Instruction
OVERVIEW: As we'll be discussing over the next few weeks, analytical writing examines a complex subject by breaking it down into smaller pieces. The goal is to understand and explain the subject's nature, structure, or essential features.
ASSIGNMENT: For this essay, you will analyze a famous 20th century speech from the following list: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/top100speechesall.html. The only speech from that list that you CANNOT select is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” which we’ll be analyzing together in class.
Your job is to explain the METHODS the speaker uses to effectively communicate a specific MESSAGE to his or her audience. In other words, your essay will explain how the speaker’s choices of language and rhetoric are tailored to the speech’s purpose.
RESEARCH: Because these speeches were delivered decades ago and deal with specific historical circumstances, you’ll need to conduct RESEARCH that will (A) help you better understand their purpose & audience, and (B) provide your reader with necessary context. You’ll need to use at least two outside sources in this essay. We’ll discuss how to identify and integrate such sources in class.
CRITERIA: Your essay should –
Provide a clear, accurate explanation of the speech’s topic
Explain who the speaker is and describe the relevant historical circumstances
Offer a thoughtful argument about the speaker’s message and rhetorical techniques
Validate that argument with specific, well-integrated quotations and paraphrases
Include in-text citations and a Works Cited page
Consist of unified and coherent paragraphs, each with a clear central idea
Be free of major grammatical and usage errors
LENGTH: 1200 - 1500 words
FORMAT: 12-point font, double-spaced, standard margins
VALUE: 125 points
Content: 90 points
Mechanics: 35 points