Model Informative Essays

1. Marco Anders' "Visual Rhetoric in Advertising"

In an analytical essay titled "Visual Rhetoric in Advertising," the writer (Marco Anders) analyzes the following image of a vintage Coca-Cola advertisement, which compels viewers to focus their vision on a bright red six-pack of Coke bottles.

To evaluate this advertisement, Anders focuses on the elements of the image, including the layout, text, and colors. Anders notes that through the combination of images and text, the ad is meant to convey a message of convenience and hospitality to readers, and the intended audience for the ad is women homemakers.

Anders uses a number of criteria to analyze the ad, including the following:

• Audience
• Context
• Purpose
• Tone
• Arrangement
• Location
• Scale
• Text
• Typography
• Font size and type
• Color
• Connotations
• Readability

By analyzing or breaking down the advertisement into its component parts, Anders is able to make conclusions about the image—not only regarding the intended audience and purpose (i.e., to appeal to women homemakers looking for a convenient and hospitable beverage to serve), but also about less-obvious aspects of the image's rhetorical situation.

EXAMPLE

While analyzing color and connotation, Anders notes how brand recognition ties in with Coca-Cola’s efforts to establish its presence as a product of convenience.

As he evaluates the components of the ad, Anders questions everything—from the layout and arrangement, focusing on the product itself, to the storied succession of images and text providing the more specific context and purpose.

It is recommended that you read the entire essay by Anders (a copy is attached below). Although its focus is only on an advertisement, it demonstrates that understanding can be increased through careful analysis of any subject.

try it

The next time you view an advertisement, analyze it. See what kind of conclusions you can make about it. As Anders writes in the introduction to his essay, images "communicate important messages to us both consciously and subconsciously."

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2. Hallie Radcliffe's "Mindfulness: Cutting Through the Noise"

In an essay titled "Mindfulness: Cutting Through the Noise," the writer (Hallie Radcliffe) defines a word: "mindfulness." Radcliffe defines mindfulness as “attentive awareness and presence.”

Instead of just providing the meaning of the word, Radcliffe's essay—a copy of which is attached below—explains why there is more to the term than simply “paying attention.” To do so, she frames the definition with historical context:

Radcliffe contextualizes the historical and modern understandings of the term, noting that its presence in the contemporary sense is rooted in deep spiritual traditions but also has become a new field of research with application to contemporary mindsets and mental health considerations.

Additionally, Radcliffe offers specific examples of how the term has evolved over the past few decades, first noting its rise to Western predominance as a psychological practice to reduce and manage stress as a means to increase well-being and improve overall health outcomes. She describes the founding of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, which employs strategies such as non-judgmental awareness, mindful attention, and mindful coping strategies to ground oneself in presence and awareness to reduce unhealthy stress and build resilience in the face of life’s adversities.

Radcliffe also outlines the work of Ellen Langer, whose work with older adults and hotel workers alike demonstrates the power of mindfulness to make notable changes in the body, including impacting the aging process and weight loss among other positive changes in overall health.

Lastly, Radcliffe writes about the evidence through neuroimaging that mindfulness can and does have a positive impact on brain functioning which can lead to effective and measurable utilization of mindfulness as a skill to help treat those suffering from substance abuse and borderline personality disorders.

She concludes the essay by reiterating the historical and contemporary understanding of mindfulness which has “become a household word as its impact on one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations can be understood and practiced in a variety of situations for people of all ages and backgrounds.”