Rhetorical Analysis, Essay Example

Style Analysis

In the below review the rhetorical analysis of two different texts will be completed. One of them is written by myself; an essay written about an internship I completed and one of the most famous speeches of all times; “I Have a Dream” By Martin Luther King Jr. The comparison and analysis will be based on rhetorical situations, elements and structure. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the differences, patterns and what I have learned from the essays; their rhetorical tools and approaches.

My Own Essay

The argumentative writing sample has a personal tone and is written in first person.

Ethos, Pathos and Logos

Ethos (credibility) is achieved by providing personal experiences, letting the reader know about the beliefs of the author.

Pathos appears by showing the appreciation of opportunities provided by the company. The essay states: “I do believe that I provided value to the company”.

Logos appears in the text when the writer builds up the argument related to the general perceptions about internships (just a position that makes free labor available for employers) and conflicts this perception by telling people about his own experiences. The writer also compares the experience with other internships they completed, giving details to convince the reader about the superiority of the particular work experience.

The purpose of the writing is to convince the reader about the relevancy of the writer’s knowledge they gained through their work experience and the benefits of completing similar courses. It is a review of the experiences, knowledge obtained and the attitude of the company towards interns.

The situation position of the paper is to inform the reader about the details of the internship and the professional/personal outcomes of the experience.

Martin Luther King Jr’s Speech

In the “I have a dream” Martin Luther King Jr uses different methods of convincing the listeners; repetition, personal tone and in many cases, first person plural.

Ethos appears in the speech in several ways. The speaker communicates his credibility as a leader of people by recalling the events of the past years. He affirms the involvement of people in his activism and the results they achieved together.

Pathos appears in the text when Martin Luther King Jr talks about his beliefs and emotions. “we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope “. He talks about the beliefs of not only himself but his followers.

Logos is built up in the speech using a logical approach, recalling where people came from, what they did for the nation and how they got suppressed. He states: “America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned “.

Purpose of the speech is to motivate the crowd; there is no need for Martin Luther King Jr to convince them about the truth and validity of the movement; he simply wants to raise spirits and give his followers strength. He wants to unite all those who agree with his political ideology.

The situation is a demonstration which concludes the achievements of the Negro movement in America and to unite the masses to fight for freedom.

The Elements of Style

One of the strengths of both texts analyzed is related to the use of ethos. While Martin Luther King Jr uses first person singular and first person plural, the essay reviewed only uses first person singular. By using “we” Martin Luther King achieves more credibility and creates an active connection with people. Using an active voice is a powerful method, applied by both texts. Some of the examples are:

“I have a dream” – instead of “My dream is…” (Martin Luther King)

“I never stopped gaining knowledge and insight on topics I had never studied before.” (essay)

I have learned that the statement of purpose is extremely important. Martin Luther King Junior starts the speech with identifying the purpose of the narrative.

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation “

This is an element which is missing from my essay and could have made it better. The affirmation of the purpose is extremely powerful in rhetoric approaches, and I should have used it in my text. Instead of starting with:

“They say that internships are supposed to prepare you for future careers, and as a Marketing Intern for PrimeLending that is exactly what mine did.”

I could have started the essay with an argument; “I believe that some internships provide real value for students and help them achieve the training and skills they need to find a full time permanent position. For a long time I thought that they were ways of exploiting students, but my experience at Prime Lending has convinced me of the opposite”.

This approach would have strengthened the purpose, logos and situation elements of the writing, providing a better rhetorical approach.

References

King, M. L. Jr. (1963) I Have a Dream. Full Text. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm