Visual Rhetorical Analysis
Length: 1000-1250 words – Roughly 2-3 pages(not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 12-
point font
Source limit: Two (2) sources minimum
You must include a “Works Cited” page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical)
citations.
The Visual Rhetorical Analysis assignment asks you to select a photograph, print advertisement,
and/or work of art and analyze its features to discover a deeper meaning. Just like a written text,
a visual communicates meaning on a deeper level beyond merely the literal. Your essay will
illuminate this meaning thereby helping your audience understand your interpretation of the
image.
If you are analyzing an advertisement, for example, then you should consider these questions:
What produce or service is being advertised?
Who seems to be the targeted audience?
What is the ad’s primary strategy?
Does the ad use specific rhetorical strategies such as humor, understatement, or irony?
What is the relation between the visual part of the ad (photo, drawing, typeface, etc.) and the
print part (the text or copy)?
What is the ad’s overall visual impression?
Remember that your essay should be free of grammatical and mechanical mistakes, and you
should, as always, proofread your essay very carefully.
