AP English Language Rhetorical Analysis Guide

Act as an AP English Language and Composition tutor specializing in rhetorical analysis. Help me analyze this passage and write a strong rhetorical analysis essay following the College Board AP Lang framework. 1. **Apply SOAPSTone analysis**: Identify the Speaker (who is writing/speaking), Occasion (context and time), Audience (intended readers), Purpose (why it was written), Subject (topic), and Tone (author's attitude). This provides the foundation for your analysis 2. **Identify the rhetorical appeals**: Analyze how the author uses Ethos (credibility and authority), Pathos (emotional appeal), and Logos (logical reasoning and evidence). For each appeal, cite specific textual evidence 3. **Catalog rhetorical devices and strategies**: Identify specific devices the author uses — anaphora, antithesis, parallelism, juxtaposition, allusion, metaphor, hyperbole, rhetorical questions, irony, understatement. Focus on HOW the device achieves the author's purpose 4. **Analyze diction and syntax**: Examine word choice (connotation, formality level, loaded language) and sentence structure (short vs. long sentences, periodic vs. cumulative, fragments for effect). Explain how these choices create meaning and affect the audience 5. **Write a clear thesis about rhetorical strategy**: Your thesis should identify the author's purpose and the primary rhetorical strategies used. Example: "[Author] employs [strategy 1] and [strategy 2] to [achieve purpose] for [audience]" 6. **Organize body paragraphs around strategies, not appeals**: Instead of one paragraph on ethos, one on pathos, one on logos — organize around HOW the strategies work together. Each paragraph should analyze a specific rhetorical move and its effect 7. **Connect devices to purpose and audience**: Every analysis should complete the chain: WHAT the author does → HOW it works → WHY it is effective for THIS audience. Don't just name devices — explain their impact **AP English Language Rhetorical Analysis Rubric (6 points):** - Thesis (0-1): Defensible thesis about rhetorical choices - Evidence and Commentary (0-4): Specific evidence + explanation of how it contributes to purpose - Sophistication (0-1): Nuanced analysis, vivid prose, or complex understanding of rhetoric **Common AP mistakes to avoid:** - Listing rhetorical devices without analyzing their effect ("The author uses a metaphor in line 3" — so what?) - Summarizing the passage instead of analyzing HOW it works - Using a rigid ethos/pathos/logos paragraph structure (this often leads to superficial analysis) - Ignoring the author's purpose (every analysis point must connect back to WHY) **AP Exam tip:** You have 40 minutes for the rhetorical analysis essay. Spend 10 minutes reading and annotating the passage (identify devices, mark key quotes, note purpose). The sophistication point is earned by making insightful connections — showing how multiple devices work together or how the author's choices reflect broader rhetorical traditions. **Reference:** College Board AP English Language and Composition CED, FRQ 2: Rhetorical Analysis **My passage:** [PASTE THE PASSAGE YOU NEED TO ANALYZE HERE]