How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion (With Examples)

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Learn how to craft a strong rhetorical analysis conclusion that reinforces your argument, ties key ideas together, and leaves a clear lasting impression.

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Fredrick Eghosa

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion (With Examples)

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The conclusion of a rhetorical analysis essay isn't just a summary but your final chance to prove you understand how the author's strategies work and why they matter.

Most students struggle to do this. They either rehash what they've already said or end abruptly, leaving their analysis without the closure it deserves. It has a weak ending that undermines an otherwise solid essay.

This guide shows you exactly how to craft a conclusion that reinforces your analysis, connects the rhetorical strategies to the author's purpose, and leaves a lasting impression on your reader.

You'll discover the essential components every rhetorical analysis conclusion needs, see real examples from successful essays, and learn how CoWriter AI can help you refine your writing without losing your voice.

What Makes a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion Different

Before writing this type of essay’s conclusion, you have to understand what makes it different from conclusions in other essay types.

Here's what I'm talking about.

In an argumentative essay conclusion, you restate your position and summarize supporting evidence. Your goal is to remind readers why they should agree with you.

But a rhetorical analysis essay doesn't do that. Here, you're not arguing for or against the author's position. Instead, you're explaining how the author uses language, structure, and persuasive techniques to achieve their purpose.

Your conclusion must:

Synthesize the rhetorical strategies you analyzed

Explain how these strategies work together

Connect the strategies to the author's overall purpose

Demonstrate why the analysis matters beyond the text itself

Many students make a critical mistake: they summarize what the text says rather than explain how it persuades.

See below:

Avoid writing like this (Reason: Has a weak approach):

"In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr. wanted equality for all Americans in his 'I Have a Dream' speech."

Write like this (Reason: Has a strong approach):

"Through biblical allusions and the rhythmic repetition of 'I have a dream,' King transformed a political demand into a moral imperative that resonated across racial and religious lines."

Seen the difference? The strong conclusion focuses on rhetorical strategies and their impact, not just the message.

The Essential Components of a Strong Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion

A powerful rhetorical analysis conclusion contains three interconnected elements. Each serves a distinct purpose, and together they create a satisfying ending that elevates your essay as a whole.

Element #1: Restated Thesis with New Insight

Avoid copying your introduction thesis. Instead, rephrase it to reflect the analytical journey your essay has taken.

Your opening thesis was exploratory. It told readers what you would examine.

Introduction thesis example: "This essay examines how Barack Obama uses personal narrative, inclusive language, and appeals to American values in his 2008 victory speech."

Your thesis should be conclusive and tell readers what your analysis revealed.

Conclusion thesis example: "Obama's strategic integration of personal storytelling with collective pronouns and historical references didn't just celebrate victory—it redefined who 'we' are as Americans, creating rhetorical common ground in a polarized moment."

Notice the specificity: The conclusion version doesn't just list strategies; it explains their combined effect.

Element #2: Synthesis of Rhetorical Strategies

This is where you show how the individual strategies work as a unified whole.

If your body paragraphs analyzed three separate elements—ethos, pathos, and logical structure—your conclusion explains how they reinforce each other.

Example synthesis: "The statistical data establishes credibility and scope, but it's the personal testimonials that transform numbers into human urgency. This interplay between logos and pathos, amplified by the author's increasingly urgent tone, doesn't just inform readers—it compels them to act."

Don't simply list strategies. Show their relationship and cumulative impact.

Element #3: Broader Significance—The 'So What' Factor

End by elevating your analysis beyond the specific text. Answer: Why does this matter? question.

Consider:

How the rhetoric reflects its cultural moment

What the analysis reveals about effective persuasion

The lasting influence of the author's choices

What contemporary writers can learn from this approach

Example: "King's genius wasn't inventing new civil rights arguments—it was framing moral claims through language that made opposition seem un-American. This reframing strategy remains vital for any movement seeking to align social change with deeply held national values."

Step-by-Step Process for Writing Your Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion

Follow these steps every time you write a rhetorical analysis conclusion.

Step 1: Review Your Body Paragraphs

Before writing, reread your analysis. Identify patterns and connections you didn't see initially.

Ask yourself:

Which strategies were most central to the author's purpose?

How did these strategies work together?

What did my analysis reveal that wasn't obvious at first?

What larger truth emerges from these observations?

Step 2: Rephrase Your Thesis with Confidence

Rewrite your thesis to sound authoritative. You've proven your point, so state it with conviction. Check out the Before and After paragraphs below.

Before: "This essay analyzes how Chimamanda Adichie uses personal narrative and repetition in her TED Talk."

After: "Adichie's strategic interweaving of personal vulnerability and rhythmic repetition dismantles single-story frameworks while simultaneously constructing a narrative of human complexity and dignity."

Step 3: Connect Strategies to Overall Purpose

Show how individual strategies combine to serve the author's larger goal.

Use connecting phrases such as:

"These strategies converge to..."

"Working in tandem, these techniques..."

"The interplay between X and Y creates..."

"This multi-layered approach allows..."

Step 4: Articulate Why It Matters

Zoom out. What does your analysis teach us about rhetoric, persuasion, or communication?

Avoid generic statements like "This was effective." Dig deeper into what makes it effective and why that matters.

Real Rhetorical Analysis Essay Conclusion Examples

These complete examples demonstrate the principles in action across different texts and rhetorical situations.

Example 1: Analysis of Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'

Swift's satirical masterpiece succeeds because it never breaks character. By maintaining the cold, calculated tone of an economic proposal throughout, Swift forces readers to confront the dehumanizing logic of their own indifference toward Irish poverty. The shocking proposal to consume children becomes less horrifying than the society that makes such satire necessary.

His strategic use of statistical language, rational argumentation, and business terminology—the very tools of Enlightenment reason—exposes how easily logic divorces from morality. Each 'reasonable' calculation about infant market value deepens the irony.

'A Modest Proposal' endures because Swift understood that effective critique sometimes doesn't argue against a position—it embodies that position so thoroughly its absurdity becomes undeniable. Modern satirists from Stephen Colbert to Jon Stewart employ this same strategy: giving opponents enough rope to reveal their own contradictions.

Example 2: Analysis of Malala Yousafzai's UN Speech

Malala's UN address demonstrates how personal testimony transforms into universal advocacy through careful rhetorical construction. Her decision to open with 'I am those 66 million girls' immediately expands individual suffering into a global crisis, turning her story into their story.

The speech's power lies in its paradoxes: strength from vulnerability, wisdom from youth, forgiveness from victimhood. By repeatedly invoking 'the terrorists thought,' Malala creates a rhetorical foil that demonstrates how wrong they were—about her, about education, about peaceful resistance.

Her conclusion, 'Let us pick up our books and our pens,' reframes education as both weapon and armor. This matters beyond the speech itself—it provides a framework for understanding 21st-century activism, in which ideas and information become the primary battlegrounds for social change. Malala doesn't request sympathy; she demands solidarity. That distinction transforms everything.

Example 3: Analysis of Greta Thunberg's Climate Speeches

Thunberg's climate-activism speeches derive their power not from scientific expertise but from moral clarity delivered through strategic vulnerability. By positioning herself as both victim and accuser—a child robbed of her future yet brave enough to confront world leaders—she creates a rhetorical position nearly impossible to dismiss without appearing callous.

Her repetition of 'How dare you' transforms individual outrage into generational indictment. The deliberate rejection of optimistic platitudes forces audiences to confront uncomfortable truths they'd prefer to avoid.

This approach proves particularly effective with two groups: younger audiences who share her sense of betrayal, and older audiences susceptible to guilt. Together, these groups comprise the coalition necessary for climate action. Thunberg's rhetoric matters beyond climate activism because it demonstrates how moral authority can sometimes trump traditional expertise—a shift with profound implications for credibility and persuasion in the digital age.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even strong essays' conclusions stumble at the finish. Avoid these pitfalls.

Mistake #1: Introducing New Evidence

Your conclusion synthesizes existing analysis and doesn't present new observations. If you want to discuss an unmentioned strategy, revise your body paragraphs instead.

Wrong: "The author also uses metaphor extensively, comparing education to a ladder..."

Right: "The metaphors analyzed throughout—education as ladder, ignorance as chains—work together to frame knowledge as liberation."

Mistake #2: Summarizing Content Instead of Rhetoric

Focus on how, not what. Discuss techniques and effects, not subject matter.

Wrong: "The article discusses climate change and argues for immediate action."

Right: "The strategic juxtaposition of dire warnings and hopeful solutions creates urgency without triggering defensive fatalism."

Mistake 3: Using Clichés and Generic Phrases

Avoid 'In conclusion,' 'To sum up,' or 'As you can see.' These add nothing.

Similarly, skip vague observations like 'This was very effective.' Be specific about what works and why.

Mistake #4: Wrong Length

Conclusions should be 10-15% of the total essay length. For a 1,000-word essay, that's 100-150 words. Long enough for meaningful synthesis, and concise enough for impact.

How to Use CoWriter AI for Your Conclusion

CoWriter AI helps you balance synthesis, specificity, and insight without muddying your message. Here's the workflow.

Step 1: Set Up Your Document

Visit CoWriter.ai and create a free account. Click 'Start a new document' and describe your essay topic.

Example: "Rhetorical analysis of Frederick Douglass's 'What to the Slave is the Fourth of July' speech, focusing on irony, parallelism, and emotional appeals."

Step 2: Draft with Quick Inline Commands

Type your initial conclusion thoughts. Press Ctrl+K for quick commands:

"Make this more analytical" - Transforms summary into analysis

"Strengthen the synthesis" - Connects disparate strategies

"Add deeper insight" - Prompts broader significance

"Make this more specific" - Eliminates vague language

Step 3: Refine with AI Commands

Highlight any paragraph, right-click, and select 'AI Command' for targeted improvements:

Improve proficiency - Tightens weak sentences

Paraphrase - Rewords awkward phrasing

Adjust tone - Switch to Academic for formality or Analytical for depth

Step 4: Use the Conversation Tab

Ask CoWriter specific questions about your conclusion, such as:

"Does my conclusion synthesize or just list strategies?"

"Is my restated thesis different enough from the introduction?"

"Have I explained why this analysis matters?"

"What's missing?"

CoWriter provides context-aware feedback based on your entire essay, helping you identify gaps.

Step 5: Add Citations

If referencing specific passages, highlight the claim, click 'Cite,' and search for sources. CoWriter inserts citations in your preferred format (MLA, APA, Chicago).

Step 6: Humanize Robotic Text

If anything sounds stiff, highlight it and click 'Humanize.' CoWriter rewrites it naturally while maintaining analytical depth.

Additional Tips for Conclusion Excellence

Write Last, Review First

Always draft your introduction and body paragraphs before your conclusion. You need the complete analysis to synthesize effectively.

However, review your conclusion before final edits on body paragraphs. Synthesis sometimes reveals gaps worth addressing.

Use Specific Examples

Even in conclusions, specificity matters. Don't say 'emotional language.' Say 'descriptions of separated families that transform immigration policy from abstract debate into visceral human tragedy.'

Connect to Your Hook (If Appropriate)

If your introduction opened with a compelling question or scenario, echo it in your conclusion with new insight.

Introduction: "Why do some speeches move us to tears while others barely hold attention?"

Conclusion: "The speeches that move us do so through deliberate rhetorical choices that align emotional triggers with audience values—a craft King mastered in every line."

Read Aloud

Your conclusion should flow smoothly. Reading aloud catches awkward phrasing and repetitive structures.

End with Authority

Avoid hedging like 'This is just one interpretation' or 'Others might disagree.' Own your analysis.

Weak: "While this is one way to view the speech, it seems the strategies might have been effective."

Strong: "These strategies didn't just make the speech effective—they made it unforgettable, transforming a political moment into a cultural turning point that continues shaping discourse on race and justice."

How Cowriter AI Is Different From Other Research and Writing Tools

Most writing tools handle only one task at a time. You use one for research, another for drafting, and another for citations. Cowriter AI brings those steps together so your work stays connected from start to finish.

Instead of jumping between an AI Research Paper Generator, an AI Story Generator, and an AI Script Generator, you can research, outline, and write in one place. This keeps your ideas consistent and reduces the back-and-forth that slows down real work.

Creative tools like Rap Generator, AI Lyrics Generator, and Backstory Generator are useful for inspiration, but Cowriter AI focuses on structure, clarity, and purpose. Your content is shaped to match what you are trying to achieve, not just to produce text.

Citation tools such as IEEE, APA, MLA, AMA, Chicago, Turabian, Vancouver, CSE, Harvard, and Oxford Referencing Generators are usually separate steps. Cowriter AI helps you handle references as part of the writing process, not as an afterthought.

With tools like Undetectable Essay and Free AI Writer, the goal is often speed. Cowriter AI focuses on writing that sounds natural, reads smoothly, and fits real academic and professional standards.

Free Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion Guide ( Downloadable PDF)

Download the Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion guide for reliable reference whenever you're writing. This free PDF includes:

Conclusion structure checklist

Common mistakes and fixes

Transition phrases for synthesis

Templates for different analysis types

Examples from classic and contemporary texts

This guide eliminates uncertainty and helps you end essays with confidence.

Conclusion

A strong rhetorical analysis conclusion synthesizes insights, demonstrates how strategies interconnect, and reveals broader significance.

The difference between mediocre and exceptional conclusions comes down to specificity, synthesis, and significance. By showing how strategies work together rather than listing them separately, you create conclusions that feel insightful rather than formulaic.

CoWriter AI streamlines this process by helping you refine synthesis, strengthen language, and deliver analytical punch. It doesn't write for you but helps you write better, faster, with greater confidence.

Start writing your rhetorical analysis conclusion today. Try CoWriter AI for free and discover how much easier it becomes to transform scattered observations into cohesive, compelling conclusions.