Rhetorical Devices in Action
Sometimes rhetorical devices can seem like a silly bag of tricks; but in fact they can be tremendously effective in making a text or a speech more comprehensible and meaningful to its audience. Consider, for instance, the following two speeches from the early 1960s—both of which employ many of the rhetorical devices you are learning to identify. John F. Kennedy's inaugural address is widely regarded as one of the best presidential speeches in history, and Martin Luther King's address to the March on Washington was the most influential American speech of the century. Read and watch these speeches and consider the ways they use rhetorical tools to address the situation at hand.
John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address
JFK's inaugural address never mentions the domestic political issues of its day—not the economy, education, or even civil rights. Instead, Kennedy speaks of America's place in a changing world, as the U.S. and the Soviet Union struggle for supremacy and influence among a host of newly independent nations. Speaking as the first president "born in this century," Kennedy appeals to his generation to answer the call of freedom for a new age. Download the text of the speech below so you can follow along with the video.
Reflection
After you read and listen to JFK's speech, see how many examples you can find of the rhetorical devices you are learning about here. We usually ask students to find at least five examples, but you might notice a lot more! The pdf file above also includes questions for you to answer about Kennedy's address. These reflect the kinds of items you might find on the AP Language and Composition Exam in the multiple choice sections. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Address to the March on Washington
Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech came at a critical time for the American civil rights movement. In the late spring of that year, Dr. King and others led a nonviolent campaign of sit-ins, marches, and peaceful boycotts to protest segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Local authorities responded by turning police dogs and fire hoses on the youthful demonstrators, galvanizing the nation and pushing President Kennedy a few months later to finally introduce sweeping new civil rights legislation. Seizing the opportunity, organizers of the late summer March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom pushed for a massive turnout to show broad-based support for real change. Riding trains and buses, even hiking on foot, 250,000 marchers descended on the capital for the rally. White federal authorities seemed petrified, but the huge throngs were peaceful, even happy, with many white supporters sitting among the largely African American audience. The last speaker of the program was Martin Luther King, Jr. With help from his assistants he had written out a speech the night before, but when the time came he put aside the prepared text at a crucial point and began speeking extemporaneously on a theme he had developed before. This is the famous "I Have a Dream" section, and you can see where it begins at 12:10 in the video below. You can see more background on King and the March on Washington in this short introduction from the History Channel, and hear about how King went off text in this interview with his former aide.
Reflection
Although the final section (lines 114-181) of King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial was delivered extemporaneously, it remains by far the most famous and admired part of the speech. Reread this passage. Why do you think it had such an impact? What role do rhetorical devices play in making the speech effective? How does King's use of language in this part of the speech differ from the language in the prepared text? |