Famous Speeches: Analyzing Richard M. Nixon's White House Farewell - Essay Sample

Introduction

History is full of famous speeches like "I Have A Dream" by Martin Luther King in 1963 and "Resignation Speech" by George Washington in 1783 and so on. The statement that influenced me most is the White House Farewell by Richard M. Nixon on Thursday evening, August 8th, 1974. By analyzing the speaker's use of rhetorical devices and elements, we can better understand why it is famous. In what follows, I will carefully analyze this speech and attempt to answer the question: how does the speaker use rhetoric to help make their words effective and memorable?

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Richard M Nixon was born on January 9th in Yorba Linda, California. He became the president of the United States of America on 20th January 1989. Before becoming president, he served as vice president under President Lyndon. B. Johnson from 1953 to 1961. Richard resigned from the office on August 1974. History will remember him as the first president to ever resign from office. Richard gave the farewell speech in the East Room of the white house. In his remarks, he thanked his cabinet ministers, friends, and white house staff members for their support. Richard also gave tribute to his parents. He narrated how well they served in their different jobs. Richard also defended his staff against accusations of using public money for personal benefits. He also urged his team and cabinet to serve the next president, as well as they had helped him. He also assured them that all would return to normal even after this turmoil.

Rhetorical Devices

In his quest to say goodbye to his cabinet members and staff, Richard makes use of rhetorical devices such as antanagoge. It is used to place both critics and praise in a statement. It is evident when he states that the white house is not the most fabulous or most beautiful house for a president when compared to other homes. Despite this criticism, he says that it is the best house because it has a great heart that is brought about by those who serve in it.

To convince his staff that they should serve the next president as well as they have helped him, he used an analogy. He said, "This house great as it can only be as great as the men and women who work in it." Richard also used anecdotes to convince his juniors that every job is essential. He told of how his father was a great man, although he only had simple jobs like being a grocer. He used anecdotes to prove that even though he was leaving it, things would still be good again. He read the diary of a young man who had just lost his young wife during childbirth. The journal describes how the young man thought his light was over. After reading the diary, he explains to his audience that challenges are not the end of us but the beginning of something new. He stressed this point by using this allusion: only when you've been in the deepest valley can you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain. He made use of an allusion by referring to his mother as a saint. "My mother was a saint," Richard said. Elements of enumeration appeared in the speech while Richard was naming the that made him proud. He talked of the cabinet, his sub-cabinet, and all-white house staff members.

Elements of Rhetoric

To make his speech more convincing and memorable, Richard made use of the four rhetoric elements. His speech had a purpose, message, audience, and voice. To demonstrate that he was giving a farewell speech, Richard said, "You are here to say goodbye to us, and we don't have a word for it in English..." For any speech to be memorable, it must have a message. Richard's used this speech to prove how proud and thankful for his cabinet and white house staff who had served him well during his tenure. He clearly stated," I'm proud of this cabinet; I'm proud of our subcabinet; I'm proud of our Whitehouse staff." He also urged them to serve the next president as well as they had helped him. Richard also used the speech to inform his team that even though he was resigning, all was well. He said, "We leave with high hopes, in good spirit and with deep humility and with very much gratefulness in our hearts. As Richard began his speech, he welcomed members of the cabinet, white house staff, and their close friends. In doing so, he demonstrated that he understood who his audience was. Voice is an important element of rhetoric since it enables the writer to convey his message persuasively. Throughout the speech, Richard maintained an authoritative voice since he was addressing his staff. To asserting his authoritative position, Richard said, "The top man always takes the fall, and I have never ducked..."

Richard used rhetorical devices such as allusions, analogy, and anecdotes to ensure his speech was memorable and effective. He used rhetoric to convince his audience to believe his and understand his message of farewell and that you. To write an excellent argumentative essay, one vital to include rhetoric elements and devices. When writing future argumentative essays, I will use rhetoric elements to understand my audience and identify which message I want to communicate. To ensure I craft a persuasive essay, I will ensure that my voice suits my essay's audience. To capture the attention and support of my audience, I will incorporate rhetoric devices such as similes and allusions. I will also use personal anticathode to connect better with my audience.