The English Corner at Richland College
Ten Tips for a Successful Visual Analysis
1. Write in the present tense
Use past tense for real history. Use present for ideas. Ideas never die.
In Martin Luther King Jr’s photo of his “I Have a Dream Speech,” an American flag
hangs directly behind him.
2. Write in the third person
Use I sparingly. It’s clear that “you think” something because it’s your essay. I is acceptable for
personal narratives or when you want to be emphatic. In other words, save your I statements for
times when you want to really emphasize a point or be clear about where you stand.
Additionally, you is inappropriate in an academic essay. Instead of using you, try to figure out
exactly to whom you are referring and then replace the you with that word. For example, you in
an essay might refer to society, Americans, or simply readers. It might refer to students, men,
women, or consumers.
First Person: I think the swoosh in the Nike commercial represents a leap forward
because it makes me feel like I’m being propelled forward.
Second Person: The swoosh in the Nike commercials represent a leap forward because,
as you can see, it looks like you can jump into it and propel yourself forward.
Third Person: Because it seems to propel the viewer forward, the swoosh in the Nike
commercial symbolizes a leap forward in achievement.
3. Include a summary (description) of your visual in the introduction
Be sure to include a description of your visual in the introduction (or a separate paragraph if your
instructor asks). Not everyone has seen your visual, and you need to describe it before you
analyze it. Include enough detail, so the reader can “see” the visual in his or her head.
Summary: The black and white photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on
Washington DC in 1963 is of him giving his famous “I Have a Dream” speech for racial
equality. In the photo, King stands at a podium facing a large crowd of people who are
gathered in front of the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. Wearing a
preacher’s robes, he stands with his back to the photographer. King’s arms are
outstretched welcoming the crowd. To his right, an American flag hangs motionlessly. In
the foreground, other people and photographers are sitting on bleachers listening to his
speech and taking photos. Their backs face the photographer as well.
Notice that the summary above is only description. There is no interpretation or analysis
included. Save your analysis for the body of the paper.
4. Determine the target audience
Where was your visual published? Did you find it in a magazine or on the internet? Is it on a
political website or an organization’s website? Where you found the visual will help you in
determining who the target audience is. Knowing who the target audience is will help you
Handout created by Justine White
www.richlandcollege.edu/englishcorner
discover the purpose of the visual. Is the audience democrats or republicans? Is it teens (clothing
or video games) or adults (cars or diamond rings)?
5. Determine the purpose of the visual
You cannot analyze a visual until you discover its purpose: the intended message or effect on the
viewer. The purpose might be to create a strong feeling or provoke an action like voting
democratic or republican. The purpose is also closely related to persuasion. What is the visual
trying to persuade the viewer into believing, feeling, or doing? When you analyze, keep the
visual’s purpose in mind. All of the elements of analysis should relate to the visual’s purpose.
6. Include an arguable thesis
Include a thesis statement that argues for how the visual uses rhetorical devices (see below) to
persuade the viewer. Your thesis cannot be a statement of fact about the visual. It needs to be
arguable and debatable. It should focus on how the artist creates meaning and persuades the
viewer.
Fact: The photo of King is framed by the Washington Monument and an American flag.
Thesis: By framing King’s photo with the Washington Monument, an American flag, and
other national symbols, the photographer expresses that equality is an American ideal.
7. Use rhetorical devices to analyze the visual
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. When you analyze a visual, you are focusing on how the artist
creates meaning and persuades the viewer. There are many ways to analyze a visual. However,
you should begin with the easiest and most obvious: foreground, background, color, framing,
focus. How do these elements help you understand the purpose of the visual? How do they
persuade the viewer into believing the claim you are making about the visual? How do these
elements promote ethos (ethics or credibility), logos (logic), or pathos (emotion)?
Foreground: The predominant image in the front of the visual
Background: The secondary image in the background of the visual
Color: How does color help you understand the purpose? How does color help focus
your eye on what is important?
Framing: Positioning the visual for emphasis
Focus: The prominent feature/focal point of a visual
After you have investigated and interpreted the elements above, try to focus on at least one
advanced element of visual rhetoric:
Substitution: The visual stands in for something visually absent (caption reveals
absence)
Narrative: An event is connected to a future outcome; a chronology (two or more
images)
Priming: Framing the visual with information to influence perception
Superimposition: A word-on-image or image-on-image contrast between two things
Fusion: A merging of two different images
Juxtaposition: Two binary opposites (background/foreground, side-by-side)
Enthymeme: A visual in which one or more premises is left unstated
Chiasmus: The visual transposes commonly-expected order of images
Synecdoche: The part represents the whole
Handout created by Justine White
www.richlandcollege.edu/englishcorner
In this example of superimposition,
the names of the cities where rape
occurs without consequence
overlay the word rape, implying
that rape is commonly accepted.
In this example of framing and
priming, the focus is not on the
girl with the skin disease, vitiligo.
Instead, she is normalized by
simply being a part of a larger
group of people.
In this example of fusion, a
cross is formed using semiautomatic guns, implying
that guns in America are
worshipped like Jesus.
In these examples of narrative and focus, the two photos tell very different stories. One tells the story
from the perspective of the victim, and the other explains the narrative from the perspective of the police.
8. Use the Tell, Show, Share method for paragraph development
Paragraphs have three main parts: the topic sentence, the evidence, and the analysis or
explanation. See the handout Paragraphing and the Tell, Show, Share Method for more help with
this process.
Tell the claim or thesis statement, sometimes called a topic sentence. Your claim should
invite discussion and be debatable.
Show the evidence (see examples above) to support your claim
Share the So what? Who cares? Why does it matter? Explain or analyze how your
evidence or quote relates back to your thesis. Share your own ideas!
9. Use clear transitions
Transitions help readers move from thought to thought—from sentence to sentence, paragraph to
paragraph. Transitions can be used to show causes and effects, to show comparisons, to show
contrast or exceptions, to show examples, to show place or position, to show sequence or
addition, to show time, to elaborate, to concede, or to signal a summary or conclusion For even
more transitions and their purposes, see the handout Transitions.
10. Use MLA citation and style
Avoid plagiarism by citing with MLA, in-text and with a Works Cited page following your
essay. See the handout MLA Quick Tips and Style Guide, eCampus, your book’s section on
MLA, or Purdue OWL for more help with citations.
Handout created by Justine White
www.richlandcollege.edu/englishcorner