Rhetorical Analysis: The Persuasive Art of Commencement Speeches
Assignment Purpose:
According to Laura Bolin Carroll, rhetoric is “the way we use language and images to persuade.” From political parties to Instagram to the five seconds of advertisement you have to suffer through before the “skip ad” link becomes active on YouTube, it’s easy to see how Carroll’s statements about how “our worlds are full of … social influence” still ring true . Further, in light of the volatility that has erupted over the past few years, it’s all the more important that we take a closer look at how rhetoric is used in human interactions as a step into becoming a more informed consumer of information.
Assignment Overview:
For this essay we will be closely reading a commencement speech in order to better understand how rhetorical shaping takes place. The aim of the assignment is to identify the writer’s thesis and to analyze the rhetorical strategies/ persuasive methods used in order to develop their idea(s)/achieve their purpose. Your essay should not be just a summary of the speech, nor should it be a review based on your personal opinions on the topic of it.
Unit Steps:
Review the Lectures in this unit/block
Read through the selected commencement speeches and then complete your discussion post 2.
Read Carroll’s “Backpacks Versus Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis” and complete your discussion post 3
Complete your “lead-up activity: “Rhetorical Steps” on your ONE chosen speech
Draft your Essay
Turn in your final draft
Essay Components:
Your essay should do all of the following:
Identify the main argument and / or purpose of the speech .
Provide a brief summary of the speech for context. This should be done within a few sentences.
Examine the ways in which the aim of the speech’s argument is supported through rhetorical and persuasive strategies . What is the writer’s purpose? What is the argument? What assertions/claims are made? Are there fallacies, contradictions, or inconsistencies? What is the attitude or viewpoint of the writer? What is the tone of the piece?
What rhetorical strategies does the writer use to make their point? How does the structure and the detail elements of the article help achieve its purpose?
To focus your ideas, make sure to represent the best evidence or claims the article is using to achieve its purpose. Explain why these seem to be the most persuasive and analyze how the writer uses them to convince an audience.
Minimum Requirements:
Length: 2-4 double-spaced pages.
Source Usage: You will choose ONE of the speeches we read together as a class from week 1 and you will use Carroll’s “Backpacks Versus Briefcases” as a way to support your analysis of the speech That is all that is required, although if you CHOOSE to use other sources, you must cite on your works cited page.
The essay must include a properly formatted works cited page (MLA).
See rubric for specifics
Sources:
You will choose ONE of the following speeches to analyze in your essay:
Viola Davis’s speech
Oprah Winfrey’s speech
Atul Gawande’s speech
These are all linked on Canvas, in the week 2 module.
Reading from this unit :
Carroll: “Backpacks Versus Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis”
Remember, Carrol is a scholar, discussion how rhetoric works. So when you use Carroll’s text, you do so in support of your analysis on the rhetorical moves of the speech you have picked to focus your essay on.
