summary pargraph
In your Summary & Analysis Essay, you will compose a one-paragraph description of a print ad, and then follow it with a one-paragraph rhetorical analysis.
You can choose a print ad from the Ad Council Website. (Links to an external site.)
Paragraph 1: Summary
In the Summary paragraph, you need to provide an objective overview of the ad. Assume your reader is not familiar with the ad and cannot see it. Identify the ad and describe its parts beginning with the most obvious (i.e. the image or text that is in the foreground) and then moving to lesser details (i.e. the fine print, the less noticeable visual details.)
Paragraph 2: Analysis
In the second paragraph, you will demonstrate your rhetorical understanding of the ad:
- Make a claim about how the text works.
- Identify one specific rhetorical strategy that the author uses to successfully persuade the audience (or not). Note: There are likely many things going on rhetorically in the text, but for this very brief analysis, I ask that you find one strategy to focus on and deeply analyze.
- Use direct evidence drawn from the ad (e.g. specific visual details and text) to support your analytic claims. (You may also choose to use contextual evidence in addition to textual evidence to support your claims.)
- Demonstrate how the text works within its unique context and for its specific intended audience(s).
Both paragraphs should demonstrate unity, coherence, and development.
