Barack Obama's Inauguration Speech

Thomas Jefferson is considered a gifted and accomplished writer. He is credited as being the author of “The Declaration of Independence,” which is considered by many to be the most important document in American history. (Foner 153) It comes as no surprise that Jefferson’s first inaugural address lives up to his legacy as a well-written, thoughtful speech. Jefferson’s inaugural address is an important primary document in United States history because it exemplified a peaceful turnover of power with a conciliatory tone towards the opposition. (Foner 236) In his first inaugural address, he was seeking to unite a divided country behind him as their elected President as well as to encourage public’s belief in a strong republic government based

The second inauguration address of Abraham Lincoln is as powerful as it is brief. He wrote a speech prompting for the end of the Civil War and the lasting vision he has for the future of the Union. Throughout the speech he uses comparisons, religion, and the moral high ground to move and rally the nation split over four years of civil war.

During a funeral for Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a Charleston shooting victim, President Obama delivered an influential eulogy. This eulogy turned out to be so powerful that it traveled throughout the internet and became known as one of Obama’s best speeches from the duration of his presidency. The speech resonated so well with many citizens because of its relatable content and connections to passionate issues in today’s society. The delivery of the eulogy played a gigantic part in its effectiveness to Americans as well.

Speeches are used to commemorate points of history, and inform the general public of the product of their history but what makes a speech so impacting on it’s audience? Rhetorical devices give speeches and works of literature a way that can convey feelings or ideas to a viewer. When addressing during times of war or chaos, people such as Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill used these terms to better connect with their audience. Without these tools of the english language, dialogue and literature would be all the more dull and unappealing. However, with these useful instruments, writers and speakers can better communicate through some of the many rhetorical devices.

In 1962 President John F. Kennedy held a press conference in which he informed the audience on his stance for the rising steel prices. Kennedy not only wanted to inform the audience, he wanted to get them on his side of the argument. He wanted to show the audience that the rising steel prices were going to have a negative impact on the nation. To do this Kennedy used some of the rhetoric strategies and tools. He used periodic sentences, anaphora, and diction. By using these strategies Kennedy was able to put emphasis in his speech. He effectively showed the audience Hayes viewpoint on the rising steel prices through his word choice.

In President Barack Obama’s 2012 Inaugural Speech it is evident that he uses many rhetorical devices. A few examples are allusion, foil, oxymoron, repetition, personification, sentenia, parallelism, and distinctio. Even though Obama uses multiple rhetorical devices, sentenia, repetition, and distincto are used most often. All three devices play a major role in meaning of the speech. The use of sentenia, repetition, and distinctio enhance the purpose of the speech.

In 1945, World War Two ended with the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire. In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed by ten European nations, the United States of America, and Canada in order to organize a united front against the Soviet threat. In 1955, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union signed the Warsaw Pact as a communist counter to the capitalist NATO. In 1961, in the midst of a heated cold war, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) stood in front of the nation and delivered his inaugural address as the 35th president of the United States of America (USA). He stood in front of a nation

Former Illinois State Senator and soon to be Forty-fourth president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, recounts what happened in the past to make America what is today and how he intends to maintain the ideas of America’s founding fathers throughout his term of presidency. His intended audience of the first inaugural address is the citizens of America and his purpose was to comfort them about the past and encourage the future of America. He creates a patriotic and empowering tone in order to appeal to pathos. His diction throughout the speech illustrates patriotism, allusions, and anaphoras.

The 44th and first African American President, Barack Obama, in his Inaugural Address, promotes a call to action. Obama’s purpose is to express his gratitude for his opportunity to become president and discuss his plans for economic advancement. In order to reach the American people of the U.S., Obama adopts a serious and thought-provoking tone to urge them to support his plans for advancement. During this time of economic crisis, Obama clearly conveys to the American people through his use of metaphor, allusion, and anaphora, that it is time to take a stand and make a change in America.

In his inaugural speech given on January 20, 2001, George W. Bush address the country for the first time after being sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States. Millions of people from around the world tuned in to watch the president give his address. The people who voted for and against him are both wanting to hear what the president has to say. George W. Bush gives an effective inaugural address by using biblical allusions, collaborative language, and an anaphora in order to unite the country after a contentious election.

Barack Obama’s win for President in 2009 was a historical moment for the United States. His inaugural speech was much anticipated, because this was going to set the tone for his presidency. His speech told the American people that improving the economy is one of his priorities, but there were also other areas he would like to improve like healthcare and the education system. This was a speech that was meant to persuade the American public to take action for them to rise as a nation again, and for them to put their trust into him. His message addressed a couple of specific points like his gratefulness to the American people, the different crises America is facing, how America will overcome these crises, replying to his cynics, addressing the world, and then he reminded America again to be brave like they’ve always been to overcome the hard times (5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama's Inaugural Speech, (n.d.).

Not only was the 2016 Presidential election full of controversy, it was also bursting with multiple forms of rhetoric. Rhetoric was best defined by the 300 B.C. philosopher Aristotle, who stated that rhetoric is “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” (Rapp, 2010) This definition has lasted through the centuries; to this day it is still one of the prominent definitions of rhetoric in America. President Donald J Trump and, runner up, Hilary Clinton both used rhetoric throughout their campaign very effectively. The candidates of this election not only used rhetoric and its canons to successfully persuade the American people, they did it in a way that will shape politics for many elections to come.

President, Barack Obama, in his speech, “Democratic Convention Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address,” discusses and implies his reason of becoming Americas next President. Obama’s purpose is to convey the idea that he can become the next President, by recognizing what the past Presidents did and what change he can do as the next one. Obama uses a hopeful and promising tone along with the use of pathos, logos, and ethos to appeal to the audience in a relatable way.

On October 1st, 2015 President Barack Obama released a speech regarding the devastating mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. President Obama’s main argument, in his speech, was that we as a nation have put so much money to prevent other disasters but have, for the most part, ignored the idea of proceeding with gun control laws to prevent situations like mass shootings. The President mentions how “it's fair to say that anybody who does this has a sickness in their minds, regardless of what they think their motivations may be. But we are not the only country on Earth that has people with mental illnesses or want to do harm to other people. We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months.”. President Obama also uses examples that show how we put effort into on other things that kill but not guns, “When Americans are killed in mine disasters, we work to make mines safer. When Americans are killed in floods and hurricanes, we make communities safer. When roads are unsafe, we fix them to reduce auto fatalities. We have seatbelt laws because we know it saves lives. So the notion that gun violence is somehow

On November 4th, 2008, former President Barack Obama made his victory speech to approximately 200,000 people at Grant Park and to those watching it through broadcast. In the year 2008, was a critical time period for the United States since the long lasting eight year presidency of George W Bush was ending and a new president was approaching the White House with new proposals. During the time George W Bush was in office, the United States was facing many problems, as with wars going on, financial crisis happening, and global warming being another factor. The country needed to be restored from all the monstrocity going on and become that strong country that once was. Barack Obama’s campaign and the succeeding election was the answer to all necessities in the country. During his speech Obama gets the viewers attention with his moving pathetic appeals, and the use of historical figures and past events to help accept the importance of the moment and his use of “Yes We Can” as a appearance of ethos to describe the country.