Speech Analysis Essay on Obama Victory Speech

Introduction

President Barrack Obama victory speech on November 4, 2008, was held in Grant Park in Chicago. In his remarks, he engaged narration approaches, silence, verbalization, and intonation to his audience who were listening to him. His speech gave hope to the audience by applying diverse rhetorical strategies His starting keynote address stated that if there is anyone who had doubts about America being a place where everything is possible and wonders whether the founders of the united states dreams is alive had an answer that night.

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This message gave hope to the American people, Obama Referenced America which is a power word in the United States. By using the word dream, he echoed the speech of Martin Luther King which is a recurring theme. The theme is also represented by the way he uses 'Tonight' bringing back to the people present. Obama speech also emphasized on answers which are told by lines that extended around churches and schools in numbers the nation had never experienced. By individuals who waited three to four hours since they believed it would be different this time (Wang, 2010).

By Obama using the word 'Answer,' he implies the promise of solving America's problems. By referencing churches and schools, he depicted good places where good feelings can be copied. His speech also stated that it is the answer, which is spoken by young, old, rich, and poor. It is also the answer spoken by Democrat and Republican, black and white, Asian and Latinos, Gay and straight and disabled and nondisabled. He continued that the people of America had sent a message worldwide they are not individual's collection nor red and blue state collection,

He stated they are the United States of America. This depicts inclusion by him referring to a different segment. By Obama using the final word the USA, he evoked feel-good nationalism. In his speech, he said that it is the answer that has controlled individuals who were informed to be cynical, fearful and doubtful of what they can achieve to put own hands on the historical arc towards the hopes of better days. By him using the word cynical it depicted pioneering of bad stuff. He also adds on the arc of history' implying more significant change.

He also used 'better day' as his final word evoking hope and feeling good and also healing of bad stuff. In his speech, he said it had been a long time, but that night America has experienced change. By using Time again, he depicts anchoring it presently and also using the final word America depicted patriotism. Obama in his speech asserted that earlier that evening he received a courteous call from McCain. He expressed that Senator McCain had fought hard in his campaigns and the United States. He has sacrificed for the American people in a way most people cannot imagine.

Obama said that McCain was a selfless leader. He congratulated him and Governor Palin for their achievements, and he looked forward to working with them for the renewal of nations promise. In this situation, Obama showed generosity in victory. He praised the defeated and did not ignore or trample him. This showed signs of a great leader by applauding the opponent in front of friends. He used the word 'months ahead' to depict moving forward to the future.

Obama thanked his journey partner a man who did campaigns wholeheartedly and spoke to individuals who they grew together on Scranton and rode streets who was the Vice President-elect Joe Biden. In this situation, Obama started a series of thanks. He depicted the vice president as a man who was ordinary and by him saying 'we are just like you' for audience connection. Obama also praised Michelle, the First Lady for her unyielding support for sixteen years. He described her as the rock of the family and the love of his life. In this situation, he showed himself as an ordinary family man.

He evoked sympathy by mentioning the grandmother. He showed humility by using the words 'grateful tonight'. His partner in every step. He asserted that they made victory happen and he would be forever grateful to them. When Obama mentioned 'get it done' he showed he is a man of action. Obama described that his victory belonged to the people and asserted that he was never the likeliest office candidate explained that his campaigns were not in the Washington halls but rather in the Charleston porches. The words 'porches of Charleston' creates a vector that he connects everywhere with the people.

In his speech, Obama explained that men and women built America with their little savings. It derived strength from young people who overruled the generation's apathy myth. He also expressed the individuals left home and also their families for little paying jobs. It also got the strength of people who were not so young who dared to face bitter cold and also the scorching heat. He expressed that the victory belonged to them.

In this part of his speech, he showed how small actions bring great things and hence encouraging mass contribution. Proof of change is also depicted here since the older generation supports the cause through hardships. Obama also explained that the road ahead would be long and the climb would be steep. He asserted that one year or one term would not be enough to get there, but he had hopes that America people would get there (Ye, 2010). In this scenario, the visual platform is exhibited by the 'Road' metaphor.

In his speech, he spoke about the chance to answer that call. He explained that was America's call, their moment and even their time. He told that was the time to reclaim the dream of American (Irimiea, 2010).In this section of his speech, positive benefits, and the theme of hope was manifested. By Obama saying 'out of many, we are one,' he exhibited Unifying assertion and which was explicit to the American Dream. Obama in his speech also said that the election had many stories, which will be passed to generations.

He explained the story which would be in his mind was that of a woman who had cast her vote in Atlanta. Obama expressed that Ann Nixon Cooper who was 106 years made her voice be heard. In this scenario, Obama created a sense of history. He exhibited a personalizing theme by reducing masses to a single person. Obama concluded by saying that was the opportunity to put the Americans back to work. He said yes we can and God Bless the United States of America. This exhibited the final blessing, which was traditional.

References

Irimiea, S. (2010). A rhetorical and comparative study of the victory speeches of Barack Obama and Mircea Geona. http://jolie.uab.ro/upload/8_51_3.pdf

Wang, J. (2010). A critical discourse analysis of Barack Obama's speeches. Journal of language teaching and research, 1(3), 254-261. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/07d3/1792560583cc95783bd0b568a3fd0fcc1178.pdf

Ye, R. (2010). The Interpersonal Metafunction Analysis of Barack Obama's Victory Speech. English Language Teaching, 3(2), 146-151. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1081615