Page 1: Persuasive Techniques and Call for Change
Barack Obama's speech begins with a clear objective: to persuade his audience that America needs change and that this change can only be achieved through unity and support for his presidency. He employs various rhetorical devices to convey this message effectively.
Obama starts by acknowledging Hillary Clinton before diving into the core of his speech. He uses anaphora, repeating the phrase "There is something happening when..." to emphasize the widespread desire for change across different demographics.
Example: "There is something happening when people who have never participated in politics turn out in numbers we've never seen before."
The speaker employs antithesis to contrast different groups, such as rich and poor, black and white, Latino and Asian. This technique underscores the idea that change is necessary regardless of one's background or social status.
Highlight: Obama's use of parallelism with the phrase "what's happening" reinforces the idea of a collective movement towards change.
In discussing how change will occur, Obama shifts to a more emotional tone, using pathos to appeal to the audience's feelings. He contrasts the current "dividing" and "distracting" state of America with an optimistic vision of the future.
Quote: "We are choosing hope over fear. We're choosing unity over division, and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America."
Obama uses metaphors to create vivid imagery of America's current problems. He refers to school corridors as "corridors of shame" and the fossil fuel industry as the "tyranny of oil," highlighting issues in education and energy that need addressing.
Vocabulary: Anaphora - The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
The repeated use of "we will" and "we can" emphasizes the collective power of the people to enact change. Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes we can," is strategically repeated to make it memorable and reinforce the message of possibility.
