Nightingale 1

Emily Nightingale

Mrs. Kadri

Pre-AP English

03 March 2017

Dear Mr. President Analysis

In modern day music, musicians are given the freedom to express their emotions,

feelings, and opinions through the work they produce. Within these many pieces, one can find

the most simple rhetorical devices used to display their thoughts. Specifically, the song Dear

Mr. President by Pink portrays the singer's feelings towards world issues today and how the

president handles them. She compares his privileged life to those less fortunate and questions

whether he is doing his job correctly due to the state the world is in. She uses the rhetorical

devices of anaphora and rhetorical questions to further her point.

To be more specific, the artist uses an anaphora towards the end of the song to amplify

how the less privileged need to put in more work to succeed in life. The lyrics in which she uses

this are, Let me tell you about hard work Minimum wage with a baby on the way Let me tell

you about hard work Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away. In this section of

lyrics, the singer builds up her point by the repetition of the phrase let me tell you about hard

work. Not only this, but through rhetorical questions, she questions the president's actions and

feelings in such bad times. For instance, the song incorporates the lyrics, How can you say, no

child is left behind? as a question that isnt intended to be answered. It is supposed to stay

unanswered to prove that the president is obviously leaving children behind and not helping
 Nightingale 2

when he says he would. All in all, both of the rhetorical devices discussed play large roles in the

meaning of the song in contrasting ways.

To conclude, the piece Dear Mr. President by Pink includes the literary devices of

anaphora and rhetorical questions to develop the overall message being displayed. Although

there were only two analyzed, it can be inferred that in such a powerful song that there are many

others that contribute to the central idea. This song is known to some as one of the strongest Pink

songs written that displays real world issues. It not only showcases opinions on the subject, but

also brings up controversy that many choose to ignore which makes the piece an even stronger

one. However, without the rhetorical devices of literature, the song may not have received the

same feedback or achieved the greatness it has.