This past month, my classmates and I have spent several class periods discussing and learning about rhetorical analysis. Rhetorical analysis can be most succinctly defined as “the close reading of a text to figure out exactly how it functions.” We’ve been exploring what rhetorical analysis is through an academic lens, but we’ve also studied what rhetorical analysis is outside of the scholarly environment and how we can incorporate it into our everyday lives.
Throughout the semester, I’ve learned much about the several elements that go into rhetorical analysis, such as ethos, pathos, and logos. I had previous experience learning about these strategies in English classes in high school, but this semester was the first time I had the opportunity to study them as rhetorical devices specifically.
Another aspect concerning rhetorical analysis we talked about was style. The style of rhetorical analysis directly affects the way the audience views the author’s credibility. Elements of style include tone, figurative language, and word choice. I found this interesting to learn about because I’m a writer, so I have to incorporate these aspects into my writing on a daily basis. However, this class was the first opportunity I had to look at these strategies with the intention of actively trying to persuade the reader of something, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Of course, I have to use rhetorical analysis when it comes to school work – such as for the essay we recently had to write for class. However, outside of an academic setting, I’m also able to use rhetorical analysis in my day to day life.
I plan to become a writer and thus, have to write extensively on a daily basis. Previously, I would just write continuously then edit, but now I Take rhetorical analysis into account and actively think about it while writing. Now when I write, I take into consideration how specific rhetorical techniques have an effect on my pieces of writing. Such as using certain words to provoke a certain tone with the audience, or using metaphors to engage my audience and persuade them to keep reading.
Another way I incorporate rhetorical analysis into my daily life is when I read news articles. When reading the news now, I take what I know about rhetorical analysis and utilize it to determine whether or not what I’m reading is biased or trustworthy.
I’ve learned a lot about rhetorical analysis this past semester, and I look forward to learning even more to utilize it outside of an academic setting.
Unwritten Thoughts 
3 replies on “Rhetorical Analysis: How I Use It”
Thats so true what you said about not only learning how to adopt rhetoric into our own everyday life when we speak but focusing on it when we are listening to others speak and write. Looking at how effective their work is, did they use proper rhetoric, who is their audience, am I feeling convinced? Things like that is especially true when politics get involved. Having a solid foundation on what rhetoric is and how to use it comes in handy when we try to side with or against someone with using our own form of credibility. Do we just believe what they have to say because we like them or is there falsification or do they address their audience in a negative way that compels the audience not to be persuaded.
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Since you are planning to become a writer, I’m sure this unit was essential for you. By using these different rhetorical strategies in your writing, you’ll be more successful in persuading your audience. I found it interesting that the real life example you thought of was the analyzing the news. I took the example personally and looked at how I can use it in conversations. The news definitely uses these strategies, and by understanding them, we can realize how the article is attempting to persuade us. Everything has an argument, and like you said, using these strategies will render it biased or trustworthy.
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I like how you discuss not only using rhetoric in your own pieces, but also when reading other people’s writing, specifically news. This is important as a writer, as you can utilize these elements to enhance the persuasiveness of your pieces while allowing yourself to understand the way other writers are doing the same thing. This is a very important tool to use as a writer and also a member of an audience. Great post.
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