200 Outstanding Rhetorical Analysis Topics For You

Do you know what a rhetorical analysis paper is? Most students are at a loss already, yet this is a common task tested at college and university level. We will give you the answers you have been looking for with some effective tips and good examples of rhetorical analysis paper topics.

Follow along.

What Is A Rhetorical Analysis Research Paper?

It is a type of writing where the author explores the topic in greater detail and proves his/her standpoint, using persuasive and effective methods. In other words, a rhetorical paper entails ‘writing about writing.’

You will find a rhetorical analysis paper on the AP English exam. It aims to create an informative paper by dividing the phrases or words that the author develops to show the persuasive techniques used to get feedback from the reader.

It requires a restatement of ideas and rhetorical moves used to persuade the audience to do certain things. A rhetorical analysis essay intends to do the following tasks:

Explain the next occurrences in the story,
Why the author decided to use a particular move, and
How those choices might affect the audience

You can rhetorically analyze various works such as speeches, articles, media pieces, and advertisements. Remember that in a rhetoric paper, your goal is not to add your opinions on the topics or dive into your standpoint on the subject but rather to analyze the author’s use of persuasion specifically.

In short, a rhetorical analysis paper analyzes a text for its use of rhetoric or rhetorical writing. Make sense now?

How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Paper: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

As discussed earlier on, rhetoric is how writers use and manipulate language to persuade an audience. Now, rhetorical appeals refer to ethos, pathos, and logos. They are compelling ways, which involve carefully choosing how to craft an argument so that the outcome, audience agreement with the argument, is achieved.

Let us explore each of these three techniques of appeal:

Logos refers to the author’s use of logic, careful structure, and objective evidence to appeal to the audience. An author can achieve this by using:

Information that one can fact-check
Thorough explanations
Solid and non-biased explanation of one’s argument

Logical appeals rest on logical modes of thinking such as comparison, cause/effect thinking, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning.

Pathos: An author’s attempt to tap into the audience’s emotions to get them to agree with his claim. It aims to make the reader feel anger, pride, joy, rage, or happiness.

The appeals used here include:

Expressive descriptions
Vivid imagery
Sharing personal stories
Using emotion-laden vocabulary

However, excessive use of pathos can indicate a lack of substance or emotional manipulation of the audience.

Ethos: This is an author’s appeal to audience values and authorial credibility/character. When the author attempts to tap into the values or ideologies that the audience holds to justify or support his or her argument, this is classified as ethos.

It makes the audience feel that the author is making an argument that is “right” to their eyes.

However, the misuse of ethos, pathos, and logos weakens arguments. Note that using rhetorical appeals does not always lead to a sound, balanced argument.

Structure of a Rhetorical Analysis Paper

To create a good rhetorical analysis paper like a professional writer here is a brief overview of the structure:

Introduction: It exposes your readers to the paper’s topic and tells them why the literary work is important that it warrants a rhetorical analysis. Your thesis statement comes right at the end of the introduction. It states your opinion regarding whether the writer of the literary work was successful in getting his message across to the audience or not.Body: Most rhetorical analysis papers have three body paragraphs. All paragraphs should, however, be connected by a logical flow. You may decide to dedicate one paragraph to ethos, one to pathos, and the last one to logos. Having a clear outline will help you structure your body paragraphs clearly and logically.

Conclusion: This part wraps up the story and encourages additional thinking and reading for the audience. You begin by offering a summary of your body paragraphs’ main ideas and points, then evaluating the work in general and reinstating your thesis statement.

How To Choose Topics For Rhetorical Analysis

Every outstanding rhetorical analysis paper starts with an equally great topic. Below are some of the sources where you can derive your rhetorical topics:

Trending issues in society
A speech by a famous politician, actor, or graduate
A movie or TV show
An advertisement (video or print)

The topic you choose for your rhetorical analysis paper should:

Resonate with you personally
Trigger the emotion of the reader
Show the intention to analyze, not argue

Together, let us look at 200 high-quality rhetoric topics written by expert writers.

Interesting Rhetorical Analysis Topics List

Explore a list of rhetorical topics that will sparkle your paper and brighten up your tutor’s face while awarding grades:

A rhetorical analysis of President Biden’s speech on inauguration day
The rhetoric of William Shakespeare and his famous piece, Romeo and Juliet
Discuss President Obama’s speech on inauguration as compared to that of President Trump
A deep rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther’s speeches that made him famous
Explore the different rhetorical devices used by presenters and the impact on the target audience
Using your knowledge of rhetorical devices, analyze First Lady Melania Trump’s final speech.
What are the limitations of monologues in attracting the audience?
What stands out most in the speeches of ladies as compared to those of men?
Is there any notable rhetoric device in Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Pearl Harbor Address?
Evaluate whether rhetorical devices used in plays suit the purpose of the speech well
How can you point out the rhetorical richness of any speech?
Analyze the use of rhetoric devices in the USA and Britain
Conduct a rhetorical analysis of the Bible
The impact of rhetorical devices on a reader’s perceptions of a non-fiction story
Is there anything that draws your attention to William Shakespeare’s style of writing?
How does the credibility of the author impact the audiences’ perception of the story?
Ways in which plot and theme work to create a masterpiece
A thematic analysis of the ancient writing of the 19th century
Evaluate the rhetorical devices used to portray love and romance in plays
A profound rhetorical analysis of The Odyssey

Rhetorical Essay Topics For College Students

These professionally handpicked rhetorical analysis topics will benefit college students in their final year a great deal:

The issues of rhetoric in Plato’s, Republic
Why Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream” broke the internet
Conduct an in-depth rhetorical analysis of the Black Panther movie
The power of speech writing in George Washington’s speeches
How does television advertising employ the use of rhetorical devices?
An analysis of the rhetorical devices used in the famous portrait, Monalisa
Analyze Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill’s last speech that drove many hearts
The function of literary devices on poetry and plays
Review the main literary devices in the Harry Porter
Analyze any impressive speech made on September, 11 with rhetorical devices in mind
How do blogs and other online writing content use rhetoric?
Analyze a book that impacted your life greatly, and why?
An influential political speech that is still referred to in the 21st century
How technology has made it possible and easy to manipulate rhetoric devices
How do preachers use rhetoric in their sermons to make a meaningful impact on the congregation?
What are the popular marks of acceptance speeches?
Critically analyze a scene from a favourite movie using rhetoric devices
A rhetorical analysis of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons and why they are still popular today
Discuss how solitude is used in various works of literature
Conduct a rhetorical analysis on Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech, The Great Dictator.

Rhetorical Analysis Ideas For High School Students

Are you a middle school or high school student thinking of where to get mind-blowing rhetorical analysis example topics? We have you covered:

Write a rhetorical analysis paper on your first birthday.
Provide a rhetorical analysis of the school principal’s speech on graduation day
The rhetorical analysis of my favourite teacher’s inaugural speech
Analyze the speech of a Nobel Peace Prize winner rhetorically you know
Main themes and analysis of “Pride And Prejudice” by William Shakespeare
A rhetorical analysis of the behaviour of online consumers
How the electronic media has impacted culture: A rhetorical analysis
Analyze rhetorical the power of social media in making the world a global village
Rhetorical analysis on the impact of Olympics and World Cup
The symbolism of playing national anthems during the Olympic games
Main themes and rhetorical analysis of “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare
Analyze the primary themes present in “Alice in the Wonderland”.
A literary analysis of “The Animal Farm.”
Summary and analysis of “The Kite Runner.”
A rhetorical analysis of the environment and consumerism
Rhetorically analyze the attitude of women towards fashion versus that of men.
How do women consume media advertisement messages as compared to men?
Conduct a rhetorical analysis on why the dog is the best keeper of the house
Language serves the life of society: A rhetorical analysis of this statement.
Is the friendship between man and dog real?

Good Rhetorical Analysis Paper Topics

Here are true laconic reasoned topics that will make you express yourself to your audience in a clear and sophisticated manner:

The rhetorical analysis of the speech of an orator you find impactful
The expression of the role of a man and a woman in literary texts
How do authors anticipate the reaction of the audience when using rhetorical devices?
How does stereotyping blur the effective use of rhetorical devices?
Discuss how rhetorical devices vary from classical to Rogerian texts
How does the organization of a particular text complement the subject?
Discuss the patterns that exist in William Shakespeare’s choice of words
What is the impact of an objective or subjective author’s approach?
The use of syntax in minimizing information that detracts from the argument
How keywords, phrases, and ideas are used to communicate messages in literary texts
The impact of a formal or informal language on the delivery of a speech
Why do concrete or abstract images matter in a literary text?
The ethos, pathos, and logos of Nelson Mandela’s speech “I am prepared to die.”
Is Priyanka Chopra’s speech, “Full Power of Women” feminine subjective?
What features made Denzel Washington’s Dillard University Commencement Speech stand out?
A rhetoric analysis of Coca-Cola’s logo colours
Rhetoric analysis of President Biden’s speech on transgender
A literary analysis of “The Ethics of Belief” by Clifford
Rhetorically analyze “The Power of Introverts” by Susan Cain.
Analyze the rhetoric devices used in “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” by Tim Urban

Easy Rhetorical Analysis Topics For Essay

Finding researchable ideas for your rhetorical analysis paper can be daunting, especially when you don’t know where to start. Here are manageable topics that you can start with:

Conduct a rhetorical analysis on the meaning behind Mona Lisa’s smile
A rhetorical analysis of songs from pop-culture
What rhetorical devices made Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon controversial?
How is heroism as a literary theme brought out by different writers?
Discuss how authors handle the issues of prejudice and race in their writings
Rhetorical strategies used in the Harry Potter series
Alexander the Great Speech: A study of the symbols and literary devices used
The relevance of the themes of hope and love in most literary texts
Rhetorical strategies used by Louisa May Alcott in advancing feminism
Rhetorical used devices in the American national anthem
Why Rachel Platten’s Fight Song is a mark of both art and creativity
How is it that Ted talks tend to attract a large number of listeners?
How do advertisers curate language used in billboard and poster advertising?
How the use of symbols and vivid description changes the visual impression of a literary work
The rhetorical composition of different religious texts
Analyze the stylistic devices available in The Picture of Dorian Gray
Analyze the speech of your class representative on Memorial Day
A review of the main rhetorical devices in Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own.”
How does the use of stylistic devices in ancient times vary from that of today?
Discuss the most valuable rhetorical strategies in The Hunger Games

Rhetorical Situation Essay Topics in 2023

Are you fed up with all the redundant and easy rhetorical analysis topics of 2020? Well, here is a chance to rejuvenate yourself with the latest rhetorical analysis topics of 2023:

A rhetorical analysis of The Raven written by the poet Edgar Allen Poe
Analyze Jonathan Edward’s sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God.”
Give a rhetorical analysis of Pearl Harbor speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s
Conduct a detailed rhetorical analysis of BBC World’s “See Both Sides of the Story” billboard
What makes “To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee such an interesting novel to read?
The relevance of “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer today
Discuss William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
Inaugural address of the first American black female Vice President, Kamala Harris
Evaluate the rhetorical devices present in Macbeth
A rhetorical analysis of Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock.”
Main themes and analysis of “The Great Gatsby.”
The final speech of Donald Trump as the President of the United States
Analyze President Trump’s speech after the violence at The US Capitol
Stylistic devices of Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech
An analysis of President Trump’s Twitter messages
Discuss “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk
An analysis of Jack Ma’s motivational speeches
How do native speakers communicate messages as compared to others?
An evaluation of rhetorical devices in funeral messages
Reasons why “The Great Gatsby” movie was a success