Abstract

Rhetoric devices are of prime importance in making a successful and persuasive speech. There is a wide range of rhetoric devices serving various purposes and imposing all kinds of effects. Speakers always take the advantages of those devices, persuading the public to accept his opinions and values through brief, clear, fluent, vivid and expressive forms based on the status quo in that specific period of time. Barack Obama has been elected as the president of the United States twice in 2008 and 2012, which is, to great extent, related with his speeches. This study analyzes the 2009 and 2013 Presidential Inaugural Addresses from two levels---communicative and aesthetic rhetoric, and four dimensions---word, phrase, sentence, and passage, through rhetoric analysis. Historic situations have been taken into consideration also.  

Keywords: rhetoric; Obama’s Inaugural Address; communicative rhetoric; aesthetic rhetoric; rhetoric analysis

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-2

3. Rhetoric Devices Used in the Inaugural Address-4

4. Rhetoric Analysis from Aesthetic Rhetoric Level-6

4.1 Antithesis and parallel structure-7

4.2 Phonological rhetorical devices-9

4.3 Metonymy-10

4.4 Simile and metaphor-11

4.5 Other devices-11

5. Rhetoric Analysis from Communicative Rhetoric Level-13

5.1 Word choosing-13

5.2 Sentence pattern & paragraph arrangement-14

6. Conclusion-15

Works Cited-17