Rhetorical Analysis of President Barack Obama's Second Inaugural Address

In January twentieth, 2013, the forty-fourth president of the United States of America took the oath of office for his second term. In the inauguration speech at the Capital Building in US Washington DC made a rhetorical appeal to communicate the four-year presidential plan to make the much-deserved change for the American people. The straightforward and stunning powerful inauguration speech delivered by the president-elect, Barack Obama made emphasizes on the challenges and crisis facing America using ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience on the administrative plan to deliver America from the historical injustices perpetrated by his predecessors (West 2014). This paper will explore a rhetorical analysis of the second inaugural address of President Obama to examine the persuasive appeals in addressing the presidential concerns for the next term plan as well as persuading the entire American population that their country is in the best administration for the next four-year term.

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President Obama made emphasis as he persuaded the logos appeal in his inaugural speech when he gave a summary of the state of home lose, shuttered business, and job sheds in the current economic state in the United States of America using statistical backing Obama was able to give logical argument of his concerns and the presidential plan to address the issues affecting the people during the past few years. Using this rhetorical appeal, President Obama made a logical argument to codify the intentions of his administration to better the living conditions of the American people to make America a better place to live, do business and work in (Sullivan, 2013).

In his application of ethos in the inauguration speech, President Barak Obama derived his ideas from the address of Martin Luther King but made emotional appeal to his audience by avoiding the personification of phrases like 'I', 'myself' and 'me' but instead unified his presidential plan with the people of America to make them feel included by utilizing phrases like 'we', 'together', and 'us'. Through their emotional appeal to the speech was straightforward and stunning powerful inauguration speech delivered by the president-elect, Barack Obama made emphasizes on the challenges and crisis facing America using ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience on the administrative plan to deliver America from the historical injustices perpetrated by his predecessors. Historical understanding of rhetorical literacy as knowledgeable of rhetorical appeals ethos in the inauguration speech, President Barak Obama has in modern persuaded his audience to believe in him and the philosophies of the presidential plan because of its inclusivity in the statement.

In the application of logical appeal, the president explained the essence of teamwork and explained how it was important for America to function as a single unit but not under a single individual's rule. Utilizing the King's tactics to communicate the logos element of his speech he was able to awaken the audience from their illusion to the reality of the situations facing them at current times. The rhetorical assurance on reaffirming to the citizens that the country was in good hands makes appeals to close connection between the presidential plan and the will of the people of America and the world at large. The gradual direction in which the presidential speech appealed to the thoughts of the people of America made a significant impact on their understanding of the logistics of underway plans as well as a realization of the current situation with the distinct social, economic status of the majority of America's minority groups. Like Luther King Jr. president Obama rhetorical appealed to shed light and connect to the emotional and spiritual understanding of their prospective move in future. The speech was made in the gradual persuasion of the three aspects of rhetorical appeals using the tactful connection with the mind, body, and soul of the presidential plan and the people of America as they believed in the philosophy of "we" (West 2014).

Ethos rhetorical appeal is created in the second inauguration speech by President Obama when he shows politeness and humility by utilizing words like "humbled" and acknowledgment of his predecessor's efforts in making a better America throughout the forty-three other presidents. Through the use of ethos, Obama was able to build on his credibility to the administrative unity for America. Using the religious belief and the keen understanding of divinity promise, President Obama began his speech in the tone applied by most preachers. The humble beginnings in most of his statements made a promising attachment with the emotions of the American people and the segregation of the society as a way of inspiring his audience using his past life identification and persuasiveness in the speech as he narrates the roadmap to success for his administration and the people of America as a whole (Sullivan, 2013). He was quick to display his respect for the power of the political offices and equally with his fellow citizens.

Furthermore, Obama creates logos in his second inauguration speech by showing great intellects and logic when he addresses the issues of power generation of wealth and expansion of freedom. Using logic, he argues out his perception of the contrast of integrating wealth and liberty. Obama used logical persuasion to convince the American public on the need for holistic growth of the economic market which calls for more market control that growing the size of the gross domestic product for the common good. In this regard, the entire speech was strongly founded with logical arguments to give reasoning to the audience on the issues and ideas in the current affairs of the American oneness. The speech exploration on trade and politics gave the audience logical understanding on the common good to collectively unite with the presidential development plan to ensure that the American marketplace maintains its overtime glory through logical evaluation of systems and innovation to improve productivity and market success in building the economy.

In the creation of pathos, the speech addressed the emotional effects of the audience. In his promise for a change and better future in America, President Obama touched on the emotional needs of the people through elaborate promise on pledges to work for better farming growth clean flow of waters as well as feeding the starving bodies and the hungry minds. On the same note, the presidential plan in addressing the concerns of non-American citizens and immigrants, racial concerns as well as social, economic deprivation of minority groups. Through this promising address, the president connected with the emotions of the masses on hope and reassurance. In the emotional appeal to the people president, Obama vowed to work closely with less fortunate immigrants and recognized that without the Americans there was no America. Using this reassuring speech therapy president Obama was able to create popularity due to the pathos appeal developed by his audience. Again he also touched on the symbolic representation of old hatreds among other things that stain American image promising to create diplomacy with international nations to create a better America for all.

Conclusion

In conclusion, President Obama's second inauguration speech addressed various rhetorical appeals to drive his point home and ensure that he connected with the mind, hearts, and souls of the American people with the reassurance of hope in the future reign for four years.

Works cited

Sullivan, Sean (January 21, 2013). "President Obama's second inaugural address, by the numbers". The Washington Post.

West, Victoria, "A Style of His Own: A Rhetorical Analysis of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Addresses" (2014). Undergraduate Research Awards. Paper 21. Available at http://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/researchawards/21