Preparing for writing Q2 essay on satire...

To prepare for Monday's in-class rhetorical analysis (Q2) essay on satire use the following resources...

1. a past prompt calling for a rhetorical analysis of satire
2009 Q2 on satire (the prompt and the reading)
(Scroll through the Q1 prompt and documents to get to Q2)

2. examples of effective, adequate, and ineffective rhetorical analyses of satire
2009 Q2 on satire (rubric, student responses, and scoring comments)

3. rhetorical analysis vocabulary (including satirical techniques) & general academic vocabulary related to satire
Find the words here.

4. consider how you'll manage your time on Monday

Q2 Process.

1. Analyze the prompt:

What is it asking you to do?

What does it say about purpose and what does it want you to say about purpose? 

What does it want you to say about how rhetorical strategies contribute to the purpose?

2. Read & annotate text with prompt in mind.

3. Create a plan for how you will organize your response: a body paragraph for each strategy that contributes to the purpose? or, a paragraph for each section (or beginning, middle, and end) of the passage?

4. Write an opening. Take a look at strong sample essays for examples of effective openings. (Some students leave blank lines and write the opening after completing the essay.)

5. Write a clear statement responding to the prompt at the end of the first paragraph. This is your thesis or central claim. The statement/thesis/claim will include...

a bold, insightful assertion about the purpose (or whatever aspect of the purpose the prompt wants you to focus on)

& a clear, precise statement of the strategies (techniques, devices, language choices) used to convey the purpose (or particular aspect of purpose the prompt wants you to focus on)

6. Develop and support the central statement/thesis/claim with well organized body paragraphs. Include... 

            each strategy you will write about

            how each strategy contributes to the purpose

            evidence of how the strategy contributes to the purpose

            explanation of how the evidence

7. Write a conclusion that returns convincingly to the overall idea and perhaps even suggests why your analysis is significant. (It is more important to develop and support your analysis than to write a lengthy conclusion.)

8. Re-read your essay to find errors and places that lack clarity.