Preview

Speech Analysis: Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
251 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Speech Analysis: Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier
The Essay
The speech ‘Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier’ by former Prime Minister Paul Keating has been chosen as the basis of this commentary. It was given on 11th of November 1993 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra as a commemoration in honour of all of the soldiers who have served for Australia in conflict situations. Paul Keating’s point of view is evidently reflected through his speech. He aims to bring about the development of Australia as a unified nation by the instilling patriotism among the citizens and to overcome such obstacles of loss and demise as a nation. As such, the audience is swayed to readily acquiesce with Keating’s opinions about building a united nation. Keating is successful in gaining such a reaction from his audience as a result of his effectual use of persuasive techniques. Devices such as inclusive language, synecdoche, and emotive language have been extensively employed in Paul Keating’s speech. This makes the speech worthy of analytic evaluation. Keating has utilized inclusive language to a great extent to develop a strong connection with his audience and make them feel part of the speech which would give them a better understanding about his speech. Additionally emotive language has been cleverly manipulated in the speech to provoke remembrance and sympathy towards the dead and stir patriotism among the spectators where they will feel united and as one nation. Lastly synecdoche has been applied by Keating in the speech to represent the Unknown Soldier as

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    While reading a version of the speech given by Urban II at Clermont in 1095, I wondered why a pope would want to start a war. So I did some research found a few reliable sources on the internet about the same speech and including my textbook. My objective in this paper is to find out why would any Christian be willing to go to war for a piece of property and or did the pope have an ulterior motive?…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout President Franklin Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor speech, he uses various devices to appeal to the audience listening. Although, the most effective excerpt from the speech is when President Roosevelt depicts the resilience and determination of the United States to fight back, both figuratively and metaphorically, “With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God” (paragraph 17). By accentuating the unity of the nation with “our” armed forces and “our” people, Mr. President utilizes both pathos and parallelism. Pathos is exerted by the use of the pronouns “our” and “we”, in which Roosevelt includes himself with the rest of the Americans involved…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    How Did Australia Lose Ww1

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages

    On one revolutionary night in 1914, Andrew Fisher the Prime Minister of Australia, declared that Australia would stand beside their mother country Britain should the worst happen and they go to war, and days later they did. Over the course of the four year(1914-1918) World War one was fought, there were one hundred and forty seven battles and although Australia didn’t fight with the allies in each battle, their involvement was regarded as imperative to winning the war. People in modern society when asked about the First World War will only be knowledgeable of the Anzacs involvement in the Battle of Gallipoli because it is the only battle discussed at Anzac Ceremonies. Battles like the Battle of the Somme deserve more recognition and this essay will give an overview of why. Australia’s transformation from the war, the soldiers experiences, the impact on the soldiers and their families, how the Anzac legend is carried on as well as how the army has changed are all things that this essay will…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of war, young Australia wanted to prove their loyalty and worth to their “mother country” which they mostly still relied on. At the time, other nations had more men in their army then Britain, so Australia was keen to provide them with soldiers. When enlisting soldiers, the government hid their true thoughts and only provided the public with the exaggerated truth. As the war went on and more people died, Australians finally realized the truth of war. Even though their opinions changed, they still provided Britain with needed soldiers. Even when the armistice was signed and the war ended, the impacts was still felt in Australia for years…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When an accidental tragedy occurs to a group of young people from the other side of the world it is extremely difficult for the victims friends and family’s to gain a sense of closure. Through the use of inclusive language, literary illusion, metaphor, and many more William Deane is able to unite all of the Australian victims families and able to create a sense of closure for the families. “and John Donne wrote ‘no man is an island’. Anyone’s ‘death diminishes’ us all because we are all ‘involved in mankind’ this literary allusion is used by Deane to unify the people of all nations mourning. This quote also reaffirms that death is a shared experience that everyone goes through. The quote also gives weight behind Deane’s argument, gives his words wisdom and it also increases the depth of his sincerity. “We are gathered here…all of us…we pray…our Lord” This quote by Deane uses inclusive language in an attempt to unify all people affected by the Canyoning tragedy regardless of their nationality. William Deanes speech was convincing to the audience not only from Australia but from all other nations involved as it unified all victims and gave a sense of warmth and closure about the deaths.…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I felt awful they had lost so many on our coast”. It is clearly highlighted that Australia sacrificed all that they could, despite the fact that the country was very small, as well as the army and navy. An approximate of one third of Australia’s RAN ships was committed, as well as over 16,000 men. It is simply pure luck that the Australian Navy did not lose a ship. Australia’s sacrifice was a vital contribution from the country and was significant for every citizen…

    • 1200 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Being a new, recently independent nation, the outbreak of war provided the opportunity not only to fulfill their obligations to Britain, but also for Australia to establish itself as a country that has the manpower and support behind them to exhibit the traits of an established nation. ‘There was also a belief in society that war was a testing ground for individual and national character’[2] Australia was a product of the successful British military quests and here was the chance to prove themselves worthy on a world stage.’ What the war represented was an opportunity to say, ‘here we are right, look at us fighting’10. If society believed that war was a testing ground for individual and national character, this was certainly achieved at Gallipoli in 1915. Despite being a failed battle with ‘7823 Australians being killed and 19441 wounded with a further 70 becoming prisoners of war’[3], the ANZACS represented the values and qualities of the whole society which is still reflected in our nationalism today. Welborn (2002), describes the historic event as ‘the proving of a nations soul’[4].In essence, the failed landing at Gallipoli evoked at least the sense of nationalism many young men were inspired to enlist as a result…

    • 2047 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bruce Dawe has used a variety of literary devices to represent specific marginalised groups in ways that challenge their reader’s perceptions. Two of his poems; ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Weapons Training’ are key and transparent examples of literary devices being utilised to represent specific marginalised groups. Both of these poems were set during the 1950’s, with Vietnam being written to represent soldiers pre-war and homecoming to represent soldiers returning to Australia. During this time period, the Australian nation lived via a very patriarchal manner, and had the utmost respect and admiration of their soldiers that fought during the world wars. However, it has been noted in Australian history that there was very little to no compassion given towards the returning soldiers from Vietnam; Homecoming is an attack at society for their reverence and respect-or lack of. This represents the marginalised soldiers from the Vietnam War, for the War Veterans from WW1 and WW2 had always traditionally returned home to a hero’s welcome, greeted at the airway and society’s full support to the brave soldiers who had risked and possibly given their lives for the country. Weapons Training is another war poem, but this time targets young soldiers pre-war on what can be assumed as a final addressing before taking into the ranks, this poem however various from the previous, the soldiers would have gone into the War with the expectation of being given thanks and praise for their bravery, instead they were barked at, abused and insulted. Dawe has represented both of the marginalised soldiers in both of the respective poems through his use of literary devices which can all fall under the brackets of a) Imagery and b) language, integrating into some finer details.…

    • 2124 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    I have selected two speeches both of which I felt were written to connect with their audience and be persuasive. The first speech by indigenous Australian rights activist Faith Bandler, is aptly named “Faith, Hope and Reconciliation” 1999, the second speech is “Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier” presented by the honorable Paul Keating, 1993. In the following case study I will be exploring and reviewing and evaluating the intellectual and artistic qualities of these two speeches, with reference also to Sir William Deane’s speech on the canyoning tragedy of 1999.…

    • 1666 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great War Dbq Essay

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Soldiers’ view of the Great War altered dramatically as it progressed. During the early years, there was a great sense of patriotic enthusiasm. Many believed in the romantic concept of an honorable death, which could be attained by dying for one’s country. Charles Peguy illustrates this idea in evidence source 2. He asserts that those who die in great battles for their country are blessed. Although Peguy does not directly state the word country, he implies it with “a plot of ground,” “carnal cities,” and “their hearth and their fire.” Such phrases can be associated with the notion of home and this home can then be further connected to the country. The idealized concept of an honorable death in war, however, faded away in the later years of World War I as a grim reality set in. Instead, Wilfred Owen demonstrates how the “Dulce et decorum est/Pro patria mori” (It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country) saying is actually a lie in source 8. He does so by describing a soldier’s gruesome death from gas poisoning. The agony that the solider had gone through, such as “white eyes writhing in his…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Mabo Decision

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages

    However, the initial announcement of the apology caused a split in the Liberal party, as some believed that it would create a guilty culture in Australia. Yet, Judi Moylan, who was the former Liberal Minister, said “I think as a nation we owe an apology. We shouldn't be thinking about it as an individual apology — it's an apology that is coming from the nation state because it was governments that did these things.” The apology was then considered necessary. At 9:30 on the day of the speech, Kevin Rudd began the apology. “...The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians. We apologise especially for the removal of ATSI children from their families, their communities and their country...We the parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation….” The speech was a significant moment in ATSI peoples lives, as, according the to The Bringing Them Home Report, this was the first step to healing and was largely symbolic and important in ATSI…

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Module a Speeches Essay

    • 988 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Speakers who encourage us to consider significant Australian issues deliver key themes and ever-lasting notions through rhetoric techniques which persuade their audience. Noel Pearson’s 1996 speech, ‘An Australian History for us All,’ challenges the treatment of Indigenous Australians in the past, present and future with the proposal for an intellectual approach to acknowledge previous injustices. He argues that the principles of racial equality, justice and morality should matter to Australians, and therefore the lack of recognition for Indigenous mistreatment hinders our ability to ‘move on.’ Although for alternate reasons, Paul Keating’s, ‘A Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier’(1993) also encourages us to consider what should matter as he honours the Australian war-dead by reaffirming the Australian ideals of mateship, courage and resilience in the simultaneous bid to unite a population who were at the ‘crossroads’ and in search for our national identity. Both these speakers encourage us to consider major Australian issues and reveal their importance in the past, present and future.…

    • 988 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Great War Effects

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The effect of The Great War on Australian society was one of the most challenging impacts on Australia. During the great war 60,000 men were killed and 156,000 men were wounded, the grief and sorrow felt from the loss of the men during the great war impacted for generations. Not only were our losses one of the greatest conflict in Australian history but The Great War also began the Anzac tradition, which gradually became a part of Australian identity. Given the appalling conditions of the trenches experienced by soldiers it is not surprising they suffered numerous diseases, illnesses and mental torment from the threat of being bodily harmed or wounded. The mental anguish suffered by returning soldiers would have impacted on the men who fought…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Australian Identity Essay

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages

    My understanding of Australian identity is that we are a collection of migrants on a global scale who came together to form one nation, and that the people of Australian origin, meaning the aboriginals, have lost complete control of their nation due to this factor. I have lived in Australia for a year, through this time period, I have perceived it as a welcoming place, and a civilized country that acquires a well-balanced society. But after studying a range of Australian poems, I broadened my knowledge of how Australia is viewed by different types of people, by decoding their thoughts and opinions through their works of poetry.…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ben quilty

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages

    As a result, the portraits of these Australian servicemen and women are imbued with their experience of war. They express the dangers the soldiers encountered in Afghanistan, and the complex emotions they felt on…

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays