RHETORICAL

ANALYSIS




English 2150/3050

January 2009









Marissa Nolan
Prof. Gaillet
ENGL 2150/3080
22 January 2009
President Barack Obamas Inauguration Speech
Without a doubt, rhetoric is almost always linked to the political sphere and the
individuals who operate within it. For hundreds of years, presidents have been utilizing
rhetoric to make their points and to outline their positions on important issues before the
nation. President Obama certainly used many forms of rhetoric and rhetorical devices
during his long journey that eventually ended at the steps of the White House, and he did
not stop there. During his inaugural speech, President Obama put to use many, if not all,
of the methods that are commonly taught during academic rhetorical training. To begin,
the five parts of the rhetorical cannon, invention, arrangement, style, memory, and
delivery, all played a part in the grand scheme of President Obamas speech. Next, the
President appealed to the audiences emotions and made points logically, all while
maintaining his own credibility. Finally, the audience and venue came together to create a
space and atmosphere that was hospitable for the Presidents speech. Although some
political analysts suggest that his speech fell flat and failed to inspire the American
people, President Obamas use of all aspects of rhetoric came together to form a
complete, concise, and, in my opinion, effective speech.
Starting from the basics with the first piece of the cannon, invention, it is clear
that politicians, including presidents, put their ideas together for speeches prior to
standing in front of a podium to deliver them. President Obama had a lot of ground to
cover with this speech, and he did not have much time to do it. He needed to be strong,
yet humble; patriotic, yet welcoming of other cultures; ambitious, yet realistic. To
accurately express all of his ideals and perspectives while fulfilling these qualities,
President Obama had to refine the invention of his speech in order to make it effective.
Further, although the setting was very ceremonial, calling for a more epideictic form, the
speech was still political, and therefore was also of the deliberative genre. Coinciding
with the epideictic genre, President Obama spoke in the present, touching on issues that
are pressing the nation, like the economy and wars. However, keeping with the
deliberative, he identified how he planned to address many of the issues.
The next step of arranging the key points of the speech is crucial if the greatest
effect is to be achieved. President Obama chose to organize his ideas with a general
theme that ran the length of the speech. The theme of returning to the ideals of the
founding fathers touched every aspect of the speech: the war, the economy, and foreign
relations. By doing this, the President made his speech more cohesive and easier to
follow.
Style is next. President Obamas words met all basic aspects of good style; they
were correct, clear, and appropriate. He avoided all blaring grammatical flaws and he
used a combination of complex and simple sentence structures to add variety to his
speech. He chose words that are used every day, and therefore easily understood by the
general public. President Barack Obama not only met, but also exceeded, these standards
of style.
Masters of rhetoric have long taught and emphasized the importance of memory
in speech giving. Not only does memorizing a speech increase a speakers credibility, or
ethos, but it also adds to an image of organization and preparedness that speakers strive
for. Anyone who watched President Obama give his inaugural speech can note that,
although there were undoubtedly teleprompters present, he maintained an image that
suggested that he had memorized the entire speech. Memory also has a great deal to do
with the last part of the rhetorical cannon, delivery.
A speech can be beautifully written, but if the delivery is all wrong, it can fall flat,
rendering it ineffective. President Obama opted for a pitch and tone that resembled that of
a preacher delivering a Sunday sermon. This style of delivery includes active hand
gestures to emphasize certain points or phrases, like the Presidents extended hand to the
unclenched fist. These physical attributes of the speech combined with the attention-
grabbing tone create an engaging and effective delivery. Additionally, although many
political analysts feel that President Obama rushed through the speech, I believe that his
pace was appropriate, considering all of the points that he needed to cover.
The appeals to ethos and logos that the President made during his speech added to
his credibility, or ethos. In his opening, the President makes the first appeal to ethos, by
stating that he felt humbled by being elected to tackle the issues facing the nation. From
there, he logically follows the common theme of respecting the foundation that the
forefathers, soldiers, and earlier Americans laid while tugging at Americas heartstrings.
President Obama made several references to slavery and segregation, things that many
Americans feel very emotionally attached to. For instance, he mentioned a time in
Americas history when a black man, like his father, would not be served in public
restaurants. Statements like these not only emotionally reach each and every American,
but they also help to build President Obamas ethos because it was his father who would
have faced segregation in the country he is now the Commander and Chief of.
In terms of audience and venue, President Obamas popularity with the American
people helped his speech resonate through the millions of people in attendance. Some
political analysts felt that the Presidents speech was uneventful and even boring;
however, I would argue that the historical aspects combined with the tradition of the
inauguration ceremony itself created such an extreme atmosphere of excitement that there
was no way that President Obamas speech could be considered in those terms. Further, I
firmly believe that the portion of the population that comprised the audience did not
travel to Washington, D.C. in the extreme cold solely to hear the newly elected President
make his speech; they went to feel the energy and hope that this historical day produced.
Also, the venue alone carries so much history and tradition with it that it would be hard to
hear anything there, let alone a legendary speech, and not be moved by it.
Overall, President Obama, who is clearly a seasoned orator, made the most of his
surroundings and the energy from the exuberant audience to deliver a highly effective
inauguration speech. The refinement and organization of his speech along with the
appropriate and powerful appeals to emotions left many observers in tears and awe.