “Calvin and Hobbes”
  • Unraveling Humor in Classic “Tom and Jerry” Episodes
  • Laughter Behind “The Mask”: Jim Carrey’s Unique Comedy Style
  • Double Entendre and Innuendo in British Comedy Shows
  • Understanding Satire in ‘The Onion’ News Articles
  • Humor in Tragedy: An Analysis of Dark Comedy in “Breaking Bad”
  • Laughter in Horror: A Study of Comedy Elements in Stephen King’s Works
  • Humor in Advertising: Analysis of Old Spice Commercials
  • Paradox and Absurdity in Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
  • Elements of Humor in Superhero Comic Books: A Close Look at “Deadpool”

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Historical Documents

  • Founding Fathers’ Use of Persuasion in the Declaration of Independence
  • Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: A Call for Equality
  • Washington’s Farewell Address: Shaping America’s Foreign Policy
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats: Mobilizing the Nation in Crisis
  • Thomas Paine’s Common Sense: Propelling the American Revolution
  • Susan B. Anthony’s Speech on Women’s Suffrage: Empowering the Movement
  • John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: Instilling Hope and Unity
  • The Federalist Papers: Defending the US Constitution
  • Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech: Advocating for Gender and Racial Equality
  • Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points: Crafting a Vision for World Peace
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments”: Demanding Women’s Rights
  • The Gettysburg Address: Honoring the Fallen and Reaffirming the Nation’s Purpose
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Influencing the Abolitionist Movement
  • Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech: Challenging Soviet Authority
  • Elizabeth I’s “Tilbury Speech”: Encouraging English Troops against the Spanish Armada
  • The Seneca Falls Declaration: Propelling the Women’s Rights Movement
  • Nelson Mandela’s Rivonia Trial Speech: Defending Equality in South Africa
  • The Monroe Doctrine: Asserting US Influence in the Western Hemisphere
  • Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring: Igniting the Environmental Movement
  • The US Bill of Rights: Safeguarding Individual Liberties

Literary Works Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • The Role of Foreshadowing in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Understanding the Theme of Identity in Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man”
  • The Use of Alliteration in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”
  • Exploring the Symbolism of the Conch in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
  • The Rhetorical Effect of Repetition in Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
  • Analyzing the Role of Imagery in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”
  • Theme of Social Injustice in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities”
  • Literary Strategies in Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”
  • Analyzing the Use of Similes in Langston Hughes’ Poetry
  • Rhetorical Impact of Personification in William Shakespeare’s Sonnets
  • Understanding the Theme of Freedom in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”
  • Exploring the Symbolism of the Yellow Wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Story
  • The Figurative Devices Employed in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”
  • The Role of Irony in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
  • Investigating the Theme of Love in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
  • Rhetorical Effect of Hyperbole in Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”
  • Recognizing the Symbolism of the Mockingbird in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
  • Exploring the Theme of Power in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”
  • The Artistic Techniques in Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Marketing Campaigns

  • Analysis of the Impact: Nike’s “Just Do It” Campaign
  • Examining Rhetoric: Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign
  • Unveiling Persuasive Techniques: Apple’s “Think Different” Campaign
  • Decoding Messaging Strategies: Dove’s “Real Beauty” Initiative
  • Evaluating Effectiveness: Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Advertisements
  • Investigating Rhetorical Devices: Red Bull’s “Gives You Wings” Marketing Approach
  • Dissecting Emotional Appeal: Always’ “Like a Girl” Initiative
  • Unraveling Storytelling Techniques: Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere” Promotions
  • Analyzing Ethical Appeals: Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Messaging
  • Explaining Symbolic Language: McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” Advertising Campaign
  • Persuasive Strategies: Volkswagen’s “Think Small” Marketing Drive
  • Investigating Cultural Significance: Starbucks’ “Race Together” Initiative
  • Rhetorical Tactics in P&G’s “Thank You, Mom” Ad Campaign
  • Dissecting Humor and Wit: Geico’s “15 Minutes Could Save You 15% or More” Commercials
  • Unraveling the Message: Nike’s “Equality” Marketing Approach
  • Analyzing Visual Rhetoric: Pepsi’s “Live for Now” Advertising Strategy
  • Examining Social Commentary: Ben & Jerry’s “If It’s Melting, It’s Mishandling” Campaign
  • Investigating Storytelling Techniques: Airbnb’s “We Accept” Promotional Campaign
  • Scrutinizing Persuasive Appeals: Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” Marketing Drive
  • Emotional Impacts: Always’ “End Period Poverty” Initiative

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Movies

  • Captivating Portrayal: Analyzing the Character Development in “The Shawshank Redemption”
  • Cinematic Artistry: Evaluating the Visual Storytelling Techniques in “Inception”
  • Sociopolitical Commentary: Examining the Symbolism in “Get Out”
  • Emotional Impact: Decoding the Narrative Structure of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
  • Gender Dynamics: Unraveling the Power Dynamics in “Mad Max: Fury Road”
  • Psychological Depth: Scrutinizing the Mental Journey of the Protagonist in “Black Swan”
  • Cultural Representation: Assessing the Portrayal of Identity in “Crazy Rich Asians”
  • Aesthetic Choices: Dissecting the Cinematography and Set Design in “Blade Runner 2049”
  • Social Inequality: Analyzing Class Divisions in “Parasite”
  • Genre Subversion: Unpacking the Narrative Twists in “Fight Club”
  • Historical Accuracy: Evaluating the Depiction of Events in “Schindler’s List”
  • Moral Dilemmas: Examining the Ethical Choices in “The Dark Knight”
  • Environmental Themes: Interpreting the Allegory of Nature in “Avatar”
  • Symbolic Motifs: Decoding the Repetitive Elements in “Pulp Fiction”
  • Subtextual Meanings: Unraveling the Hidden Messages in “The Matrix”
  • Cultural Impact: Assessing the Influence of “Star Wars” on Popular Culture
  • Artistic Collaboration: Scrutinizing the Director-Cinematographer Relationship in “Birdman”
  • Historical Context: Analyzing the Political Commentary in “V for Vendetta”
  • Visual Metaphors: Examining the Use of Imagery in “Pan’s Labyrinth”
  • Psychological Thrills: Dissecting the Mind Games in “Gone Girl”
  • Representation of Love: Interpreting the Romantic Relationships in “La La Land”

Poetry Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Nature’s Elegy: Exploring the Symbolism of the Wandering River
  • Hope’s Resurgence: Analyzing the Metaphorical Wings of Freedom
  • Solitude’s Symphony: Unraveling the Rhetoric of Isolation and Reflection
  • Resilient Whispers: Decoding the Personification of Autumn Leaves
  • Endless Tides: A Rhetorical Study of the Ocean’s Eternal Dance
  • Serenity’s Riddle: Unveiling the Metaphorical Depths of a Calm Lake
  • Echoes of Time: Dissecting the Symbolism of Ancient Ruins
  • Whispering Zephyrs: Unraveling the Language of Gentle Breezes
  • Forgotten Melodies: Analyzing the Metaphorical Allure of Abandoned Music
  • Shattered Reflections: Exploring the Symbolism of Broken Mirrors
  • Enigmatic Shadows: A Rhetorical Study of Darkness and Mystery
  • A Dying Flame: Decoding the Metaphorical Language of Fading Passion
  • Captive Stars: Unveiling the Symbolism of a Moonlit Night
  • Illusion’s Veil: Dissecting the Rhetoric of Deceptive Appearances
  • Silent Embers: Analyzing the Metaphorical Depth of Ashen Memories
  • Forgotten Footsteps: Exploring the Symbolism of a Deserted Path
  • Murmuring Whispers: A Rhetorical Study of the Language of Wind
  • The Phoenix’s Flight: Decoding the Symbolism of Rebirth and Transformation
  • Vanishing Horizons: Unraveling the Metaphorical Language of Fading Dreams
  • Enchanted Murmurs: Analyzing the Symbolism of a Whispering Forest

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Political Speeches

  • The Language of Leadership: Analyzing Margaret Thatcher’s “The Lady’s Not for Turning”
  • Communicating Unity: Examining Jacinda Ardern’s Response to the Christchurch Mosque Shootings
  • Shaping History: Analyzing Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
  • The Power of Hope: Exploring John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech
  • Navigating Crisis: Evaluating George W. Bush’s Address After 9/11
  • Inspiring Action: A Rhetorical Analysis of Malala Yousafzai’s Speech to the United Nations
  • Crafting a Vision: Analyzing Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech
  • A Call for Justice: Examining Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Dissenting Opinions
  • Defending Equality: Analyzing Emma Watson’s UN Speech on Gender Equality
  • Uniting a Nation: A Rhetorical Analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
  • Communicating Change: Evaluating Greta Thunberg’s Speeches on Climate Action
  • The Language of Freedom: Analyzing Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech
  • Championing Civil Rights: A Rhetorical Analysis of Lyndon B. Johnson’s “We Shall Overcome” Speech
  • Raising Awareness: Exploring Michelle Obama’s Speech on Childhood Obesity
  • The Power of Perseverance: Analyzing Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address
  • Communicating Diplomacy: Evaluating Kofi Annan’s United Nations Speeches
  • Inspiring Patriotism: A Rhetorical Analysis of Ronald Reagan’s “Morning in America” Campaign Commercial
  • The Voice of Resistance: Analyzing Aung San Suu Kyi’s Speeches During Myanmar’s Struggle for Democracy
  • Challenging Injustice: Examining Clarence Darrow’s Closing Argument in the Scopes Monkey Trial
  • Speaking Truth to Power: A Rhetorical Analysis of Elizabeth Warren’s Senate Speech on Wealth Inequality
  • The Art of Negotiation: Analyzing Henry Kissinger’s Diplomatic Speeches

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Presidential Debates

  • The Impact of Presidential Debate Format on Voter Perception
  • Rhetorical Devices: Analyzing Their Effectiveness in Presidential Debates
  • Nonverbal Communication: Its Role in Presidential Debates
  • Moderator Questions: Influence on Presidential Debate Outcomes
  • Emotional Appeals in Presidential Debates: An Investigation
  • Strategies Used by Presidential Candidates in Addressing Social Issues: A Critique
  • The Power of Persuasive Language in Presidential Debates
  • Fact-Checking: Understanding Its Role in Presidential Debates
  • Deceptive Rhetoric in Presidential Debates: Ethical Implications
  • Humor as a Rhetorical Strategy in Presidential Debates: Evaluating Its Use
  • Audience Engagement in Presidential Debates: An Analysis
  • Closing Statements in Presidential Debates: Assessing Their Effectiveness
  • Body Language and Voter Perception in Presidential Debates: Investigating the Impact
  • Rhetorical Fallacies in Presidential Debates: Evaluating Their Influence
  • Public Speaking Skills in Presidential Debates: Unpacking Their Role
  • Power Dynamics in Presidential Debates: Understanding Their Significance
  • Media Coverage and Presidential Debate Outcomes: Analyzing the Influence
  • Historical References in Presidential Debates: Examining Their Use
  • Gender and Language in Presidential Debates: Critiquing the Role
  • Candidate Debates and Voter Decision-Making: Assessing the Impact

Public Debates Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Government Regulation of Big Tech Companies: Pros and Cons
  • Environmental Activism: Analyzing Climate Change Debates
  • Gun Control: Examining the Second Amendment in Modern Society
  • The Rhetoric of Immigration Policy: Balancing Security and Compassion
  • Analyzing the Racial Justice Movement: Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter
  • Debating Healthcare: Universal Coverage vs. Private Insurance
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Feminism in the #MeToo Movement
  • Education Reform: Traditional Teaching Methods vs. Progressive Approaches
  • The Rhetoric of LGBTQ+ Rights: Equality vs. Religious Freedom
  • Focusing on the Rhetoric of Economic Inequality: Capitalism vs. Socialism
  • Free Speech on College Campuses: Protecting Diversity of Thought vs. Ensuring Safety
  • The Rhetorical Strategies Used in Political Campaigns and Elections
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Police Brutality and Law Enforcement
  • The Debate on Affirmative Action: Equality vs. Meritocracy
  • The Rhetoric of Vaccination: Public Health vs. Personal Freedom
  • Explaining the Rhetoric of Nationalism and Globalism in International Relations
  • Expanding on the Rhetoric of Protests and Civil Disobedience
  • Animal Rights: Ethical Treatment vs. Human Interests
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Capital Punishment: Justice vs. Human Rights
  • The Rhetoric of Drug Policy: Criminalization vs. Harm Reduction
  • Understanding the Rhetoric of Privacy: National Security vs. Individual Liberty

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Scientific Articles

  • Persuasive Techniques in Scientific Papers on Alternative Energy Sources
  • Exploring Rhetorical Appeals in Articles Addressing the Link Between Diet and Health
  • Assessing the Influence of Rhetoric in Studies on Artificial Intelligence
  • Strategies in Articles on Stem Cell Research and Ethics
  • Investigating Persuasive Tactics in Papers on Mental Health Treatments
  • Analyzing Devices Used to Communicate Climate Change Risks
  • Examining the Effectiveness of Rhetoric in Articles on Ocean Conservation
  • Shaping Public Opinion on Genetic Cloning
  • Analyzing Techniques in Articles on Environmental Pollution
  • Addressing Strategies in Papers on Neurological Disorders
  • Influence of Rhetoric on Public Perception of Nanotechnology in Research
  • Explaining Rhetorical Appeals in Articles on Evolutionary Biology
  • Language and Argumentation in Papers on Artificial Intelligence Ethics
  • Persuasive Tactics Used in Articles on Sustainable Development
  • Communicating Risks of Nuclear Energy
  • Good Strategies in Articles on Human Genome Editing
  • Analyzing the Effectiveness of Rhetoric in Papers on Cancer Treatments
  • Assessing the Influence of Rhetoric in Articles on Climate Change Mitigation
  • Exploring Appeals in Studies on Genetic Disorders

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Social Justice Movements

  • The Evolution of Feminism: Analyzing the Impact on Social Justice Movements
  • Examining the Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement: Strategies and Outcomes
  • The Power of Language: Analyzing Speeches in LGBTQ+ Rights Activism
  • Environmental Justice Advocacy: A Rhetorical Analysis of Climate Change Activism
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Indigenous Rights Movements: Representation and Resistance
  • Nonviolent Communication in Anti-War Activism: A Rhetorical Analysis
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Disability Rights: Breaking Barriers and Promoting Inclusion
  • Examining the Language of Immigration Justice Movements: Identity, Belonging, and Equality
  • The Power of Visual Rhetoric in Social Justice Advocacy: Analyzing Protest Art
  • Expanding on the Rhetoric of the Black Lives Matter Movement: Mobilization and Media Discourse
  • Persuasion and Women’s Suffrage: A Rhetorical Analysis of Suffragette Activism
  • The Rhetoric of Workers’ Rights: Empowering Laborers for Equality
  • Analyzing the Language of Human Rights Advocacy: Voices of Justice and Empathy
  • Understanding the Rhetoric of Prison Reform: Restorative Justice and Rehabilitation
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Anti-Discrimination Campaigns: Promoting Equality and Social Change
  • Indigenous Land Rights Movements: A Rhetorical Analysis of Cultural Preservation and Sovereignty
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Gun Control Advocacy: Safety, Freedom, and Responsibility
  • Intersectionality in Social Justice Campaigns: Analyzing Voices of Marginalized Communities
  • Rhetorical Strategies in Animal Rights Activism: Analyzing Language and Ethical Appeal
  • Analyzing the Rhetoric of Disability Justice: Empowering Disabled Individuals

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Social Media Posts

  • Rhetorical Strategies in Political Campaigns on Social Media
  • Analyzing Anti-Bullying Campaigns’ Persuasive Techniques Online
  • Environmental Activists’ Language and Strategies on Social Media Posts
  • Emotional Language in Online Activism
  • Ethical Implications of Sponsored Content on Social Media
  • Social Media Celebrity Endorsements: Unveiling the Strategies
  • Hashtag Movements: Effectiveness in Promoting Social Change
  • Cyberbullying Rhetoric and Its Impact on Victims
  • Online Fundraising Campaigns: Language and Appeals Evaluation
  • Rhetorical Devices in Political Satire on Social Media
  • The Power of Memes as Persuasive Tools in Online Communication
  • Language and Strategies in Online Dating Profiles
  • Brand Advertising on Social Media: Analyzing Techniques
  • Social Media’s Role in Shaping Public Opinion and Political Discourse
  • Manipulative Language in Online Clickbait Articles: Critique
  • Rhetorical Techniques in Online Product Reviews
  • Rhetoric of Online Activism for Gender Equality
  • Health and Wellness Influencers’ Language on Social Media
  • Personal Narratives in Social Media Advocacy
  • Rhetoric of Conspiracy Theories on Social Media

Speeches Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Examining Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat on the New Deal
  • Analyzing Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
  • Evaluating Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” Speech
  • Decoding Angela Merkel’s Address on Refugee Crisis and European Solidarity
  • Unveiling the Rhetoric in Michelle Obama’s Democratic National Convention Speech
  • Breaking Down Mahatma Gandhi’s “Quit India” Speech
  • Assessing John F. Kennedy’s Moon Landing Speech at Rice University
  • Investigating Emma Gonzalez’s Speech on Gun Control: “We Call BS”
  • Critiquing Ronald Reagan’s Challenger Disaster Address
  • Interpreting Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech
  • Dissecting Winston Churchill’s “The Few” Speech on the Battle of Britain
  • Examining Nelson Mandela’s “An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die” Speech
  • Analyzing Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing Statement
  • Uncovering the Rhetorical Strategies in Elizabeth Warren’s “Nevertheless, She Persisted” Speech
  • Evaluating Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”
  • Exploring Malala Yousafzai’s Speech to the United Nations Youth Assembly
  • Understanding Barack Obama’s Speech on Race: “A More Perfect Union”
  • Focusing on Susan Rice’s Commencement Address: “Stay Awake and Be Woke”
  • Interpreting Angela Merkel’s Speech on Germany’s Energy Transition
  • Addressing Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Sports Commentary

  • The Impact of Sports Commentators on Viewer Engagement
  • Rhetorical Strategies Employed in Football Commentary
  • Language Techniques Used in Tennis Broadcasts
  • Effectiveness of Basketball Commentators in Creating Narrative
  • Persuasive Techniques of Soccer Commentators
  • The Use of Metaphors in Golf Commentary
  • Roles of Sports Commentators in Shaping Public Perception
  • Critiquing the Rhetoric of Baseball Commentators
  • Influence of Language on Hockey Broadcasts
  • Verbal Strategies of Motorsport Commentators
  • Emotional Appeal in Sports Commentaries
  • Ethical Responsibility of Commentators in Sports Broadcasting
  • Language Devices Used in Boxing Commentaries
  • Roles of Commentators in Enhancing Sports Spectatorship
  • Rhetorical Tactics of Rugby Commentators
  • Persuasive Techniques in Olympic Games Commentary
  • Language Choices in Cricket Broadcasts
  • Narrative Building in Track and Field Commentaries
  • Influence of Rhetoric on Cycling Broadcasts
  • Verbal Strategies of Winter Sports Commentators
  • Impacts of Commentators on Women’s Sports Representation

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Stand-Up Comedy Specials

  • Humor and Social Commentary: “The Manifesto of Hilarity”
  • Exploring Cultural Stereotypes in “Laughing Across Borders”
  • Analyzing Satire and Political Critique: “Comic Revolution”
  • The Power of Irony: “Jokes and Paradoxes”
  • Deconstructing Gender Roles: “Breaking the Mold of Laughter”
  • Examining Dark Comedy and Taboo Topics: “Shadows of Laughter”
  • Unveiling the Art of Timing: “The Perfect Punchline”
  • The Use of Personal Narratives: “Unveiling Comedy”
  • Linguistic Techniques: “The Language of Laughter”
  • The Role of Improvisation: “Unleashing Spontaneity”
  • Exploring Wordplay: “Laughter With Language”
  • Focusing on the Comedian-Audience Relationship: “Creating Laughter’s Connection”
  • Comedy as a Coping Mechanism: “Finding Laughter in Darkness”
  • The Social Impact of Stand-Up Comedy: “Changing Minds, One Joke at a Time”
  • Deconstructing Comedy Styles: “The Evolution of Laughter”
  • The Art of Physical Comedy: “Body Language and Hilarity”
  • Examining Cultural Appropriation: “Laughter Across Boundaries”
  • Unveiling the Role of Silence: “The Power of Pauses”
  • Exploring Comedic Timing and Delivery: “Cue the Laughs”
  • The Use of Exaggeration: “Amplifying the Absurd”

Ted Talks Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • The Power of Vulnerability: Analyzing Brene Brown’s Persuasive Techniques
  • Decoding Body Language: Unraveling Amy Cuddy’s Impactful Presentation
  • Unleashing Creativity: Examining Elizabeth Gilbert’s Artful Rhetoric
  • Science of Happiness: Dissecting Shawn Achor’s Compelling Argument
  • Crafting an Inspiring Narrative: Assessing Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Storytelling Techniques
  • Harnessing the Potential of Introverts: Evaluating Susan Cain’s Convincing Arguments
  • The Art of Storytelling: Analyzing Andrew Stanton’s Captivating Presentation
  • Redefining Success: Unpacking Arianna Huffington’s Persuasive Messaging
  • Exploring the Surprising Science of Motivation: Dissecting Dan Pink’s Convincing Evidence
  • Tapping Into the Power of Introversion: Assessing Matthew Walker’s Compelling Talk
  • The Transformative Power of Education: Evaluating Sir Ken Robinson’s Persuasive Appeal
  • The Future of Technology: Analyzing Elon Musk’s Visionary Rhetoric
  • Impacts of Emotional Intelligence: Unraveling Daniel Goleman’s Persuasive Argument
  • Challenging Stereotypes: Assessing Jamila Lyiscott’s Powerful Presentation
  • Navigating Cultural Differences: Evaluating Pico Iyer’s Compelling Insights
  • Overcoming Fear and Embracing Change: Analyzing Jia Jiang’s Persuasive Journey
  • Redefining Leadership: Examining Simon Sinek’s Inspiring Rhetorical Strategies
  • Fostering Global Understanding: Dissecting Hans Rosling’s Compelling Data
  • Raising Awareness on Climate Change: Assessing Al Gore’s Persuasive Discourse
  • The Influence of Music: Analyzing Benjamin Zander’s Persuasive Interpretation
  • Unleashing the Potential of Introverted Thinkers: Unpacking Susan Cain’s Convincing Argument
  • The Real Story of Rosa Parks
  • Tiny Robots With Giant Potential
  • What Ocean Microbes Reveal About the Changing Climate
  • Imaginative Sculptures That Explore How We Perceive Reality
  • How Teachers Can Help Students Navigate Trauma
  • It’s OK to Feel Overwhelmed
  • How Virtual Reality Turns Students Into Scientists
  • How the Magic of Kindness Helped Me Survive the Holocaust
  • What We Do (and Don’t) Know About the Coronavirus
  • Dictators Hate Political Cartoons – So I Keep Drawing Them
  • What a Nun Can Teach a Scientist About Ecology
  • The Health Benefits of Clowning Around
  • What If the Poor Were Part of City Planning
  • The Tyranny of Merit
  • How Do Daily Habits Lead to Political Violence
  • Big Data, Small Farms and a Tale of Two Tomatoes
  • Dear Facebook, This Is How You’re Breaking Democracy
  • A Brief Tour of the Last 4 Billion Years
  • Why Specializing Early Doesn’t Always Mean Career Success
  • What It Means to Be Intersex
  • The Science of Friction
  • How Bees Can Keep the Peace
  • A New Type of Medicine
  • Parasitic Worms Hold Back Human Progress
  • Online Predators Spread Fake Porn of Me
  • Can You Really Tell If a Kid Is Lying
  • The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready
  • My Son Was a Columbine Shooter. This Is My Story.
  • The Orchestra in My Mouth
  • How Animals and Plants Are Evolving in Cities
  • A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit
  • Dignity Isn’t a Privilege. It’s a Worker’s Right.
  • What Makes a Good Life? Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness
  • 4 Steps to Ending Extreme Poverty
  • 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
  • What Saturn’s Most Mysterious Moon Could Teach Us
  • Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
  • The Power of Vulnerability
  • My Escape From North Korea
  • Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are
  • How to Spot a Liar
  • Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test
  • The Art of Misdirection
  • How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes
  • Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model
  • How to Speak So That People Want to Listen
  • Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong
  • The Future We’re Building – and Boring
  • Your Brain Hallucinates Your Conscious Reality

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • The Impact of Color Symbolism on Contemporary Advertising
  • Exploring the Use of Body Language in Political Campaigns
  • Analyzing Visual Metaphors in Environmental Awareness Campaigns
  • Unveiling Gender Stereotypes in Fashion Magazine Covers
  • The Rhetoric of Power: Visual Representations of Historical Leaders
  • Decoding the Role of Typography in Brand Identity Design
  • Visualizing Social Inequality: A Critical Analysis of Infographics
  • The Art of Persuasion: Analyzing Visual Elements in Propaganda Posters
  • Representations of Beauty Standards in Cosmetics Advertisements
  • Environmental Activism Through Visual Storytelling
  • Visualizing Global Climate Change: The Role of Data Visualization
  • Analyzing Visual Framing in News Media Coverage of Social Issues
  • The Subtle Language of Minimalism: Analyzing Design Principles in Modern Architecture
  • Visualizing Cultural Identity: An Examination of National Flag Designs
  • The Power of Imagery in Political Cartoons
  • Analyzing the Use of Symbols in Corporate Logos
  • Deconstructing Visual Narratives in Film Posters
  • Analyzing the Portrayal of Women in Magazine Advertisements
  • The Politics of Visual Representation: A Comparative Analysis of Political Campaign Posters
  • Decoding Persuasive Techniques in Infographic Design

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Visual Art Installations

  • Impact of Color: Analyzing the Rhetorical Strategies in a Vibrant Sculpture Installation
  • Deconstructing Identity: Examining the Symbolism and Semiotics of a Contemporary Art Installation
  • Unveiling Power Dynamics: A Rhetorical Analysis of Political Commentary in a Visual Art Installation
  • Evoking Emotion: Exploring the Rhetorical Devices in a Moving Photography Installation
  • Disrupting Boundaries: Investigating the Rhetorical Tactics of an Interactive Video Art Installation
  • Challenging Social Norms: Analyzing the Subversive Messaging in a Street Art Installation
  • Transforming Spaces: Rhetorical Strategies in an Immersive Multimedia Installation
  • Capturing the Essence: An In-Depth Analysis of Symbolism in a Site-Specific Art Installation
  • Reclaiming History: Uncovering the Rhetoric of Memory in a Public Art Installation
  • Questioning Reality: Examining the Persuasive Techniques in a Surrealist Art Installation
  • Confronting Environmental Crisis: A Rhetorical Analysis of a Sculptural Installation on Climate Change
  • Reshaping Perceptions: Analyzing the Rhetoric of Gender in a Contemporary Art Installation
  • Amplifying Voices: Investigating the Rhetorical Power of Collective Identity in an Installation Artwork
  • Provoking Contemplation: A Critical Analysis of Minimalist Art Installations
  • Celebrating Diversity: Rhetorical Strategies in a Mosaic Installation Representing Cultural Heritage
  • Illuminating Truths: Examining the Persuasive Tactics of Light Art Installations
  • Conveying Social Commentary: A Rhetorical Analysis of a Public Sculpture Installation
  • Eliciting Empathy: Analyzing the Rhetoric of Compassion in a Participatory Art Installation
  • Shaping Space: Unveiling the Rhetorical Significance of Installation Art in Architecture
  • Navigating Time: A Critical Analysis of Historical References in a Time-Based Art Installation
  • Blurring Boundaries: Investigating the Rhetorical Devices in an Abstract Installation Artwork

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Cathy A.

How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Essay That Stands Out

17 min read

Published on: Jul 17, 2020

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Are you struggling to write a compelling rhetorical analysis essay that captures your readers' attention?

Don't worry, you're not alone! 

Crafting an effective analysis requires a deep understanding of rhetorical devices and techniques.

In this comprehensive guide, we will equip you with the essential knowledge of writing impactful rhetorical analysis essays.

By following our step-by-step approach you'll gain the skills needed to analyse texts, engage your audience, and leave a lasting impression.

Let's dive into the world of rhetorical analysis essays and embark on a transformative writing journey!

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What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

Rhetorical analysis is a type of college essay in which the writer conducts a deep analysis of an object. 

In this type of analysis, the object of analysis is mostly some kind of book, a movie, or any other type of creative work. 

When it comes to rhetorical analysis, a writer picks a particular subject and analyzes its effects on the surroundings and the target audience. 

It is important to mention that rhetorical analysis can be done on nearly anything that comes to your mind. Be it a billboard, a logo, a motto, or anything else you can think of.  

What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?

The concept of the rhetorical situation is an essential aspect of rhetorical analysis. The following are the five rhetorical situations that you need to consider when analyzing a text:

  • Audience : The audience refers to the individuals who receive the message. Understanding the audience's characteristics, values, and expectations is crucial in crafting persuasive communication that resonates with them.
  • Purpose : The purpose is the reason why the communication is created. It could be to inform, entertain, persuade, or educate the audience.
  • Speaker : The speaker is the person who creates or delivers the communication. The speaker's characteristics, such as their credibility, expertise, and reputation, play a significant role in how the audience perceives and responds to the message.
  • Occasion : The occasion is the event or situation that prompts the creation of the communication. The occasion may affect the tone, language, and overall message of the communication.
  • Context : The context is the broader environment that shapes the communication, including the cultural, social, political, and historical factors. Understanding the context helps you analyze how the message relates to larger societal issues and trends.

What are the Three Rhetorical Analysis Strategies?

There are three main methods of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. To be successful in persuading someone, you need to understand how to use each of these methods.

  • Ethos (Credibility)

Ethos focuses on the credibility and authority of the speaker or author. It involves evaluating their expertise, knowledge, experience, and reputation. By examining the speaker's ethos, you can assess how their credibility influences the audience's perception of the message. 

Look for elements such as professional qualifications, personal anecdotes, or references to establish ethos.

  • Pathos (Emotional Appeal)

Pathos involves appealing to the emotions and values of the audience. This strategy aims to evoke specific emotions, such as empathy, fear, joy, or anger, to create a connection with the audience. Analyze the use of vivid language, storytelling, imagery, personal anecdotes, or appeals to shared values and beliefs. 

Consider how these emotional appeals impact the audience's engagement and response.

  • Logos (Logical Reasoning)

Logos centers on logical reasoning and appeals to the audience's rationality and critical thinking. It involves analyzing the use of evidence, statistics, logical arguments, facts, and logical structures within the text. 

Assess how the author or speaker supports their claims, presents a logical progression of ideas, and uses reasoning to persuade the audience.

Check out this blog on ethos, pathos, logos for dig deeper into these rhetorical strategies!

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Structure

Below is a rhetorical analysis essay structure for your help.

How To Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay may seem challenging at first, but with a systematic approach, you can effectively analyze and interpret a piece of rhetoric. 

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you craft a successful rhetorical analysis essay.

Analyzing The Text

Before you directly hop on to write your rhetorical analysis essay, make sure that you follow some prewriting steps. These steps will make essay writing easy and less time-consuming. 

Some simple pre-writing steps of such an essay are as follows:

  • Identify your Target Audience 

Identifying the audience is the most important factor for an essay. Identifying the audience allows the writer to write the essay according to the intellectual level of the intended audience. 

If a writer writes the essay without knowing the audience, all the effort will go in vain as the audience will not understand the essay's purpose. 

  • The Subject of the Essay  

Another important thing about a rhetorical analysis essay is identifying and analyzing the chosen subject’s underlying meaning. A writer of this essay type should understand that message and explain it in a few words. 

  • Define Purpose 

Defining the purpose of the rhetorical analysis essay provides logic to the reader for the essay. The writer explains the reason behind the composition and what made them choose a particular topic for an essay. 

  • Mention the Occasion

The occasion refers to the work and its setting. When analyzing the occasion, two approaches are used, i.e., micro view and macro view. Both these views are used to explain where the occasion took place. 

  • Identify the SOAPSTone

The SOAPSTone of a text includes its Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone. Further elaboration of SOAPSTone is as follows: 

  • Speaker: The speaker basically refers to the first and last name of the writer. 
  • Occasion: The occasion mostly refers to the type of text and the context under which the text was written.
  • Audience: The audience is who the text was written for. 
  • Purpose: The purpose refers to what the writer wants to accomplish in the text. 
  • Subject: The subject is simply the topic the writer discusses in the text.

These were some basic pre-writing steps for a rhetorical analysis essay. Let’s move forward and see what steps we need to follow to write a good rhetorical analysis essay.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

An outline is an essential part of essay writing. It serves as a guide for the reader throughout the essay. 

All the information you have gathered so far needs to be organized. A rhetorical analysis outline can help you in this regard. 

A rhetorical analysis essay uses the typical 5-paragraph outline. It has the following elements:

  • Introduction 
  • Body Paragraphs
  • Conclusion 

Let us see what elements are added in these five parts of a rhetorical analysis essay. 

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Introduction

The introduction is the first part of an essay. This part of the essay must be made as attractive as possible. 

The reader can perceive the whole idea of the essay by just reading the introduction. This is why this part should be interesting, as well as expressive. 

Essay introduction usually starts with a hook sentence. The hook sentence is an attention-grabbing sentence that can be a quotation, fact, or even a question. 

The most important part of the essay, the thesis statement, is stated in this part. It is stated somewhere before the last sentence of the introduction.  

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the scene element in an outline and come after the introductory paragraph. 

In these paragraphs, the writer elaborates on the key elements in detail. Usually, there are three body paragraphs in this type of academic essay. 

Each body paragraph is written to explain a key element. All the facts and evidence the writer has collected for that point are also mentioned in that paragraph. 

Keep in mind a topic sentence is used to start a paragraph. This sentence is just like a short introduction to the body paragraph. It gives the reader an idea about the element that will be discussed in the following paragraph. 

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion 

After all the information is mentioned in the body paragraphs, the reader expects to see how you represent your final analysis. The writer is supposed to give the final verdict in the last part, which is the conclusion. 

The conclusion is the shortest but the most technical part of an essay. In this part, the entire essay is summarized in such a way that all the key elements are once again revised. 

Also, the thesis statement is reiterated but uses more convincing words. 

In a rhetorical analysis essay conclusion, it should be mentioned how the main argument is proved right. The writer also presents the impact of the author’s work on the audience in the past paragraph.

Make sure to look at the example below for more information.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Sample (PDF)

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Examples

To gain a better understanding of how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, it can be helpful to examine some examples. Here are a few notable examples that showcase the application of rhetorical analysis techniques:

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example (PDF)

A visual rhetorical analysis essay document communicates primarily through images or the interaction of image and text. 

Here is an example of such an essay.

Visual Rhetorical Essay Example (PDF)

H3- Rh etorical Analysis Essay Example: AP Language 

Rhetorical analysis done in AP Language and Composition is one of the biggest tasks a student can ever get. There are some specific tips that you need to follow for this purpose. Those major tips are mentioned below: 

  • Understand the Prompt

It is a must for this type of essay to understand the prompt to know what the task demands from you.

  • Stick to the Format

The content for the rhetorical analysis should be properly organized and structured. The rhetorical analysis essay outline divides all the information into different sections such as introduction, body, and conclusion. 

Look at the example given below and see how a well-written rhetorical analysis essay is written for AP language. 

AP Rhetorical Analysis Essay (PDF)

Letter from Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis Essay (PDF)

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Rubric (PDF)

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Format (PDF)

Comparative Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example (PDF)

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example High School (PDF)

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

Writing an essay is easy, but finding a good topic to compose an essay on is the real deal. Similarly, writing a rhetorical analysis essay becomes very easy when a writer has a good topic in hand. 

Here we have summed up some very good rhetorical analysis essay topics. One of them might help you to compose an impressive rhetorical analysis essay. 

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • “I Am Prepared to Die” by Nelson Mandela 
  • Nobel Peace Prize Speech by Malala Yousafzai
  • The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
  • “Full Power of Women” by Priyanka Chopra 
  • Emma Watson’s speech on the Power of Women
  • “Integrity” speech by Warren Buffet
  • Freedom Speech from Braveheart
  • Ending Scene from The Breakfast Club 
  • Maximus’ Speech to Commodus from Gladiator
  • Oprah’s 2018 Golden Globes speech 

High School Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Rhetorical Analysis of “The Olympic Games”
  • “NFL And the Concussion Rules”
  • BCS or Playoffs
  • AAU or NBA; which team has more fan following?
  • Rhetorical Analysis of “Football World Cup”
  • Kobe Bryant or LeBron
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Presidential Sports Encomia
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Symbolic Power of Sports
  • The communication between the players and a coach.
  • Rhetorical Analysis of the use of steroids

College Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

  • Importance of theme of hope in literature
  • The fact does not support the rhetorical questions.
  • A streetcar named desire.
  • Conduct a rhetorical analysis of the Bible
  • The key allegories are used in Daddy by Sylvia Plath.
  • The absurdity of the Afterlife
  • Do we laugh when someone tickles us?
  • The year of magical thinking
  • Rhetorical analysis of James Joyce’s Ulysses
  • Analyze a piece of work from the Parks library

Tips to Write an Effective Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Writing a strong rhetorical analysis essay requires careful analysis, persuasive writing skills, and attention to detail. 

Here are five tips to help you write an effective essay:

  • Analyze the Rhetorical Situation

Before diving into the analysis, thoroughly understand the rhetorical situation. Consider the author, audience, purpose, and context of the text. This understanding will shape your analysis and help you identify the most relevant rhetorical devices.

  • Focus on Key Rhetorical Devices

Identify and analyze the key rhetorical devices used in the text. Look for devices such as ethos, logos, pathos, rhetorical questions, metaphors, and analogies. Discuss how these devices contribute to the author's persuasive techniques and the overall effectiveness of the text.

  • Provide Strong Evidence

Back up your analysis with strong evidence from the text. Quote specific passages, examples, or statistics to support your claims. Ensure that your evidence directly relates to the rhetorical devices and strategies you are discussing.

  • Consider the Impact on the Audience

Evaluate how the rhetorical devices and strategies used in the text affect the target audience. Discuss the emotional, logical, and ethical appeals created by these devices and their potential influence on the readers or listeners.

  • Structure and Coherence

Organize your essay in a logical and coherent manner. Use a clear introduction that provides context and presents your thesis statement. Develop body paragraphs that focus on specific rhetorical devices, supporting your analysis with evidence. 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid While Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay requires careful attention to detail and critical thinking. To ensure a successful essay, be mindful of these common pitfalls and avoid them:

  • Summarizing Instead of Analyzing

One of the main pitfalls is falling into the trap of summarizing the text instead of analyzing it. Remember that your task is to dissect the rhetorical devices and strategies used by the author, not simply summarize the content of the text.

  • Neglecting the Rhetorical Context

Failing to consider the rhetorical context of the text can weaken your analysis. Always take into account the author's purpose, intended audience, and the social, historical, or cultural context in which the text was produced. 

  • Lack of Focus

Stay focused on the main argument or thesis of your essay. Avoid going off on tangents or including irrelevant information. Every point you make should directly support your thesis and contribute to the overall analysis.

  • Insufficient Evidence and Examples

To strengthen your analysis, provide ample evidence and examples from the text. Merely stating your interpretation is not enough; you need to back it up with specific quotes, examples, or references. 

Overgeneralizing or Oversimplifying

Be cautious of overgeneralizing or oversimplifying the author's intent or the impact of rhetorical devices. Avoid making broad statements without proper evidence or disregarding the complexity of the text.

  • Lack of Structure and Coherence

A poorly structured essay can undermine the effectiveness of your analysis. Ensure that your essay has a clear introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion. 

  • Neglecting Revision and Proofreading

Failing to revise and proofread your essay can lead to errors and inconsistencies. Take the time to review your essay, checking for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. 

In conclusion, mastering the art of writing a rhetorical analysis essay can open doors to a deeper understanding of persuasive communication.

By following the outlined structure and incorporating the provided tips, you can confidently navigate the process and produce a compelling essay.

Now that you have a solid understanding of rhetorical analysis, it's time to put your knowledge into practice. 

If you need assistance with your college essays or any other academic writing, consider trying our AI writing tool . 

Our writing service consists of experienced writers who can provide professional essay help .

Visit our rhetorical analysis essay writing service today and take the first step towards academic success. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the elements of a rhetorical analysis.

The main elements of a rhetorical analysis essay are: 

  • Situation 
  • Audience  
  • Purpose 
  • Medium 
  • Context 

How do you end a rhetorical analysis essay?

Here are some ways that help you to end the rhetorical analysis essay. 

  • Summarize the entire essay. 
  • Restate the thesis statement. 
  • Focus on the main ideas. 

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Innovative Statistics Project Ideas for Insightful Analysis

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Table of contents

  • 1.1 AP Statistics Topics for Project
  • 1.2 Statistics Project Topics for High School Students
  • 1.3 Statistical Survey Topics
  • 1.4 Statistical Experiment Ideas
  • 1.5 Easy Stats Project Ideas
  • 1.6 Business Ideas for Statistics Project
  • 1.7 Socio-Economic Easy Statistics Project Ideas
  • 1.8 Experiment Ideas for Statistics and Analysis
  • 2 Conclusion: Navigating the World of Data Through Statistics

Diving into the world of data, statistics presents a unique blend of challenges and opportunities to uncover patterns, test hypotheses, and make informed decisions. It is a fascinating field that offers many opportunities for exploration and discovery. This article is designed to inspire students, educators, and statistics enthusiasts with various project ideas. We will cover:

  • Challenging concepts suitable for advanced placement courses.
  • Accessible ideas that are engaging and educational for younger students.
  • Ideas for conducting surveys and analyzing the results.
  • Topics that explore the application of statistics in business and socio-economic areas.

Each category of topics for the statistics project provides unique insights into the world of statistics, offering opportunities for learning and application. Let’s dive into these ideas and explore the exciting world of statistical analysis.

Top Statistics Project Ideas for High School

Statistics is not only about numbers and data; it’s a unique lens for interpreting the world. Ideal for students, educators, or anyone with a curiosity about statistical analysis, these project ideas offer an interactive, hands-on approach to learning. These projects range from fundamental concepts suitable for beginners to more intricate studies for advanced learners. They are designed to ignite interest in statistics by demonstrating its real-world applications, making it accessible and enjoyable for people of all skill levels.

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AP Statistics Topics for Project

  • Analyzing Variance in Climate Data Over Decades.
  • The Correlation Between Economic Indicators and Standard of Living.
  • Statistical Analysis of Voter Behavior Patterns.
  • Probability Models in Sports: Predicting Outcomes.
  • The Effectiveness of Different Teaching Methods: A Statistical Study.
  • Analysis of Demographic Data in Public Health.
  • Time Series Analysis of Stock Market Trends.
  • Investigating the Impact of Social Media on Academic Performance.
  • Survival Analysis in Clinical Trial Data.
  • Regression Analysis on Housing Prices and Market Factors.

Statistics Project Topics for High School Students

  • The Mathematics of Personal Finance: Budgeting and Spending Habits.
  • Analysis of Class Performance: Test Scores and Study Habits.
  • A Statistical Comparison of Local Public Transportation Options.
  • Survey on Dietary Habits and Physical Health Among Teenagers.
  • Analyzing the Popularity of Various Music Genres in School.
  • The Impact of Sleep on Academic Performance: A Statistical Approach.
  • Statistical Study on the Use of Technology in Education.
  • Comparing Athletic Performance Across Different Sports.
  • Trends in Social Media Usage Among High School Students.
  • The Effect of Part-Time Jobs on Student Academic Achievement.

Statistical Survey Topics

  • Public Opinion on Environmental Conservation Efforts.
  • Consumer Preferences in the Fast Food Industry.
  • Attitudes Towards Online Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Learning.
  • Survey on Workplace Satisfaction and Productivity.
  • Public Health: Attitudes Towards Vaccination.
  • Trends in Mobile Phone Usage and Preferences.
  • Community Response to Local Government Policies.
  • Consumer Behavior in Online vs. Offline Shopping.
  • Perceptions of Public Safety and Law Enforcement.
  • Social Media Influence on Political Opinions.

Statistical Experiment Ideas

  • The Effect of Light on Plant Growth.
  • Memory Retention: Visual vs. Auditory Information.
  • Caffeine Consumption and Cognitive Performance.
  • The Impact of Exercise on Stress Levels.
  • Testing the Efficacy of Natural vs. Chemical Fertilizers.
  • The Influence of Color on Mood and Perception.
  • Sleep Patterns: Analyzing Factors Affecting Sleep Quality.
  • The Effectiveness of Different Types of Water Filters.
  • Analyzing the Impact of Room Temperature on Concentration.
  • Testing the Strength of Different Brands of Batteries.

Easy Stats Project Ideas

  • Average Daily Screen Time Among Students.
  • Analyzing the Most Common Birth Months.
  • Favorite School Subjects Among Peers.
  • Average Time Spent on Homework Weekly.
  • Frequency of Public Transport Usage.
  • Comparison of Pet Ownership in the Community.
  • Favorite Types of Movies or TV Shows.
  • Daily Water Consumption Habits.
  • Common Breakfast Choices and Their Nutritional Value.
  • Steps Count: A Week-Long Study.

Business Ideas for Statistics Project

  • Analyzing Customer Satisfaction in Retail Stores.
  • Market Analysis of a New Product Launch.
  • Employee Performance Metrics and Organizational Success.
  • Sales Data Analysis for E-commerce Websites.
  • Impact of Advertising on Consumer Buying Behavior.
  • Analysis of Supply Chain Efficiency.
  • Customer Loyalty and Retention Strategies.
  • Trend Analysis in Social Media Marketing.
  • Financial Risk Assessment in Investment Decisions.
  • Market Segmentation and Targeting Strategies.

Socio-Economic Easy Statistics Project Ideas

  • Income Inequality and Its Impact on Education.
  • The Correlation Between Unemployment Rates and Crime Levels.
  • Analyzing the Effects of Minimum Wage Changes.
  • The Relationship Between Public Health Expenditure and Population Health.
  • Demographic Analysis of Housing Affordability.
  • The Impact of Immigration on Local Economies.
  • Analysis of Gender Pay Gap in Different Industries.
  • Statistical Study of Homelessness Causes and Solutions.
  • Education Levels and Their Impact on Job Opportunities.
  • Analyzing Trends in Government Social Spending.

Experiment Ideas for Statistics and Analysis

  • Multivariate Analysis of Global Climate Change Data.
  • Time-Series Analysis in Predicting Economic Recessions.
  • Logistic Regression in Medical Outcome Prediction.
  • Machine Learning Applications in Statistical Modeling.
  • Network Analysis in Social Media Data.
  • Bayesian Analysis of Scientific Research Data.
  • The Use of Factor Analysis in Psychology Studies.
  • Spatial Data Analysis in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
  • Predictive Analysis in Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
  • Cluster Analysis in Market Research.

Conclusion: Navigating the World of Data Through Statistics

In this exploration of good statistics project ideas, we’ve ventured through various topics, from the straightforward to the complex, from personal finance to global climate change. These ideas are gateways to understanding the world of data and statistics, and platforms for cultivating critical thinking and analytical skills. Whether you’re a high school student, a college student, or a professional, engaging in these projects can deepen your appreciation of how statistics shapes our understanding of the world around us. These projects encourage exploration, inquiry, and a deeper engagement with the world of numbers, trends, and patterns – the essence of statistics.

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Likes, Shares, and Beyond: Exploring the Impact of Social Media in Essays

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How a smear campaign against NPR led Elon Musk to feud with Signal

Rightwing media personalities on X transmuted a screed against NPR’s CEO into a fight over encryption via the Transitive Property of Bad People

For nearly two weeks, an esoteric debate has raged on X , formerly Twitter: could users concerned about privacy and security trust the messaging app Signal, or was the Telegram platform a better alternative? X’s chatbot, Grok AI, described the trending moment as “Telegram v Signal: a crypto clash”.

Signal is an app for sending end-to-end-encrypted messages to individuals and small groups. Telegram offers broadcast channels and messaging but is not end-to-end encrypted by default. Debates over their relative merits have popped up over the years , though largely within the confines of online spaces inhabited by cybersecurity, cryptography, privacy and policy geeks. This time, the conversation came to broader attention – Elon Musk’s following of 183 million – due to X’s most notorious capability: mutating isolated facts into viral conspiracy theories for the entertainment of rage-riddled crowds. As a bit player, I got a ringside seat to the manufactured controversy.

On 9 April, Uri Berliner, a longtime former editor at NPR, wrote an essay in the conservative-leaning publication the Free Press arguing that NPR had increasingly chosen to cater to a very small subset of leftwing America. Debates about NPR’s alleged lefty tendencies, and conservative calls to defund it, are also not new . This time, however, Berliner’s viral article hit a few weeks after the start of NPR’s new chief executive, Katherine Maher. Conservative activists began to dig.

Maher, it turned out, had some Bad Tweets. “Bad” is subjective, of course – they might be more precisely described as progressive tweets. Their slant made them a goldmine for people angry over Berliner’s story, and the alchemy of influencers, algorithms, and online crowds quickly turned Maher into that most hapless of online figures: the Main Character of X.

The rightwing activist and propaganda guru Chris Rufo helmed the crusade, steering the narrative from social media to rightwing media to the New York Times and back again. The online crowd called for Maher’s immediate firing.

NPR and its board, however, didn’t cave.

Every effective smear campaign takes a grain of truth, then coats it in layers of innuendo like an oyster applying nacre. For the target, distinguishing between truth and falsehood forces a difficult choice: silence, or a cascade of attempted explanations as the accusations evolve and the goalposts move.

But Rufo and other rightwingers – perhaps frustrated that they didn’t get the win of a quick public firing – moved the goalposts off the pitch of reality and into the fever swamp of conspiracy. They unearthed a 2016 tweet from a Tunisian activist insinuating that Maher, who’d worked in the country, was secretly CIA. Though she denied it and her accuser didn’t appear to comment on the matter again, Rufo pushed a blogpost on 24 April alleging that she was a “regime-change agent” who’d launched “color revolutions” in north Africa and was bringing them to America. In this new narrative, Maher wasn’t just a biased progressive; she was part of the deep state.

Rufo’s post relied heavily on a particular smear tactic: the Transitive Property of Bad People, which connects people and institutions in a daisy chain of guilt by association. The smear’s power lies in insinuation, expecting the reader to connect the dots without explicit accusations that could invite defamation suits.

What on earth does this have to do with Signal and Telegram?

Maher is on the board of the Signal Foundation. Via the Transitive Property of Bad People, everything Maher is linked to is now also suspect. And so, on 6 May – with Maher still not fired by NPR – another blogpost by Rufo appeared, the goalposts moved and the conspiracy theory deepened. The point appeared in the opening frame: “Is the integrity of encrypted-messaging application compromised by its chairman of the board?” A new laundry list of insinuations followed: Signal had a grant from the Open Technology Fund, which is sponsored by the US government. The Signal president, who’d picked Maher for the board, was also progressive, a lefty who’d previously been an equity rabble-rouser at Google.

I got an unexpected preview of this layer of innuendo earlier in the campaign when a prominent entrepreneur riled up over the matter worked me into tweet about whether Signal had been compromised: three years ago, I’d joined the board of an open-source cryptocurrency foundation aiming to power payments on Signal. This entailed no personal involvement with Signal or Maher. But I research how online narratives spread, which has landed me on the receiving end of a few rightwing smear campaigns . I was useful as a Bad Person with alleged links to the target. The entrepreneur never specified what, exactly, I could have done to Signal. It was enough that I was said to be involved.

Although the lack of specificity in these accusations should be a red flag, it instead powers the whole endeavor. Instigated by nothing more than a few vague tweets from influencers, the manufactroversy of Signal’s compromised character ricocheted across X absent any evidence.

It’s understandable that ordinary people who shared the claims found Rufo’s smear job persuasive: they trust him, dislike Maher, and the technical aspects are complex. But one person who does understand technology – X’s CEO, Elon Musk – not only saw the insinuations, but added his own on 6 May: “There are known vulnerabilities with Signal that are not being addressed. Seems odd …” He too offered no evidence . Nonetheless, accounts in his replies began to wonder about Telegram. Was it a better, anti-woke alternative? Jack Dorsey, who is tech-savvy enough to know better, also boosted the allegations.

Community notes and journalists got to work fact-checking Musk . Signal’s CEO responded, pointing out that Signal’s code is open-source and closely scrutinized by the security and privacy community. Maher, even if she were the nefarious, woke, deep-state regime-changer she was made out to be, couldn’t compromise the app if she tried. Musk’s claim had little, if any, basis in fact, but he has the power to make dubious claims the topic of discussion for millions.

Thus a viral conspiracy theory trended once again, and others used it for their ends. Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, pointed to Dorsey’s share of the Rufo article in a post promoting Telegram as “the only popular method of communication that is verifiably private”. Cryptography professors, security researchers and tech journalists wrote threads clarifying the risks of using Telegram for secure communications, and warning against Telegram’s attempt to lure activists from Signal.

The original spat about bias at NPR now seems almost quaint. The second-order manufactroversies feel so far-fetched as to be not worth bothering to refute. And yet, due to the hyper-partisan vitriol of today’s fractured reality, they have real consequences.

There are reputational costs to those ensnared in the conspiracy theories, who find it nearly impossible to convince the converted they’ve been misled. But in the case of “Telegram vs Signal: a crypto clash”, there is also risk to activists, particularly outside the US, who might switch to the less secure alternative because they’ve been misled by prominent tech heroes. Undermining trust in companies and institutions, largely to score points against an enemy, has never been easier.

So what can we do? First, support the targets of bad-faith attacks. Institutions must learn to understand how these efforts work and, rather than staying silent, should speak up promptly. More broadly, however, media literacy efforts should focus on explaining how these campaigns work, highlighting the recurring rhetorical tricks, tropes and lack of evidence. Helping others to understand and recognize the mechanics of smear campaigns will ultimately render them less effective.

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COMMENTS

  1. 120+ Interesting Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics (2024)

    Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for 2023. "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" by William Butler Yeats. "The Epic" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. "Shakespeare's Sonnets" by William Shakespeare. "The Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope. "England in 1819" by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

  2. Top 210 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics [with Tips]

    Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics on Culture. Culture-specific rhetorical strategies contribute to the unique characteristics of different societies. And studying them encourages the development of critical thinking and analytical skills. Through language, you will learn how cultural norms, values, and traditions are conveyed and reinforced. ...

  3. 200 Engaging Rhetorical Analysis Topics For Your Paper

    Rhetorical Situation Essay Topics for 2023. Before embarking on choosing any essay topic in a rhetorical situation, you must first understand the role of rhetoric in writing. Good rhetorical analysis essay topics aim to compel action through oral, written, visual, and sound forms.

  4. 40 Unique Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

    Choosing your rhetorical analysis topic can be a real nail biter. To help you choose the best topic, explore these 40 unique rhetorical analysis essay topics covering media, movies, speeches, and literature.

  5. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

    Revised on July 23, 2023. A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience. A rhetorical analysis is structured similarly to other essays: an introduction presenting ...

  6. 70 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

    The Rhetorical Analysis Essay. Moving on, if rhetoric is the art of persuasion, then the rhetorical analysis essay analyzes how an author or speaker creates opportunity for persuasion in his/her text. Writing a rhetorical analysis essay involves understanding of context and occasion for writing. It also involves understanding the subject matter ...

  7. 122 Interesting Rhetorical Analysis Topics For Students

    Data privacy and social media- A detailed rhetorical analysis. College athletes' payment- A rhetorical analysis. Investigating gun legalization- Rhetorical analysis of this topic. These are some of the best rhetorical analysis example topics to consider for your essay or paper.

  8. 200+ Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics & Ideas for Students

    Topics for study are not limited to speeches from notable presidents or popular poems. Investigate these interesting rhetorical analysis essay ideas related to cinema, artwork, prompt, and current affairs. Justification of vengeance in The Odyssey. The meaning underlying Mona Lisa's smile.

  9. How to Write a Great Rhetorical Analysis Essay: With Examples

    Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses. Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. "implies," "asserts," or "claims". Briefly summarize the text in your own words. Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect.

  10. 100 Amazing Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

    Fiction Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics. O'Henry's "Witches Loaves". Rhetorical Analysis of "Huckleberry Finn". Rhetorical Analysis of "Fight Club". Michael Punke's "The Revenant""The White Heron" Analysis. Rhetorical Analysis of "Death of A Salesman". "The Lottery" Main ThemesLiterary Analysis of "Life In The Iron Mills".

  11. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    4. Summarizing Your Main Points. In your conclusion, sum up the main points of your analysis and restate your thesis. Without introducing any new points (such as topics or ideas you haven't already covered in the main body of your essay), summarize the overall impact that the author's rhetorical strategies likely had on their intended audience.

  12. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay-Examples & Template

    Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos. The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader's emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a "good cause". To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories ...

  13. 100 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics That'll Inspire You

    Rhetorical analysis essay topics always stood out from other tasks of similar nature. There are many assignments students get at college, but this one is more difficult, largely because few people understand what it even means. Rhetorical analysis means writing an essay where you research a specific text or speech and determine what elements it ...

  14. 120 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics

    120 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics. When examining a non-fiction piece of content, be it literature, advertising, media promotions, or some other element of the written word, the term rhetorical analysis essay may be used. This essay format examines the creator's intentions and techniques to persuade the audience of a particular course of ...

  15. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis: 6 Steps and an Outline for Your

    5. State your thesis. Now that you've completed your analysis of the material, try to summarize it into one clear, concise thesis statement that will form the foundation of your essay. Your thesis statement should summarize: 1) the argument or purpose of the speaker; 2) the methods the speaker uses; and 3) the effectiveness of those methods ...

  16. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

    A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of essay where you examine how authors or speakers use words, phrases, and other techniques to influence or persuade their audience. ... As per our essay writing service, some common topics for rhetorical analysis include analyzing speeches by influential leaders, dissecting political advertisements, or ...

  17. How to write a rhetorical analysis [4 steps]

    To write a rhetorical analysis, you need to follow the steps below: Step 1: Plan and prepare. With a rhetorical analysis, you don't choose concepts in advance and apply them to a specific text or piece of content. Rather, you'll have to analyze the text to identify the separate components and plan and prepare your analysis accordingly.

  18. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay in 6 Steps

    How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay in 6 Steps. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Sep 2, 2021 • 3 min read. In a rhetorical analysis essay, a writer will examine the rhetoric and style of another author's work. If you want to write your own rhetorical analysis essay, we've developed a step-by-step guide to lead you through the ...

  19. Top 80 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics for Students

    Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics & Ideas for Students. Rhetorical essay is a challenging task for some students, and it requires proper planning and time. In this type of essay, topic selection is the main thing, and many writers confuse it when choosing a topic for the essay. This blog will help you in selecting a topic for a rhetorical essay.

  20. 625 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics & Good Ideas

    Rhetorical analysis essay topics can revolve around a range of intriguing subject areas. They involve dissecting the persuasive methods employed by authors in their works, such as written texts, objects, sculptures, visuals, advertisements, arts, or speeches. Some themes may span from analyzing landmark political speeches to unraveling the ...

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