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Olivia Ojala

Trelease

English 1010

14 October 2019

Former president of the United States, Barack Obama, in his sentimental speech,

Interfaith Prayer Vigil at Newton High School, responds to the shooting that took place at Sandy

Hook Elementary School by delivering comforting words to the United States, and more

specifically, to those who were directly affected. The shooting occurred on December 14, 2012,

just two days before this speech was given. Obama’s purpose is to provide a sense of hope after

this terrible incident, and reassure everyone that this can be overcome. He adopts a heartfelt tone

in order to appeal to the hurting nation, while also using a serious tone to depict that a change

needs to be made regarding such violence. Obama respectfully brings a soothing message to the

nation after this recent tragedy by using pathos, several rhetorical questions, and a precise

syntax.

At Newtown High School, Obama begins his emotionally powerful speech to the nation

by honoring the memory of those who lost their lives in the recent tragedy, and by conveying his

heartfelt condolences toward anyone in anguish. He acknowledges his sympathy for anyone

suffering by recognizing that the lives of the “twenty beautiful children and six remarkable

adults” (5) will be missed and that words won’t be enough to “match the depths of your sorrow”

or “heal your wounded hearts” (6). He also recognizes his own feelings of sorrow by implying

“that we’re all parents” and “that they’re all our children” (14) in order to emotionally connect
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himself and the audience to the current situation. He sees that this is a very heartbreaking period

of grief for much of the nation, so he hopes to give solace by bringing forth the knowledge “that

you’re not alone in your grief” (6), and that everyone’s “world too has been torn apart” (6). This

sympathetic response from the president provides the audience with a sense of validity and

understanding for the misery they are experiencing, which allows them to embrace and accept it.

Obama continues through his heart wrenching speech by occasionally inserting

associated questions in order to captivate the audience and allow them to deeply feel for the

current adversity in the nation. He utilizes the power of these questions by applying them in

specific areas that will enable the audience to further reflect on the given information. These

thought provoking questions are joined with concerns such as “preventing tragedies like this”

(21) in the future and assuring that we are “doing enough to keep our children -- all of them --

safe from harm” (16). He incorporates several deep questions into his speech in order to give the

audience a moment to ponder these considerations, but also to reveal that terrible afflictions, like

this shooting, need to be permanently terminated. He wants to emphasize that “we can’t accept

events like this as routine”(21). Through the use of these questions, Obama hopes to open the

eyes of the audience to the fact that there needs to be a change regarding the safety of children.

This expression of deliberation concerning such sensitive concepts conveys a serious, insightful

tone that shapes the thinking of the audience to be supportive of Obama’s ideas, while also

showing a gesture of compassion.

Throughout Obama’s comforting address, there are a variety of sentence structures that

he uses in order to achieve different goals. The longer, more in depth sentences that are found

tend to have many more profound feelings. These sentences seem to have greater passion behind
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them and view the situation in an understandingly mournful manner. Many of the sections with

longer syntax are accomplishing this sense of passion through the use of polysyndetons and

asyndetons. Adjusting the conjunctions added to the speech is very beneficial because when

increasing them, the topic is visually expanded, and when completely omitting conjunctions, the

separate sections can unite into a single discussion. Obama’s use of long syntax is found when he

conveys that taking care of our children is done “with the help of friends and neighbors, the help

of a community, and the help of a nation” (14), that the “warmth of a small child’s embrace” (23)

is true, and how the responses of the 6 teachers were “with courage and with love” (8). The

concise sentences, however, are placed to create a more serious, urgent tone. These sentences are

used to grasp the attention of the audience while giving them the essential information without

elaboration. These succinct sentences are seen when Obama declares that “these tragedies must

end” (19) and that “we will have to change” to stop them. The combination of both of these

syntax forms brings the proper and intended focus on all of the components of this situation.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012. In Barack

Obama’s tender speech, Interfaith Prayer Vigil at Newtown High School, he delivers a

reassuring, yet heartbreaking message to the nation. He speaks out about this unacceptable

violence that needs to be put to an end, while also comforting those who are in pain from this

tragedy. Through this speech, Obama hopes to encourage the audience to desire for change, and

console them by appraising the knowledge that they’re not suffering alone.