Do's and Don'ts of Rhetorical Analysis

I was gladdened to receive examples of previous rhetorical analyses, as it provided me of a small crash course without the crashing. Yet. There was a good variety, with essays with a score of three to a score of eight, showing me some good techniques to employ. I have had low confidence in general about the subject because of my unfamiliarity towards it, so the exposure was a good little push in the less self-deprecating side. It was certainly a bit amusing to read the first essay, which was... wanting in many areas, to see the best way to get a three or lower on the AP exam's essay portion; the essay itself felt like the writer pulled random ideas from thin air out of panic from the time limit, or something similar. At least the essay that scored an eight did not use "I feel" and "I believe" within their text. With those sentiments in mind, I feel better about my prospects. For now!