Essay 2 – Lyric Analysis – Assignment Instructions

The purpose of this assignment is for you to use what you have learned from reading our
course text, Rhetorical Analysis, and our in-class discussions and apply these rhetorical
techniques in your writing.

Assignment Instructions:
For this essay you will be using everything you’ve learned in class so far to analyze a
song’s lyrics. First, choose a Latinx song that has an argument –it might tell a story, or
serve as a call to action– and carefully listen to the lyrics. Take time to think about which
song you’ll chose. This paper should be no less than four pages in length so you may not
want to chose a song too simple or so full of subtext and potential meaning that you
cannot adequately address it in this assignment. Address what the lyrics have to say to the
intended audience. That means you may not be the audience to which the song is
directed. Be aware of this. Explain what the argument is (you should quote directly from
the lyrics), whether or not this argument is effective, and explain why or why not. You
will want to refresh your memory of our readings in Rhetorical Analysis, especially the
passages about ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos, to support your claim about the song
lyrics.

Parameters
● Choose lyrics from one song and analyze only one version of the song. Do not try
to analyze an entire album.
● Your analysis should be your own. Do not use any outside sources (including
interviews with the author/singer, liner notes, etc.).
● Analyze the lyrics only. Do not reference a music video. Do not watch the music
video.
● Follow the conventions of academic writing with respect to form: introduction
(attention-getter, relevance, preview, thesis statement), body paragraphs that flow
and use quotations appropriately, a conclusion that transitions away from analysis
and summarizes your argument and restates your thesis.
● Appropriate and correct use of in-text citation of song lyrics to bolster your
argument (not the other way around).

Basic (Minimum) Requirements

• Length: approx. 800-1200 words; 4-6 pages (absolutely no less than 800 words)
• Layout: MLA-style: 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced pages, 1”
margins, page numbers and last name in the top right corner
• First Page: Top left-hand corner should have (in this order) Your Name, My
Name, Course Number and Section, Due Date, Essay 2 – Lyric Analysis (name of
draft) and a descriptive title centered on the page; no title page
1
Dr. Paul M Worley
ENGL 101 Fall 2018
 • Interesting Title
• Works Cited page (with the citation of where you found the lyrics)
• Word count at the end of the essay
• Free of grammatical and mechanical errors. Absolutely no misspellings.
• No fragments.

Note: A paper that fails to meet the minimum length requirement on this assignment will
receive a grade no higher than a D.

See Syllabus on Blackboard for Draft and Final Version due dates

2
Dr. Paul M Worley
ENGL 101 Fall 2018