Persuasive Essay

Being persuasive isn’t about making your point and driving it through with overwhelming statistics and proclamations. A better approach to a persuasive essay, one that will be appreciated by the reader, is the presentation of all points of view, including your own. By making clear all of the arguments for and against a certain position, you will show that you have considered all of the possibilities before drawing a conclusion. This lends immediate credibility to your claims.

That said, your drawn conclusion should be presented assertively. A persuasive essay is a place for all the facts but it isn’t a place for the meek or uncertain. Also called an argumentative essay, an effective persuasive essay begins with an assertion and then goes into great depth to prove that assertion is valid. A persuasive essay should follow a clear and logical path from the claim to the conclusion.

Famous Persuasive Essays

Although an oration, the tradition of persuasive essays dates right back to the days of Aristotle. His famous speech to the assembly arguing his position against accusations can easily be considered a persuasive essay. Aristotle did not attempt in his arguments to refute, deny or avoid accusations but rather to present the data of the accusers to them in a different light. By offering a different perspective using alternate interpretations of agreed data, Aristotle’s rhetoric is defined as persuasive essay.

A more modern (1776) persuasive essay was written by Thomas Paine in support of American rejection of British rule. The persuasive essay titled, Common Sense, was a sensation and arguably helped to change the course of history. Persuasive essays are that powerful and Paine’s essay isn’t the only one in history to prove the point. Nearly 100 years later another great persuasive essay was instrumental in changing the course of things to come. Civil Disobedience (Resistance to Civil Government) is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. In it, Thoreau argued that individual people shouldn’t allow their governments to overrule or dull their consciences. That to be agents of justice people must actively drive and compel their governments on the right and moral course. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War.

Nearly one hundred years later again, the most famous persuasive essay of modern times was put forth by Martin Luther King, compelled by similar motivations and argued on many of the same points as Thoreau. Like Thoreau, in his unforgettable speech, I have a Dream, Martin Luther King argues for equality and by addressing the injustice of inequality, proves his case on many levels. You see, a persuasive essay, a good persuasive essay, will appeal to both the logical and the emotional compassions of the reader or the listener.

A Good Persuasive Essay Rubric

Harvard offers an excellent rubric for self evaluating the merits of a persuasive essay. While it is extensive the highlights are offered here. The more relevant points for determining whether an argument is good enough is to ask whether it meets the following criteria:

• The argument is clearly stated (a claim is made) including why it is controversial.
• The persuasive essay offers clear and accurate reasons in support of the claim.
• Reasons against the claim are explained and also why the claim is valid anyway.
• The argument has a compelling opening, an informative middle and a satisfying conclusion.
• It sounds like the author cares about the argument.
• Words used are striking but natural, varied and vivid.
• Sentences are clear, complete and of varying lengths.
• Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation are evident throughout.

If you can say yes to all of these you probably have a great persuasive essay.