First, select one of the following speeches. Please read the speech and listen to it.
William Faulkner's "Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech" (Links to an external site.) (and listen (Links to an external site.))
Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (Links to an external site.) (and listen (Links to an external site.))
Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" (Links to an external site.) (and listen (Links to an external site.))
Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" (Links to an external site.) (and listen (Links to an external site.))
JFK's "Inaugural Address" (Links to an external site.) (and listen (Links to an external site.))
Then, perform a rhetorical analysis of your chosen speech. After reviewing the lecture material on rhetorical analysis and taking part in the shorter rhetorical analysis activity, you should already have a sense of what will be expected.
Begin by clarifying the rhetorical situation (SOAP) of this speech:
Who is the Speaker? Give a sentence or two of background information on the speaker.
What is the Occasion? What is the context for this speech? Where was the speech delivered? How and when? What historical events prompted or influenced this speech? Most importantly: How did the context of the speech help the speech to "hit home" with its listeners, meeting its target audience at exactly the right moment?
Who is the Audience? Who was this written for? Identify the audience of the speech, and use specific examples from the speech to prove that your identified group is indeed the audience.
Why was this written? Clearly identify the Purpose of the speech. Why was this speech written? What is its "point"? What is the speaker trying to prove or support? And, most importantly, how do you know that's really the purpose? Remember to use specific examples from the speech to really demonstrate the purpose.
Then, examine the rhetorical appeals used in the speech. Although you should identify all appeals used (logos, ethos, pathos, and Kairos) as you are reading the speech, please select and discuss only two appeals total in your analysis paper.
Check for logos (logic, facts), pathos (emotional), ethos (appeal to ethics, authority figure), and potentially kairos (timeliness, using ideas that appeal to your audience at that given time), select the two most important appeals, and provide specific examples of these appeals being used in the speech.
Most importantly: Explain clearly how these appeals increase the effectiveness of the speech and help the speaker to prove his or her point.
Then, analyze the format and writing/oration style of the speech itself. Examine the text for literary devices (this website (Links to an external site.) has a great list if you are coming up short).
Identify at least two literary devices used in the speech and provide specific examples of those devices used.
Most importantly: For each device used, please explain how this literary device helps "empower" the text--how does the device help to grab and attract the listeners' attention? How does it help the speaker place emphasis on their important points or engage the listeners' emotions? How does it help to get the audience "riled up" or moved by the speaker's words? How does it help to make the speech more memorable? Every device is used for a reason--it's never an accident, so make sure you know why that device is being used before trying to talk about it!
Finally, end strong. Use all of your paper's main points--the rhetorical situation and appeals, plus the literary devices--to clearly demonstrate and prove that your chosen speech speaks directly to its audience at the right time, strongly conveys its central purpose, appeals powerfully to listeners, and uses literary devices effectively to empower and emphasize its primary message while actively engaging listeners.