Rhetorical analysis is often used interchangeably with literary analysis. However, the two terms have differences in meaning and how they are used. Rhetorical analysis has a broader definition, whereas "literary analysis" is more restricted to traditional literature, such as fiction and poetry.
What is rhetorical analysis?
Rhetorical analysis refers to a critical form of literature that examines the effects of persuasive forms of writing and speaking on an audience. It involves examining the use of rhetorical devices such as repetitive figures of speech (e.g., anaphora and symploce), structural figures of speech (e.g., isocolon and polysyndeton), and dramatic figures of speech (e.g., erotema and hypophora).
However rhetorical analysis can have a broader meaning to include traditional literary analysis. For instance, one can speak of "a rhetorical analysis of Wordsworth's 'A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal.' Below is an example of a rhetorical analysis.
Example of rhetorical analysis
Below is an example of rhetorical analysis examining the use of erotema by Chesterton:
Chesterton, Science and Religion (1915):Â
And I am sorry to say that this pamphlet of progressive religious views is full of baffling observations of that kind. What can people mean when they say that science has disturbed their view of sin? What sort of view of sin can they have had before science disturbed it? Did they think that it was something to eat? When people say that science has shaken their faith in immortality, what do they mean? Did they think that immortality was a gas?
Chesterton mocks the idea that there is a dilemma in choosing between religious faith and a belief in science. His questions comparing religious concepts such as immortality with scientific elements such as gas attempt to show how incredulous and absurd the idea is.Â
What is literary analysis?
Literary analysis refers to a critical review of works of literature, such as novels, poems, short stories, and plays. It involves examining how literary devices and using various critical approaches to literature. It involves character analysis, plot analysis, theme analysis, and so on.
Example of literary analysis
Below is a literary analysis of Claude McKay's "The Harlem Dancer":
The first line alone does something remarkable. Let's take a look at the line here: "Applauding youths laughed with young prostitutes." The assonance or repetition of vowel sounds alongside consonance (the repetition of consonant sounds) almost imitates what is being described —thunderous applause at a bar or nightclub:
The analysis of the entire poem in such detail would be called a rhetorical analysis. In short, we can say that rhetorical analysis broadly refers to a critical review of both traditional forms of literature and persuasive forms of writing. However, literary analysis refers more narrowly to traditional literature such as fiction and poetry.
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Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, November 23). Rhetorical Analysis vs Literary Analysis: What's the Difference? https://www.eminentediting.com/post/rhetorical-analysis-vs-literary-analysis-what-s-the-difference |
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