Rhetorical Devices In Obama's Speech

Former president and Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama, in his “Keynote address” at the 2004 democratic Nation speech, shares an insight to his background and to the future of America which he invisions. Obama’s purpose is to convey the idea that, America, which is the land of dreams and have had a big impact on his family and his heritage could be the America which people can also reach and accomplish their goals. In his appreciative tone, Obama shows his gratitude towards his parents, and his enthusiasm to America thus appealing similar feelings and expressions in his audience to achieve the American Dream. Obama’s speech is compelling because of his continuous use of contrast, repetition, and anecdote to assure the need reach the American dream.

Obama begins his speech to the National convention by giving an anecdotal history of his background to appeal to the
With him describing the problems facing America, and how we must come together as a nation in order to fix the problems. By doing this, he proposed as question to his audience, asking “if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do- if we do what we must do…” In doing so he allows his audience to reflect on themselves thus urging them to support “and [make] John Kerry will be sworn in as President, and John Edwards will be sworn in as Vice President, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.” This calling from Obama to the Nation conveys a calming tone that assures the Nation that if they vote for Kelly and his party, they would be helping fix the problems and make the nation