Reflective Essay On Rhetorical Analysis In English

The best writers are the ones who engage in self-evaluation and elaborative revision. The process of constructing, organizing, and revising an essay is not a one-time job, but rather it is a process. Within the past months of English 102, I have learned many strategies and concepts not only about writing, but also analyzing other people’s works rhetorically. In order to further develop my skill in writing and evaluating, I will reflect upon the advertisement rhetorical analysis, the construction of arguments, and the development of structure and organization.
To begin, the first major essay I completed was a rhetorical analysis on two commercial video advertisements, in which I critically examined advertisement strategies that large companies use for their products. After completing the first final draft, I received multiple comments about the introduction, thesis statement, and topic sentences. The introduction apparently contained an unnecessary hook that got the reader’s attention, but had little to do with the context of the essay’s main point. I realized that a hook is only used when writing an original essay based on an argument or for example, a personal narrative. When rhetorically analyzing an advertisement, one must get to the point right away, and start critically
One of my major weaknesses in writing was forming a concrete argument, for many times I would fall in an ambiguous state, where I am neither for nor against. These rhetorical analyses helped me form a strong opinion against or for certain strategies the author uses. Not only does this developing skill help me in rhetoric, but also in future essays and research papers where I must make concrete claims supported by evidence. For example, in the editorial analysis, I was not afraid to form claims against the lack of support and logic the author of that certain article