If your analysis is supposed to answer a specific question or focus on a particular aspect of the document you are analyzing. If there are any length or formatting requirements for the analysis. The citation style your instructor wants you to use. On what criteria your instructor will evaluate your analysis (e. g. , organization, originality, good use of references and quotations, or correct spelling and grammar).
The title of the document (if it has one). The name of the creator of the document. For example, depending on the type of document you’re working with, this could be the author, artist, director, performer, or photographer. The form and medium of the document (e. g. , “Painting, oil on canvas”). When and where the document was created. The historical and cultural context of the work.
Who you believe the intended audience is for the advertisement. What rhetorical choices the author made to persuade the audience of their main point. What product is being advertised. How the poster uses images to make the product look appealing. Whether there is any text in the poster, and, if so, how it works together with the images to reinforce the message of the ad. What the purpose of the ad is or what its main point is.
For example, if you’re analyzing an advertisement poster, you might focus on the question: “How does this poster use colors to symbolize the problem that the product is intended to fix? Does it also use color to represent the beneficial results of using the product?”
For example, you might write, “This poster uses the color red to symbolize the pain of a headache. The blue elements in the design represent the relief brought by the product. ” You could develop the argument further by saying, “The colors used in the text reinforce the use of colors in the graphic elements of the poster, helping the viewer make a direct connection between the words and images. ”
For example, if you’re arguing that the advertisement poster uses red to represent pain, you might point out that the figure of the headache sufferer is red, while everyone around them is blue. Another piece of evidence might be the use of red lettering for the words “HEADACHE” and “PAIN” in the text of the poster. You could also draw on outside evidence to support your claims. For example, you might point out that in the country where the advertisement was produced, the color red is often symbolically associated with warnings or danger.
For example, “The poster ‘Say! What a relief,’ created in 1932 by designer Dorothy Plotzky, uses contrasting colors to symbolize the pain of a headache and the relief brought by Miss Burnham’s Pep-Em-Up Pills. The red elements denote pain, while blue ones indicate soothing relief. ”
I. Introduction a. Background b. Thesis II. Body a. Argument 1 i. Example ii. Analysis/Explanation iii. Example iv. Analysis/Explanation b. Argument 2 i. Example ii. Analysis/Explanation iii. Example iv. Analysis/Explanation c. Argument 3 i. Example ii. Analysis/Explanation iii. Example iv. Analysis/Explanation III. Conclusion
For example, “In the late 1920s, Kansas City schoolteacher Ethel Burnham developed a patent headache medication that quickly achieved commercial success throughout the American Midwest. The popularity of the medicine was largely due to a series of simple but eye-catching advertising posters that were created over the next decade. The poster ‘Say! What a relief,’ created in 1932 by designer Dorothy Plotzky, uses contrasting colors to symbolize the pain of a headache and the relief brought by Miss Burnham’s Pep-Em-Up Pills. ”
Make sure to include clear transitions between each argument and each paragraph. Use transitional words and phrases, such as “Furthermore,” “Additionally,” “For example,” “Likewise,” or “In contrast . . . ” The best way to organize your arguments will vary based on the individual topic and the specific points you are trying to make. For example, in your analysis of the poster, you might start with arguments about the red visual elements and then move on to a discussion about how the red text fits in.
For example, you might end your essay with a few sentences about how other advertisements at the time might have been influenced by Dorothy Plotzky’s use of colors.
For example, in your discussion of the advertisement, avoid stating that you think the art is “beautiful” or that the advertisement is “boring. ” Instead, focus on what the poster was supposed to accomplish and how the designer attempted to achieve those goals.
For example, if your essay currently skips around between discussions of the red and blue elements of the poster, consider reorganizing it so that you discuss all the red elements first, then focus on the blue ones.
For example, you might look for places where you could provide additional examples to support one of your major arguments.
For example, if you included a paragraph about Dorothy Plotzky’s previous work as a children’s book illustrator, you may want to cut it if it doesn’t somehow relate to her use of color in advertising. Cutting material out of your analysis may be difficult, especially if you put a lot of thought into each sentence or found the additional material really interesting. Your analysis will be stronger if you keep it concise and to the point, however.
You may find it helpful to have someone else go over your essay and look for any mistakes you might have missed.
