speech self analysis essay

Student Resources

Self-analysis essay.

Write a self-analysis essay after delivering your how-to speech.   Your paper should demonstrate college-level writing skills, with attention to grammar and spelling. Be sure to write using well-developed paragraphs. Be sure to include an introduction and conclusion. Describe specific behaviors from your speech to support your opinions and incorporate terms and concepts from the text to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts.   See attached document for detailed instructions.

Self Analysis essay expectations.pdf

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32 Reflect – Informative Speech Self Critique

Informative Speech Self Critique Assignment

Understand the mn state communication pathways learning outcomes for this assignment:, students should be able to:.

1.4 Utilize appropriate research strategies to discover and ethically integrate supporting materials from diverse sources and points of view.

1.5 Demonstrate the ability to listen, analyze, and provide feedback on public discourse.

Description

Start: After you give your speech, ASAP — watch your video one time without stopping it. Then, watch it a second time and answer these questions, rewinding, stopping and playing, etc. as you go. Answer the questions honestly. Remember to use specific examples to support your responses. Remember to quote your online textbook – OR notes online in the Content Area that are relevant to your response — often folks forget and that is the only reason they get poor scores (really!). You will “cite” the textbook like you would a source in your outline.

Read: look back at the chapters related to this unit.

Practice: review the vide of your speech

Do: Complete this

A nice job here will help bolster your grade…!!!

•  How did you practice for this speech (honestly)? How did your preparation differ from the Introduction Speech? What went well in your preparation and what will you do differently for your next speech? How was anxiety similar/different this time? Answer fully below (about at least a paragraph – and please use proper grammar/spelling for full credit – i mn not “texting” mezaages k?):
• Did you state your sources at least 3 times during your speech? When — be specific – add times from your video if possible. Did you say “who, where and when” — be SPECIFIC).  Add the “times” on the video for full credit.
• Watch your speech carefully. Now describe your greatest strength concerning the CONTENT of your speech (content is “what” you said, delivery is “how” you said it careful not to mix these up).

Look to chapters that talk about supporting materials and organization for this question.

Include a specific example from your speech to illustrate your response (yes, quote yourself); explain why this is a strength and include a quote and citation from the free online textbook  (or if you have a hard copy, you can use this too) to support your explanation.

My greatest strength in the content area was my use of transitions. An example of this was when I moved from my first main point to my second main point I said, “Now that I have told you how this book represents my hard exterior, let’s open it up and see how it can also represent the softer side of me.” This was a strength because I was clear and creative in my movement between ideas, as described on page 8-7 in chapter 8 of the online textbook, it says, ” One way to connect points is to include transitional statements. Transitional statements are phrases or sentences that lead from one distinct but connected idea to another. They are used to alert audiences to the fact that you are getting ready to discuss something else.” Thus, these should be smooth and help you move from one point to another” (Barnett, 8-7).

• Now watch your speech carefully and describe your greatest strengths concerning the DELIVERY of your speech (delivery is “how” you said it, content is “what” you said).

For this question,  include a specific example from your speech to illustrate your response (yes, quote yourself and describe the delivery of that quote); explain why this is a strength and include a quote and citation from the free online textbook to support your explanation.

My greatest strength in the delivery area was my use of eye contact. For example, in the body of my speech, when I was covering my second point on why this occurs, I said “this could happen to each of us” and began to look directly at the audience members, and looked to each side very slowly (at 1:30 in the video). I think that this is a strength because if you can look someone in the eye, you generally appear sincere. In the text, on page 12-10, it states, “The eyes are called the windows to the soul, and the importance of eye contact in communication cannot be overemphasized. Ideally, a speaker should include 80% to 90% of the delivery time with eye contact” (Capecce, 12-10). Thus, the online stresses you should not read your speech, with my eye contact I was able to avoid that!

• What will you want to improve upon concerning your delivery? List three areas you will focus upon for the next speech. For each area to improve, give a specific example from your speech to illustrate your response. Then describe how you will work to improve in this area.

I used too many hand gestures. For example, when I was describing the first reason the ball represents me, I looked like I was flying. I raised my hands 10 times in just 43 seconds! I plan to watch myself in a mirror and actually practice my gestures next time. I will write out on my note cards when I should use the gestures….  (then add 2 more areas to improve and your plans for improvement as above).

The Public Speaking Resource Project Copyright © 2018 by Lori Halverson-Wente and Mark Halverson-Wente is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Speech Preparation #9: Prepare Now for Your Next Speech

This article focuses on the sixth step: critiquing your speech so you can learn from your strengths and weaknesses . Thus, a self-critique is really the first step in preparation for your next speech.

• How to Prepare Your Presentation
• Select Your Speech Topic
• Plan Your Speech Outline
• Writing Your First Draft
• Editing Your Speech
• Add Speech Impact with Rhetorical Devices
• Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety
• Practicing Your Presentation
• Self-Critique: Preparation for Next Time
• Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Why Critique Your Presentation Skills?

Great speakers realize that presentation skills are not easily mastered in one or two or ten speeches. Speaking skills are improved incrementally one speech at a time.

To realize these incremental improvements, it is essential to periodically review your skills . Some people prefer to do this review once a week or once a month; I recommend that you review your skills after every speech , especially if you are a novice speaker just dipping your toes into the public speaking pool.

Critiquing Your Own Speech

It only takes a few minutes to review a speech , and the best time to do it is the same day that you delivered it. Your delivery is still fresh in your mind, as is your preparation for the speech.

When critiquing your own speech, you can apply many of the same criteria that you would when critiquing someone else’s speech. You will find an extensive list of these criteria in a previous Six Minutes article about speech analysis .

Those criteria are a great start, but you can also ask yourself many other questions too.

• Overall, were you satisfied with your final speech? If not, why not?
• Did you achieve your objective ? Was your core message received by the audience?
• Were you confident during your delivery? Were you more nervous or less nervous than previous speeches?
• What audience feedback did you receive during or after delivery of the speech? What strengths were mentioned? What weaknesses were revealed?
• What did you think of your delivery ?
• Did you have any stumbles ? Were they caused by nervousness, or was there another cause?
• How long did you speak ? Was this shorter or longer than you had planned? If you were under time, this may be an indication that your speaking rate was a bit fast. If you were over time, this may be an indication that you should have cut more material.
• Did you try any new techniques, either in the preparation phase or in your delivery? If so, what did you think? What lessons can you extract?

Depending on the context of the speech , a few other questions include:

• Was your pre-speech audience analysis accurate ? If not, what did you learn about this audience that you could apply to the speech to make it better?
• If you led a Q&A session during the presentation, how did it go? From the types of questions asked, did it seem like your audience “got” the message?
• If you obtained an audio recording , what did you learn from listening to it? Was your voice clear throughout? Did you have any distracting habits? (e.g. um’s, ah’s, trailing off at the end of sentences)
• If you obtained a video recording , what did you learn from watching it? How was your posture and eye contact? Were your gestures varied and timed well? Did you have any distracting habits?

And, one final question:

• If you were going to deliver the same speech to the same audience, what would you do differently ?

Remember that the aim of the self-critique is not to beat yourself up over any slips or mistakes you might have made. Instead, the true aim is to celebrate your successes and look ahead to see how you can improve for your next speech.

Self-Critique Example — Face the Wind

Overall, I’m very happy with my 2007 contest speech Face the Wind . I won the club, area, and division contests, and presented on the “big stage” at the district conference.

Unfortunately, I didn’t achieve the goal I had set for myself — winning the District 21 Speech Contest. I felt that I could have won, but the field of ten contestants was very strong.

Here’s my self-assessment, aided by the fact that I have an excellent video of my performance!

Speech Self-Critique: Strengths

• I did my best. I honestly felt that I delivered the best possible speech that my skills allowed at that given time. As I was walking off the stage, I wanted to give someone a high-five because I knew the delivery was my best.
• Gestures and Staging. I felt my choreography was second to none . I received numerous compliments on this aspect of the speech. This made me quite happy because I had spent a great deal of time working on gestures and staging.
• I got laughter from the audience in most places where I was aiming for it.
• Several audience members suggested that I have the skill set to be a full-time motivational speaker .
• I had lots of fun through the whole process! I received such positive encouragement from so many people. The organizers of the district speech contest treated the contestants like royalty!

Speech Self-Critique: Weaknesses

• In the future , I should videotape my rehearsal sessions to see if I can pick up on this trait.
• In the future , I need to work on writing so I have better punchlines and punch words .
• In the future , I need to keep my voice strong even during “quiet” lines.
• In the future , I need to solicit more feedback specifically about the core message and what might be done to strengthen it. Perhaps I need to devote a little more time to speech writing, and less to delivery techniques.

A question for you, my esteemed readers … How could I have improved the speech?

Next in the Speech Preparation Series

The last article in the Speech Preparation Series examines Toastmasters Speech Contests and the preparation necessary to be successful.

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Great point to critique yourself and I’m constantly amazed at how many people don’t. Actually, I’m not – because in the relief of having finished and not dieing of fright during their presentation they are on such a high they just don’t think.

One way I’ve encouraged myself to do it is to put it on my checklist of things to do – which obviously covers the things before I go on stage but also includes the things to do afterwards: thank X, speak to the sound person, check my kit etc….

Simon: I like the idea of a post-presentation checklist. That may help to form the speech self-critique habit.

Two hopefully helpful critiques: First, while your gestures were overall really excellent–evocative and well delivered–there were a few that I felt were overdone. Gestures which hit the audience over the head a bit too much, as it were. Two that come to mind: when you went down on your knees in the tree story, that felt over-done and somewhat un-natural. And in the Maximus story when you made the baby-cradling gesture, it felt almost hyperbolic–we get that it’s an emotional story, and I don’t feel that the words actually needed a gesture to underscore them. To me, the best gestures have an “organic” feel to them, they seem wholly natural in the context of the words that surround them. But those two gestures struck me as having been added solely to “punch up” your speech, and not because they were natural. Thus they ring false and detract from your overall message and the audience’s perception of it.

Second, on the speech content itself: As you moved from story to story, I had trouble understanding the connection between them. Part of this was because such a large part of the first story was taken up with talking about yardwork, which was only peripheral to your real message. I’d have spent less (or no) time talking about moving your maple tree and more time talking about the threat posed by the neighbor’s tree. So as the speech moved from yardwork to the neighbor’s tree to miscarriage, my concept of the speech’s theme had to keep shifting from “work” to “risk” to “challenge”. That, too, undermined your message. Taking each story within the speech, paring it to the essentials that focus on your real message, and briefly stating the message at the end of each story would have helped enormously. They say that if you want people to remember anything, you have to say it three times. So with two stories, each one concluding with the message, and an overall speech conclusion that really lays out the message for all to see, you’ve got your three times.

Jason: I appreciate your detailed and specific speech critique. It is very helpful, and also a great example of the type of evaluation I discuss in the Speech Analysis Series .

I find your columns quite helpful! So I would pass on a couple of thoughts on your performance in Face The Wind.

I agree with the comments listed and would like to add two more. 1. Lug the tree – wrap your arms around it and walk like it is heavy. 2. Add energy to your voice. Make it more dynamic. Increase the volume range, variation and energy.

Hi, It really was a great speech. Content great. I think it could have been pruned a little to make it snappier.

Body language was perfect.

I have just delivered my ‘ice breaker’ so what do I know?!

What I feel personally is that many speeches lack congruency. What I mean by that is that although they are executed well, they don’t connect with the audience. They are a speech and not a conversation with the audience.

Anthony Robbins is that master at congruent speaking. Even though he is running through set material it is like he is doing it for the first time and its all off the cuff. You can really see his emotional connection with his words.

I think if you had attached emotional congruency with the sadness of the bad weather and also with the lost of the babies, it would have been more powerful.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I for the master at work. I have no connection to the guy what so ever but I am working on improving my skills based on his talent.

Hi, Andrew: I am preparing my third speech-get to the point and searched at web and found you web that is absolutely helpful to me-a new member of TM since Sep. this year. I read all the 1-9 of your speech preparation series (have not done the 10 as you mentioned feedback to your FACE the WIND, I decide to write you before reading the 10). I love your face the wind and reviewed it for different learning purposes from step 1 to 9. The first time I viewed it, I expected your two hands and arms would be upper or higher for “the mortgage is tripled” than you said your living space is doubled, same expectation when I reviewed it more times later. Thanks to find your web, I am more confident to prepare for the third one and wished I found you earlier, I would do better for the Ice breaker speech and the second one Organize your speech. Regards, Zhou Hui

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Tips On How To Write A Self Analysis Essay?

Table of Contents

What is a self-analysis essay, reflect on personal experiences, identify themes, consider impactful moments, consider audience, choose a topic, create an outline, introduction about self analysis, body paragraphs, honesty and reflection, conclusion about self-analysis, self-reflection on personal growth, exploring career development and goals, what to include in a self-assessment essay sample.

Self-analysis papers are essential for students planning to enroll themselves in premium colleges and universities. While writing self-analysis papers, students often face various challenges. Hence, in this blog, we will discuss in detail how to write a self-analysis paper.

Self-analysis pieces are a type of personal essay where individuals reflect on their own experiences. Students reflect on their own

All these reflections eventually help in gaining personal growth. By introspecting themselves, individuals gain insights about their own thoughts. The self-evaluation essays typically discuss the

• Aspirations

You can also add any significant experiences that you may have faced. The purpose of writing a self-assessment essay is to foster self-awareness. Simultaneously, it is used to facilitate personal growth and to set future goals. For more guidance, you can contact our professional writers.

How Do I Choose a Topic for My Self-Analysis Essay?

Choosing a self-analysis topic decides the success of your final essay. So, follow these tips to choose a perfect topic for you -

Remembering past experiences is an excellent way to get ideas about a topic. Consider significant events or challenges you may have faced in your life. You can also take inspiration from past achievements. These moments of self-reflection can lead to excellent topics.

Look for common themes in your life. You can find common personality traits. You can also explore some common topics on self-perception or self-worth. There can be many recurring struggles that define who you are. You can look for themes that resonate with your strengths and weaknesses. All these can make excellent topics.

Think about moments that made you learn something new. It can be a reality check with your strengths and weaknesses. It can be meeting someone who made you think about changing your lifestyle. These moments that may have helped you choose a perfect life can be a good self-analysis essay example.

It is crucial to consider your audience before penning down the words. Think about who will be reading your essay. Think about what you want your readers to learn for your self-perception analysis. Understand if your audience can relate to your strengths and weaknesses. Choose a topic that will resonate with the life of a reader.

If you are struggling to find any meaningful topics, feel free to brainstorm among yourselves. Assess the significance and relevance of each potential topic. A good self-analysis topic should always be meaningful to you. At the same time, the words must have the potential to engage your readers. Hire our essay writing service

Struggling to Choose a Self-Analysis Essay, Get Help!

How to Start a Self-Evaluation Essay?

Here is a personal analysis paper format that you can follow -

Every self-analysis piece must start with a well-defined topic. Choose a topic that is relevant to the present world. Choose a topic that can take a person on a potential journey rather than being just another read.

The next step is creating an outline. This serves as the basic framework for your self-analysis projects. In this step, you have to define the scope of the paper in clear writing.

Once the outline is ready, you can start writing the introduction. The introduction of self-analysis essays is unlike what you usually write. Here you don't have to brief any problems. Instead, you have to write short paragraphs on yourself. Mention a little about your personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses.

The next section is the body paragraphs. Here, you have to write about yourself in greater detail. Write exactly how you want to present yourself to the world. This is your chance to show your audience how you were as a person. You also have to explain how you want to be as a person in the future. Support your statements by writing about past incidences. For example, you may have abusive parents in your childhood. This has transformed you from being timid to an empath.

One of the most important aspects of writing essays on your personality is maintaining honesty. When you are writing an essay about yourself, you must always develop it from your own life. If you create fictional stories, they will never be relatable. Moreover, when you narrate your own story, it showcases your personality clearly. Your words will resonate with the readers only when you give examples from your own life. This can be done best by reflecting on your past experiences. Reflect on past conflicts or your weaknesses. The learning you have gotten from these will translate into honest stories.

Finally, you can end the essay with a strong conclusion. You have to explain the whole learning curve you experienced. Mention how you realized that a single instance can affect your future. In a few words, conclude by stating how this past education has forced you to develop new skills and become a better person overall.

For more detailed guidance, feel free to hire our   analytical essay writing service .

Examples of Self-Analysis Essay

Here are two self-evaluation essay examples that you can refer to -

In this essay, I want to shed light on my personal growth over the past year. I experienced various challenges in the last one year. I saw problems within my family and in my professional domain. However, I overcame all these with my skills. These achievements helped me to look at life from a different perspective. In an attempt to introspect myself, I discovered my strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. These moments made me a more resilient human than before.

In this essay, I will talk about my aspirations and career development. As I reflect on my educational background and professional experiences, I can see a definite course. I have been fortunate to balance my passion and career even in an unfamiliar environment. Through this process, I understood the importance of continuous learning. I also feel that networking and adaptability can influence your career positively. Overall, my assessment of myself has helped me to take proactive steps towards fulfilling my ambitions.

If you need more examples of   how to write personal essay , let us know!

You can include several key elements if you are writing a self-assessment essay -

Introduction

Begin with an engaging introduction. Provide some background information about yourself and address the purpose of the essay.

Personal Goals

Discuss your personal goals and objectives. Discuss what gives you motivation to succeed. Explain how these goals align with your current aspirations and beliefs.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. Provide specific examples to support your assessment. Be honest and constructive in your evaluation.

Achievements

Highlight your achievements and accomplishments. Give an example and discuss how these achievements have contributed to your growth.

Challenges and Obstacles

Describe any challenges you have faced in your life. Mention how these challenges acted as sources of education for you. Keep explaining how you have overcome them. Reflect on how they have shaped you as a person.

Skills and Abilities

Evaluate your existing knowledge by aligning them with your goals and objectives. Discuss how your skills help you excel in certain areas and where you need further improvement.

Learning and Development

Reflect on your learning over a specific period of time. Discuss any courses or experiences that have helped you grow.

Future Plans

Outline your future plans. Do a self-introspection about how you intend to achieve your goals. Discuss any skills you need to develop in order to reach your objectives.

Summarize all your key points. More importantly, reflect on the overall significance of your assessment. However, do not introduce any new points in this section.

If you struggle to incorporate all of these seamlessly into your papers, let us know.

Get Your Self Analysis Essay

FAQs for Self Analysis Essay

How should i start my self-assessment.

To start your essay on self-analysis, you can start with a brief introduction. This will set the context for your evaluation. Here's an example of how you could start - "As I reflect on the matter I faced ten years back, I felt that I should conduct a thorough self-analysis. This test will give me an idea about my skills and weaknesses. I can understand where I am lagging and work on those areas. I can figure out how to align my goals with my achievements. Also, I will get detailed ideas about my capabilities to resolve conflicts. This will ultimately help me to improve in both personal and professional spheres."

What is a sample sentence for self-evaluation?

Here is an example of how a perfect self-analysis sentence should look like -

"In reviewing my performance over the past year, I have found that my ability to adapt to new challenges has grown. I also learned how to collaborate effectively with others and contribute to the success of our team."

What Should I Include in the Introduction of My Essay?

In the introduction of your self-analysis paper, you should aim to provide a brief overview of why you are doing the test. You should give a hint about the purpose of your self-analysis. You can also give the readers an idea of what to expect to learn from it.

Should I Discuss Both Strengths and Weaknesses in My Self-Analysis Essay?

Yes, it is a good idea to discuss both strengths and weaknesses while writing essays on self-analysis. This gives the readers a sense of balance. Readers also love to read such essays since they evoke -

• Self-Awareness
• Holistic Evaluation
• Opportunities for Growth
• Authenticity

Do I Have to Address the Challenges I've Faced in My Self-Analysis Essay?

Yes, you have to point out the various challenges that you may have faced while writing about yourself. When you show your struggle and how you overcame it, readers can understand how you grew over time. However, it's ultimately up to you how much you want to divulge about oneself. Ideally, you should only discuss challenges that perfectly align with the assessment objectives.

How Should I Conclude My Self-Analysis Essay?

While doing an assessment of yourself, you need to know the secrets of creating a solid conclusion. For that, follow these tips -

• Summarize the key discoveries you made about yourself
• Reflect on the growth you have experienced
• Consider reiterating the main points you've discussed
• Emphasize how they contribute to your overall assessment.
• Finally, end the page with a thought-provoking opinion.

Should I Seek Feedback on My Self-Analysis Essay?

Yes, you should always seek feedback if you are writing an essay on personal assessment. Get feedback from people who know you well. Ask your friends, teachers, or parents to judge your paper. They have a good idea about your usual behavior. So they can easily help you understand if you have covered all the factors accurately.

Bella Phillips As a passionate blogger for Essay Help USA by #1 Writing Expert 50% Off.I am currently employed at a leading Business Law firm in White Plains. I am associated with Allessaywriter.com for several years and helping the Law students with their essays.

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How to Write a Self-Analysis Essay

Self-analysis essays force you to think critically and honestly about yourself and your work. These essays are often assigned at the college level as a way to reflect on yourself and your progress as a writer. They’re also used after group projects to gauge your personal contributions. Although they may sound difficult, self-analysis essays follow a basic structure. Practicing true introspection is the hard part.

Formatting Your Essay

Your self-analysis essay may vary in length from two to seven pages, depending on the assignment. It should follow the basic structure of a personal essay. You’ll need an introduction that states your thesis -- your central idea or theme. You’ll need at least three subsequent sections -- one for your strengths as a writer, one for your weaknesses and another for your future goals. Your conclusion should restate your thesis and sum up what you’ve learned about yourself. Each section may be a single paragraph or multiple paragraphs. Though the essay will be written in the first-person voice, use topic sentences to transition from one section to the next. For example, “Having acknowledged my natural talent for grammar, I would like now to address my weaknesses as a speller” could serve as a transitional topic sentence linking your strengths and weaknesses sections.

Establishing Your Thesis

The first honest moment of your self-analysis comes in the formulation of your thesis. You must answer the question of how you’ve performed in recent work. More than just rating yourself, you’ll need to provide a qualitative statement. If your essay is in response to a group project, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington recommends describing how your contributions hindered or helped the group. You might write, “My difficulty with research hindered the final presentation of our project by leaving out crucial information.” If you’re writing in response to a prior essay, you might state how you handled the material: “The topic was challenging, but I researched it thoroughly and presented a compelling argument.” Your thesis will guide the rest of your essay, so be honest and precise.

Outlining Strengths and Weaknesses

Your essay must dig into specific strengths and weaknesses -- the qualities you believe contributed to the outcome stated in your thesis. Teachers don’t want a litany of blame; they want students to be truthful about their shortcomings and to offer ideas for improvement. For instance, if you need help organizing your thoughts, presenting your findings in a more logical order, then state this in your section about personal weaknesses. If you’re particularly good at describing experiences in vivid detail, a natural storyteller, then don’t shy away from highlighting this strength in the appropriate section. Writing instructor David T. Burkam encourages students to think about what excites them in the writing process and what terrifies or intimidates them.

Setting Personal Goals

This last section of your essay should transition from self-analysis to self-improvement. Be specific. If you struggle with redundancy and a lack of vocabulary, state how you will consult a thesaurus for your next assignment to diversify your word choice. If reflecting on a group project, describe what you will do differently in the future to better help your partners, such as, “I won’t procrastinate, and I will turn in my research on time.” In your conclusion, revisit your thesis, but also sum up what you’ve learned through personal reflection. Your essay should be both reflective and proactive.

• University of North Carolina at Wilmington: Self-Analysis Paper
• University of Michigan: Student Self-Assessment of Writing in a First-Year Writing Course

Scott Neuffer is an award-winning journalist and writer who lives in Nevada. He holds a bachelor's degree in English and spent five years as an education and business reporter for Sierra Nevada Media Group. His first collection of short stories, "Scars of the New Order," was published in 2014.

Chapter 6: Thinking and Analyzing Rhetorically

6.7 What is self analysis?

Emilie Zickel

The final assignment in your English 100 or 101 course at Cleveland State University will include a reflective essay in which you describe your growth as a writer over the course of the semester. This activity of reflecting on your growth and performance is what is called a metacognitive activity: one in which you think and write about your learning.

Writing a formal reflective essay may be a new thing for you, so this chapter will provide an overview of why we write reflections on our learning and how to approach a reflection assignment.

How is reflective writing in the academic setting different from journaling or writing in a diary?

If you write in a diary or a journal, recording your thoughts and feelings about what has happened in your life, you are certainly engaging in the act of reflection. Many of us have some experience with this type of writing. In our diaries, journals, or other informal spaces for speaking – or writing- our mind,  write to ourselves, for ourselves, in a space that will largely remain private.

Your reflection essay for college courses will contain some of those same features:

• The subject of the reflective essay is you and your experiences
• You can generally use first person in a reflective essay

But writing academic reflections, like the one that is due for the English 100/101 portfolio assignment, is a bit different from journalling or keeping a diary:

What can be gained from metacognitive activities that ask you to reflect on your learning and your performance as a writer?

One of the major goals in any First-Year Writing class is to encourage students’ growth as writers. No one is expected to be a perfect writer at the end of the semester. Your instructor’s hope, however, is that after 16 weeks of reading, writing, and revising several major essays, you are more confident, capable, and aware of yourself as a writer than you were at the beginning of the semester. Reflecting on the process that you go through as you write – even if your writing is not perfect – can help you to identify the behaviors, strategies, and resources that have helped you to be successful or that could support your future success. In short, reflecting on how you write (or how you have written during a particular semester) can be quite powerful in helping you to identify areas where you have grown and areas where you still have room for more growth.

How can I write a reflective essay?

As with any essay, a reflective essay should come with its own assignment sheet. On that assignment sheet, you should be able to identify what the purpose of the reflective essay is and what the scope of the reflection needs to be. Some key elements of the reflective essay that the assignment sheet should answer are:

• What, exactly, the scope of the reflection is. Are you reflecting on one lesson, one assignment, or the whole semester?
• Do you have detailed guidelines, resources, or reference documents for your reflections that must be met?
• Is there a particular structure for the reflection?
• Should the reflection include any outside resources?

If you are struggling to find the answers to these questions, ask your professor!

Another wonderful resource for writing a reflective essay comes from Writing Commons , in the article “Writing an Academic Reflection Essay” . This article offers great information about the following:

• What it means to be “academic” or “critical” and at the same time personal and reflective
• How you can achieve focus in a reflective essay
• What “evidence” is in a reflective essay

A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing by Emilie Zickel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Speech #1 Self-Analysis

To be honest, my first speech went better than I was expecting. I usually am not the best public speaker. One thing I think I would need to work on would be not stuttering over words. If I feel like I am forgetting what to say, I think I usually stutter over my words until I come up with one that works.

Another thing I think I could improve on would be talking more directly to the audience. I think I made a decent amount of eye contact, but I also was impressed by the people that talked in a very conversational tone. I think that would make my speeches a lot more effective.

I think that my speech was pretty well organized, I outlined my thoughts so that they would be easy to follow by the audience. I think that I also had a catchy opening and closing, referencing things that would be relevant to everyone. I think I talked at a relatively moderate pace as well.

For my next speech, I am going to try to be more relaxed in front of the audience. I think that when people are very relaxed and comfortable, they come across a lot more confident and convincing. Overall however, I am not displeased with how my first speech went. Hopefully my grade agrees with me.

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• How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

• An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
• A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
• A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

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Table of contents

Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

• Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
• Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
• Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for  dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

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Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

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The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

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I Have a Dream Speech Analysis Research Paper

Searching for I Have a Dream speech analysis? Look no further! This literary analysis focuses on rhetorical devices and persuasive techniques used by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Introduction

• Summary & the Key Messages
• Analysis of the Structure
• Ethos, Logos, & Pathos

“I Have a Dream” is the most famous speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also considered as the best and greatest speech that was proclaimed in the history of the United States. It gathered more than 200,000 Americans of all races at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.

The speech is an excellent example of persuasive rhetoric filled with many expressive means and stylistic devices, such as metaphors, repetitions, allusions, epithets and persuasive constructions. The speech has become a symbol of a new era of freedom and symbol of the American civil rights movement.

I Have a Dream: Summary & the Key Messages

“I Have a Dream” is a representation of the “America Dream” about a free and equal society. As Leff & Kauffeld (1989) mention, “Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech won immediate and sustained praise and has become a moral compass in American political culture” (p. 181).

The speech had a great influence on minds and visions of all Americans and “forever “legitimized” civil rights in the minds of most Amricans” (Leff & Kauffeld 1989, p. 181).

Marin Luther King was among the founders of the American civil rights movement. He led an active political life. He attended the Morehouse College in Atlanta, and then studied theology at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University.

In 1955, he became a president of the Montgomery Improvement Association and gained a public recognition for his activities in the campaign. He also is one of the organizers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. In 1963, the members of the conference led mass demonstrations in Alabama. These demonstrations resulted in the passage in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

During one of the march demonstrations for Jobs and Freedom, King pronounced his famous speech. (Durgut 2008). The main purpose of the speech is expressed in its name “I Have a Dream”. The dream of the author was to live in a free society and make all people equal regardless race and social position.

Passionately and powerfully, he claimed that reformation of the society is a task of the future. His words became a meaningful expression of the political and cultural situation in the country and “shaped” the idea for which every American should struggle.

Thus, his speech was aimed at inspiring Americans to take actions and improve their lives. The key message of the speech is “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal” (King 1963, n. p.). In order to come to this subject, the author divides the speech into three parts: introduction, first part (American reality) and second part (the prospects of the future).

First of all, he outlines the problem, “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (King 1963, n. p.), then he provides the detailed description of the racial injustice and inequality that face Americans.

He also inspired the listeners to rebel against these injustices claiming that “Now is the time” for changes, “now is the time to make real the promises of democracy” (King 1963, n. p.). Thus, he prepared people for the second part of his speech in which he presented the results of the changes.

King also expresses the dissatisfactions with the policies and laws which discriminated African Americans and their rights. The intended audience was the government representatives.

However, the author was intended to “touch minds” of all people, both black and white from all social layers. Emotionally and with anticipation, he addresses the people of America and, especially Negro people to whom he belongs:

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred (King 1963, n. p.).

He says “we” in order to show his concern and participation. When emphasizing the word “we” he demonstrates that everybody who understands the problem and seeks changes is involved and the “problem” is not a concern of the particular individuals, but it is a common problem and everybody should make his/her contribution to solve it.

The purpose of the author is to inform and inspire people for struggle and prepare them for changes. He builds his speech so that it was meaningful not only for political activists and Negro people, but to everybody. He says:

…the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny (King 1963, n. p.).

Thus, we can see that the speech is addressed to white people as well. Moreover, King says that “all people are brothers” and there is no racial distinction. Next important trait of the speech is that it was written at the time when the question of racial discrimination was urgent.

Black people faced inequality and violence. “King is known as a charismatic orator. His way of persuading people was to use the power of words instead of physical violence” (Durgut 2008, n. p.).

He knew exactly how to use words, and after he delivered the speech “I Have a Dream”, he gained a great appreciation from people and was called “The Man of the Year” by The Times magazine.

Moreover, a year later, he was awarded by the Nobel Peace Prize for his great contribution to the establishment of justice and peace in the world. These facts demonstrate how people assumed about the author and his activities.

During the time when the speech was proclaimed, television transferred the recent events of the raising struggle for civil rights. There were the episodes of the violence in Birmingham and Alabama. The March on Washington became the first step towards equality and justice.

Regardless the fact that by the time when the speech was proclaimed Abraham Lincoln put an end to slavery and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, discrimination and inequality still had a great power and did not decrease at local and even national levels.

This reality inspired King that something should be done in order to “open people’s eyes” and spread the ideas of equality and justice. In his speech, the author makes allusions to the documents that also addressed the same ideas as his speech.

He refers to the Emancipation Proclamation and the Bill of Rights; the author also cites the words from the Declaration of Independence, and addresses the Bible in order to show that God created all people equal and it was the responsibility of every person to preserve that equality. King met a great response from the audience.

The text of the speech was heard by a broad audience due to television and this allowed the author to reach “the hearts” of many people around America.

These days, the text of the speech is widely available for all who wants to read it. It can be found on the Internet at the American Rhetoric and other sites, as well as in many anthologies and books. The audio and video versions of the speech are also available on the Internet.

The main idea the all people should be treated equal is heard in every line of the text. In order to make the speech emotional and persuasive, King made use many stylistic devices, as well as paid a great attention to the content.

“I have a Dream” is a political speech with the elements of a sermon. According to the Aristotelian classification, it is a deliberative speech. The distinctive feature of this type of speech is the purpose of it. It aims at enabling the audience to make a judgment or a decision during the speech.

I Have a Dream: Analysis of the Speech Structure

There are three main parts of the speech: exordium, narration and argumentation and peroratio (introduction, main part and closing) (Black 2008). In every part of the speech, King presents particular information. With regard to the content, structure of the text has a great importance in representation of this content.

Every type of speech should begin with the exordium, “the functions of the exordium are to make the audience attentive, docile and benevolent” (Durgut 2008, n. p.).

Traditionally, the content of the introduction of the speech should present the salutation of the audience, the main idea and some general additional information to attract the listeners’ attention. Martin Luther King managed to include all the points into one sentence, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” (King 1963, n. p.).

Furthermore, the narration presents arguments, evidences and prospects for the future. The main part of Luther’s speech can also be divided into two parts. The first part of the main text provides the audience with the historical background of the “problem”.

The author describes social and political events that had place “Five score years ago” and the results that people could see “one hundred years later” (3 times) (King 1963, n. p.). In the next paragraphs, he calls people for action telling “now is the time” which he uses four times, “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.

Now is the time to rise from the dark… Now is the time to lift our nation… Now is the time to make justice a reality…” (King 1963, n. p.). The author also set goals for people who are ready to protect their rights and freedoms, “and as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back” (King 1963, n. p.).

He claims that people “can never be satisfied” as long as they have to be the victims of unjust policies and racial prejudice. In order to supper his argument, the author uses convincing evidences which he observed in the society.

He also makes allusions to historical documents, such as The Emancipation Proclamation, the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In addition, he refers to the Bible as to a foundation of the “human law and justice”. The second part of the text is the author’s expectations.

He looks into the future with the words “I Have a Dream”, it is the main theme of the paragraph, as well as the speech as a whole. He begins this part with an emotional introduction, “I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment I still have a dream.

It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream” (King 1963, n. p.). He addresses a strong message for Caucasian people about peace and equality, and he expresses his hope that the positive changes will come in the nearest future, “King gave advice how to act and what to change currently, so his vision of the common future for the American society might come true one day” (Durgut 2008, n. p.).

He claims, “let freedom ring from” all over the United States and people will live happy. This idea is voiced in the peroration of the speech, and it provides strong and persuasive ending of the text.

As it has already been mentioned, King was a skillful orator and his speech is an example of high quality rhetoric. His speech presents all types of appeals, such as ethos, pathos and logos. “Pathos refers to how well you can appeal to someone’s emotion” (Black 2008, p. 48).

Ethos, Logos, & Pathos in I Have a Dream

Dr. Martin Luther King’s persuasive “I Have a Dream” speech was fueled by emotional components. He said that “African Americans were living on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” (Black 2008 p. 48).

He persuaded to give the black Americans the equal rights, in the passage of his speech he says that “all men – yes, black men as well as Caucasians men – would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (King 1963, n. p.).

He uses logos when referring to historical documents and the Bible. Providing that all people are equal and friend, Martin Luther King uses ethos.

Language and style of the speech are bright, expressive and persuasive. He makes use various methods to convince the audience. Thus, he widely uses repetitions of key phrases and “theme words”, make allusions to significant historical events and important documents, provides specific examples to make his arguments significant and use broad metaphors to emphasize important moments and highlight the most important concepts and ideas.

So, the most important phrases that serve to attract the audience’s attention, such as “Now is the time…”, “We can never (cannot) be satisfied…”, “I Have a Dream…”, “Let freedom ring (from) …” are repeated in the successful sentences, or at the beginning of the sentences.

The theme words are repeated extensively through the text, they are “freedom” (20 times), “dream” (11), “we” (30), “our” (17), “justice” (8). Among the most “impressive” metaphors used by King are:

“Joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity”;

“The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity”;

“Rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice”. (King 1963, n. p.).

Thus, we can come to a conclusion that the speech “I Have a Dream” is the most impressive political speeches that had a great influence on the history of the United States, and shaped visions of many Americans.

It is one of the best examples of the rhetorical art and persuasive writing. Thus, as Kenneth Tamarkin & Jeri W. Bayer (2002) say, “Martin Luther’s “I Have a Dream” speech is an eloquent appeal for integration and equality” (p. 399), and the representation of the American dream.

I Have a Dream Analysis: FAQ

• What Am I Have a Dream Speech about? One of the most iconic speeches in US history aims to put an end to racism in America. The key message of I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. Is the importance of equal civil and economic rights for all US citizens.
• What Was the Purpose of the I Have a Dream Speech? In I Have a Dream , Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed the issues of racism and segregation in the US. He encouraged using non-violent protests as a weapon to fight inequality.
• When Was the I Have a Dream Speech? The speech was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Martin Luther King presented his speech from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to over 250,000 civil rights supporters.

Reference List

Black, Barry C. (2008). From the hood to the hill: A story of overcoming. New York: Thomas Nelson Inc.

Durgut, Ismail. (2008). “I Have a Dream”: an example of classical rhetoric in a post-modern speech . London: GRIN Verlag.

King, Martin Luther. (1963). I Have a Dream. American Rhetoric . Retrieved from https://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Leff, Michael C., & Kauffeld, Fred J. (1989). Texts in context: critical dialogues on significant episodes in American political rhetoric . Davis: Routledge.

Tamarkin, Kenneth, & Bayer, Jeri W. (2002). McGraw-Hill’s GED Social Studies . New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, November 12). I Have a Dream Speech Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-analysis/

"I Have a Dream Speech Analysis." IvyPanda , 12 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-analysis/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'I Have a Dream Speech Analysis'. 12 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "I Have a Dream Speech Analysis." November 12, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda . "I Have a Dream Speech Analysis." November 12, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "I Have a Dream Speech Analysis." November 12, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-analysis/.

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Speech Analysis Essay Example

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• Author Sandra W.

Speech Analysis Essay

The puzzle of motivation by Dan Pink (TED 2009)

Pink delivers a very well organized speech. He opens the speech very strongly when he states- "I need to make a confession…” – creating a mystery and drawing the audience in instantly. The hilarity woven into the opening invokes a strong amusement from the audience. He frames his speech as a case study and not a story, which emphasizes the purpose of the speech as a learning opportunity for the audience –"I don’t want to tell you a story. I want to make a case. I want to make a hard-headed, evidence-based, dare I say lawyerly case for rethinking how we run our businesses.” (1.34). With this thesis statement, Pink states his intention in a very effective manner drawing fully, the attention of the audience. He institutes a framework around his subject. Since Pink’s primary message overrides the conventional business wisdom it is likely that his audience would be skeptical but he manages to assure them that his speech is not composed of a fictional anecdote but a concrete case – a truthful, clear, logical argument. He refers specifically to his audience as "ladies and gentlemen of the Jury…” (1.51) cementing this framework further. He references this framework later in the speech twice when he states- "Let me marshal the evidence, because I’m not telling a story. I’m making a case, ladies and gentlemen of the jury…” (9:05) and when ending his speech - "I rest my case.” (18:28)

Pink’s speech is also very strong in both ethos (credibility of the speaker) and Logos (logical argument). He builds his logos in a number of ways. This is indicated in his statements - "This is not a feeling … This is not a philosophy… This is a fact… ” (8:33) and "Some of you may look at this and say ‘Hm. Sounds nice, but it’s utopian.’ But I say ‘nope’. I have proof.” (16:02). These passages appeared as the most emphatic in the whole speech. With the second statement, Pink addresses directly an opposing point of view that he proceeds further to offer a real, tangible evidence to consolidate his position. With these passages, he manages to strike at the heart of his audience opposition. In the speech, he  mentions academic research at internationally renowned institutions, including MIT (9:10),  the University of Chicago, Princeton , (3:08) United States’ Federal Reserve Bank, London School of Economics and Carnegie Mellon, -"alma mater of 11 Nobel Laureates in Economics” (10:48). All these mentioned institutions have high ethos, and it adds credibility by association to Pink’s speech by referencing them.

Half-way in the speech, he makes the first overt connection between the audience and his topic. His statement -"Think about your own work… everybody in this room is dealing with their own version of the candle problem” (7:49) flatters the audience, since it means that they are all affianced in truly challenging and difficult labor. More prominently, it makes his massage more personal. He persuades his audience repeatedly referencing "the candle problem” which the audiences hear it as "my problem”. His speech is composed of thoughts provoking ideas. He wisely injects hilarity throughout his presentation. He states in the 38th second, - "I need to make a confession. I did something I regret… in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school” and in the 1st minute -"I graduated in the part of my law school class that made the top 90% possible.” Both of these statements are humorous and they build connection with the audience. Another notable element is Pink’s speech is the use of contrast. The most memorable is the catch phrase he introduces with a slide that states, - "there’s a mismatch between what science knows and what business does (5:18)”. This cleverly crafted phrase is spoken multiple times at 11:35 17:28 and 18:02.

Though Pink could lessen his finger wagging, his body language and gestures use throughout the speech are excellent. He manages to match his gestures and movements to the large venue. One cannot watch without realizing his enthusiasm and energy, which comes out strongly. An example, of this is shown when he indicates the low, the medium, and the high rewards using his hand. If for instance, this was a usual, PowerPoint presentation, probably a chart could have been used. Conversely, he exhibits that the most significant visual is the speaker. Equally, the vocal variety he exhibits is worthy of emulation. He uses varied pace, pauses, emphasis and volume excellently. Not only does this aid in conveying his convictions and enthusiasm, but it also helps in adding drama throughout the speech and brings about understanding. References Global, T. (2009, August). Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation. Retrieved April 03, 2013, from TED

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