Mutlimedia Rhetorical Analysis

Your first essay will be a rhetorical analysis of song lyrics and the accompanying official video. In order to complete this essay, you need to choose ONE  song from any genre of music. The song must contain an argument of some kind, AND  it must have an official (one produced by the singer or band, not just one someone threw together on YouTube) video to accompany it. This essay consists of two parts: the first part is the rhetorical analysis of the song lyrics, and the second part is a visual analysis of the music video. Please refer to the Multimedia Analysis Outline for specific directions to write the essay. If you follow the outline, you have a an excellent chance of being successful with this essay. Also, if you were not present in class when I discussed composing a rhetorical analysis, then please read through the notes I posted under Module 5. Additionally, I have included a partial example of a rhetorical analysis of song lyrics and music video. NOTE: THIS IS A PARTIAL ESSAY AND IS BY NO MEANS THE LENGTH I EXPECT YOUR ESSAY TO BE. It is intended to provide you with an idea of how to begin your rhetorical analysis. If you have questions while writing your essay, please contact me, and I will be happy to help you.

                                                      A Caveat about Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

Here’s the hardest part for most writers of rhetorical analyses: whether you agree or disagree with an argument doesn’t matter in a rhetorical analysis. You have to stay out of the fray and pay attention only to how–and to how well–the argument works. When writing your rhetorical analysis, do not tell me that you agree or disagree with the argument or what your opinion of the argument is. That is not a rhetorical analysis and will not receive a passing grade for this essay.