This blog is for Mr. Clodfelter's AP Language and Composition course, 2nd block at Thomasville High School. Students will be required to post AT LEAST one response to each weekly posting. Also, students will be required to respond to AT LEAST 2 student-generated responses per week. Those responses will be graded by the instructor.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tropes in Political Rhetoric
In the person you've chosen for your Unit Paper, select ONE of the tropes that person uses in one of his/her speeches. Explain the importance of the use of that trope and how effective that trope is in reaching the audience.
21 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I chose Ronald Reagan for my unit paper. He was a gifted communicator and used tropes in many of speeches. Ronald Reagan once quoted, "Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hit man." By saying this he was using a similie to explain the danger of inlation.
He used this similie so the audience was able to relate a political subject to something more personable. By describing inflation as something dangerous, like a robber or hit man, the audience is able to see that inflation is a threat. The effect is a better understanding of Reagan's point, and used as a persuasive tool. If someone relates inflation to fear or danger as a result of this quote, then Reagan made a convincing argument. This was important because he was able to simplify the subject of inflation for someone who may not completely understand what it is.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton – “To throw obstacles in the way of a complete education is like putting out the eyes ; to deny the rights of property is like cutting off the hands. To refuse political equality is to rob 'the ostracized of all self-respect, of credit in the market place, of recompense in the world of work, of a voice in choosing those who make and administer the law, a choice in the jury before whom they are tried, and in the judge who decides their punishment.” In the quote above Stanton used similes to paint a picture of how life is or would be without the basic human rights and equality. She used this form of rhetoric to get her point across to her audience because her audience varied in ethnicity, gender, and social class. Stanton needed a way of speaking that could reach all members of the audience in an effective way. Pictures are said to be worth a thousand words, so she used just a few words to paint a picture and create a better understanding of what she wanted to say and what needed to be said. Without the use of any rhetorical element the idea the author/speaker had may be lost or not fully understood. By using a rhetorical device the author/speaker gives the audience a better chance at understanding what was intended by the author/speaker.
In Madeleine Albright's Iran-US Relations speech, she is addressing the American-Iranian Council. She discusses the hostility between the two countries and possibilities of peace and agreement. She say, "Spring is the season of hope and renewal, of planting the seeds for new crops, and my hope is that both in Iran and the United States we can plant the seeds for a new and better relationship in years to come." Madeleine Albright made this speech on March 17, 2000 which is right before the first day of spring. The trope was important because it put the idea of peace in the audiences mind. The trope was effective because it addressed common day events, such as the arrival of spring, to the need for improvement. Spring is sometimes considered the season of new beginnings and the US and Iran needed a new beginning as well.
Malcolm X was an African American Muslim minister, human rights activist, and a public speaker. Malcolm was a very effective speaker, but he only wrote a handful of different speeches. However, he addressed each many many different times.
His most famous speech "The Ballot or the Bullet." In it, he used many tropes and metaphors but there was one in particular that stood out. He stated, "It's timeout for you and me to stop running away from the wolf, right into the arms of the fox and looking for some kind of help. That's a drag."
This quote is important because Malcolm X was tring to persuade that Blacks didn't need help from the White man in order to prosper. He was trying to ultimately develope a separate black nation. This metaphor was farely effective in reaching his prodominately black audience to stray from the help of the White man.
I chose Ronald Reagan for my unit paper. He was a gifted communicator and used tropes in many of speeches. Ronald Reagan once quoted, "Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hit man." By saying this he was using a similie to explain the danger of inlation.
He used this similie so the audience was able to relate a political subject to something more personable. By describing inflation as something dangerous, like a robber or hit man, the audience is able to see that inflation is a threat. The effect is a better understanding of Reagan's point, and used as a persuasive tool. If someone relates inflation to fear or danger as a result of this quote, then Reagan made a convincing argument. This was important because he was able to simplify the subject of inflation for someone who may not completely understand what it is.
But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom - and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. (Quote from JFK Inaugural address.
John F. Kennedy used this to mean, that people need to support their freedoms, but do not need to ride the system (or the tiger) to reach the top. The tiger, being the system of the U.S. polictical area, is used as a metaphor in JFK Inauguration address.
John F. Kennedy reached the audience in many ways; one by refering to the system as a tiger, which is a fierce animal, and second by saying that people should strongly support their freedoms, which they will during JFK's presidental years.
John F. Kennedy was one of the most influencial presidents of all time. Whether it be in the 1860 presidental debates where he smothered Richard Nixon, his inauguration address where this quote derived, or his space exploration speech where we would then later put a man on the moon; John F. Kennedy had the inate ability to persuade people to do bigger and better things. He did this just from his rhetoric and his ability to persuade others of his beliefs and wantings for the United States of America.
"Even though this is late in an election year, there is no way we can go forward except together and no way anybody can win except by serving the people's urgent needs. We cannot stand still or slip backwards. We must go forward now together." ,stated in President Ford's pardon on Richard Nixon. The usage of this quote was important because it would make the American feel as if they were apart of this historical situation. I believe this quote was effective because it supported his reason of pardoning Nixon of his crimes. Also it was effective because it made the people believe that he pardoned Nixon for their benefit.
“We are a nation of communities... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.” A quote said by our 41st president, George H.W. Bush. This quote is an important trope because he is trying to reach our nation in saying that we’re all basically the same, that together we are one. He is tried to persuade the people that he doesn’t see people as being different, that he sees everyone as being one.
In Eisenhower's farewell address, one of the tropes he used was "America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect."
This was very important because it depicted everyone in the U.S. as one being. He was able to connect with everyone in the U.S. No one was left out by saying America. By saying just one word, he was able to refer to every american in the U.S., which could have possibly made what he was stating more agreeable with the americans. -ralph woods-
In his 1964 speech accepting the Republican nomination for president, Barry Goldwater used a specific quote to reach the audience. He said, "We cannot allow the American flag to be shot at anywhere on earth if we are to retain our respect and prestige. This quote is important because it outlines Barry Goldwater’s view that America should use war against its enemies. It also connects directly to the audience by causing them to draw upon their fears and emotions. During this time, in the midst of the Vietnam War and shortly after the assassination of JFK, the average American feared attack from the evils in other parts of the world. Goldwater was giving them the hope of a safe future by promising to protect them with military action.
I choose my unit paper on Thomas Jefferson. He was the third President of the United States and one of the major authors of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was a talented writer. Many people say he was not the most eloquent speaker but that he was a great writer.
Thomas Jefferson uses similie in his First Inaugural Address. One quote from the speech states "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists. If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it." He says "let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated". He uses this to describe the people who want to seperate the union. He says that it is better for them be left alone. He uses the similie to describe how they showed be left alone.
In my unit paper, i choose to do George Washington. Not only was he a political leader, he was also the first president of the United States. Although, it was long ago, his presidency still has affect on our world today. A famous quote once stated by him was, "A government is like fire, a handy servant, but a dangerous master.” This quote was efficent then as is today, because, the government can handle many factors it faces, however, in bigger situations, it can be more dangerous, and not so good. This trope is seen in our modern society, with the terrorist attacks of 9-11. The government couldn't control the tasks of our world being terrorized just as no one else could, it was a bigger issue, that brought us to war.
By George Washington, being able to compare our government to something people can relate to, shows broader examples we can compare with; a better efficiency to the people. --ashley bayse. :)
Bill Clinton was an wonderful orator and often used rhetorical devices in his speech. At the beginning of his first term as president of the United States, he had a very positive attitude towards the future of this country.
In his inaugural address, Clinton spoke about the continuous changes in the world and the effect these changes would have on the United States. He said although our nation had "drifted," he added "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America."
By using this language, he makes the American people realize that although there are problems with our country, we possess many positive qualities that could help solve these problems. He informs the audience that positive changes are possible. He also makes us aware that we must work together in order to achieve the goals he has mentioned.
Alexander Hamilton was a man who hardly ever used tropes to describe his works. He always was straightforward and simple. There is a quote, however, which he stated, "Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal." This quote, I think, explains that people are gifted to reason. It is effective, because it gives people a sensible cause to make choices.
I selected General George S. Patton J.r as my unit paper topic. He was very influential in all of his speeches. By using rhetoric and tropes he communicated with his audience in a way that they were motivated and moved by his words.
In his famous third army speech he stated "War is an art and as such is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formula".
In this powerful statement he compares war as being an art and something that cannot be affected or defined by any explanation or idea made by anyone. By saying this he means that you have to experience war first hand before you can truly understand why its unexplainable.
This reached his army in a way to prepare them for the realism of war. He is telling them that they better prepare for the long journey that they are bound to take and only then will they be able to understand the true meaning of this statement.
“In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the… Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.‘ It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt... And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” -- Martin Luther King Jr, “I Have a Dream”
Martin Luther King Jr. is known to be one of the greatest orators in the history of the United States. King was a very effective speaker, the utility of tropes contributed to his effectiveness. In the excerpt above from his speech “I Have a Dream”, Reverend King uses a metaphor to symbolize the injustice displayed toward African-Americans.
He uses the image of a check to symbolize the promise given to all Americans, the birthright to the unalienable rights “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Using the image of the check, he explains that African-Americans have been given a “bad check“, because they have been denied the unalienable rights entitled to them by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The use of these metaphors makes the situation of injustice toward blacks seem more understandable. A bad check is something that the average person will be able to relate with, using this trope Martin Luther King Jr. can gain the interest of his audience.
Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States and one of the most memorable presidents of all. Although remembered by the Watergate affair, President Nixon also accomplished many things like improving relations with the U.S.S.R and ending the war in Vietnam.
Although President Nixon made many speeches he did not use many tropes in them. He did use one trope however he did make in his speech, “The Meaning of Communism to Americans.” In this speech Nixon tried to express the fact that we need to improve our relations with the U.S.S.R.. Nixon stated, “We must cut through the exterior to the very heart of the Communist idea.” In this quote he is saying that in order to improve relations we need to understand what they’re doing first so we know how to correct it. This trope was effective because overall we did improve our relations with them.
I chose President George Walker Bush because in my opinion, he has the greatest influence on our country. Everything he says, does, and even thinks has an impact on every American. He represents the nation of The United States of America.
“Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” I think this is a very important and controversial statement made by President Bush and he uses an erotema because he pretty much presents the readers or his audience with a rhetorical question. Obviosuly no one wants to take side with the terrorists but just because they don’t want to be on one side doesn’t mean that the other side is the right decision.
He tries to make his audience feel as if by not agreeing with his decision, they are going against him, and our whole country and what’s good for us as a nation. I mean the United States is one of the leading countries of the world so obviously developing countries will not disagree with him because he clearly states that if you don’t respect his decision then you support his opponent. He tries to use pathos to persuade the audience to agree with him.
So although I might disagree with his quote, I think he does a very good job of using it.
"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…" is a quote in from Abe Lincoln. The metaphor used by him was “conceived from liberty” and it explains why the men fought at Gettysburg because they were in favor of the idea of liberty and he wanted them to be remembered for their war efforts. People were in shock and awed by his speech. However, the audience did not react well afterwards to his speech. He swayed more people to join the Copperheads, anti-Lincoln, than people to support his rededication to the lost soldiers.
“ They are flush with oil cash and are leveraging their influence against ours with Beijing and New Delhi in a geopolitical chess match.”
This quote was said by former NC Senator Elizabeth Dole. It’s meaning is that countries are doing what they can to “win” the oil battle. It makes it seem that the oil industry is playing with our money and is not looking for our best interest. This was a great use of rhetoric because it makes it seem as though she can “play” the game to our best interest and help us come out on top.
On my unit paper i did it on Jesse Jackson. He was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Jesse Jackson was powerful voice in the political arena. He had some very powerful speeches.
He used different tropes in his speeches such as metaphors and similes. But one metaphor such out in his 1984 Democratic Convention Speech. It qouted that "Leadership can part the waters and lead our nation in the direction of the Promised Land. Leadership can lift the boats stuck at the bottom." He used that metaphor to say that leadership takes hard work. And it will make the world better.
21 comments:
I chose Ronald Reagan for my unit paper. He was a gifted communicator and used tropes in many of speeches. Ronald Reagan once quoted, "Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hit man." By saying this he was using a similie to explain the danger of inlation.
He used this similie so the audience was able to relate a political subject to something more personable. By describing inflation as something dangerous, like a robber or hit man, the audience is able to see that inflation is a threat. The effect is a better understanding of Reagan's point, and used as a persuasive tool. If someone relates inflation to fear or danger as a result of this quote, then Reagan made a convincing argument. This was important because he was able to simplify the subject of inflation for someone who may not completely understand what it is.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton – “To throw obstacles in the way of a complete education is like putting out the eyes ; to deny the rights of property is like cutting off the hands. To refuse political equality is to rob 'the ostracized of all self-respect, of credit in the market place, of recompense in the world of work, of a voice in choosing those who make and administer the law, a choice in the jury before whom they are tried, and in the judge who decides their punishment.”
In the quote above Stanton used similes to paint a picture of how life is or would be without the basic human rights and equality. She used this form of rhetoric to get her point across to her audience because her audience varied in ethnicity, gender, and social class. Stanton needed a way of speaking that could reach all members of the audience in an effective way. Pictures are said to be worth a thousand words, so she used just a few words to paint a picture and create a better understanding of what she wanted to say and what needed to be said. Without the use of any rhetorical element the idea the author/speaker had may be lost or not fully understood. By using a rhetorical device the author/speaker gives the audience a better chance at understanding what was intended by the author/speaker.
(*!♥S.Thomas♥!*)
In Madeleine Albright's Iran-US Relations speech, she is addressing the American-Iranian Council. She discusses the hostility between the two countries and possibilities of peace and agreement. She say, "Spring is the season of hope and renewal, of planting the seeds for new crops, and my hope is that both in Iran and the United States we can plant the seeds for a new and better relationship in years to come." Madeleine Albright made this speech on March 17, 2000 which is right before the first day of spring. The trope was important because it put the idea of peace in the audiences mind. The trope was effective because it addressed common day events, such as the arrival of spring, to the need for improvement. Spring is sometimes considered the season of new beginnings and the US and Iran needed a new beginning as well.
--S.Hall!
Malcolm X was an African American Muslim minister, human rights activist, and a public speaker. Malcolm was a very effective speaker, but he only wrote a handful of different speeches. However, he addressed each many many different times.
His most famous speech "The Ballot or the Bullet." In it, he used many tropes and metaphors but there was one in particular that stood out. He stated, "It's timeout for you and me to stop running away from the wolf, right into the arms of the fox and looking for some kind of help. That's a drag."
This quote is important because Malcolm X was tring to persuade that Blacks didn't need help from the White man in order to prosper. He was trying to ultimately develope a separate black nation. This metaphor was farely effective in reaching his prodominately black audience to stray from the help of the White man.
-V. Gobble
I chose Ronald Reagan for my unit paper. He was a gifted communicator and used tropes in many of speeches. Ronald Reagan once quoted, "Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hit man." By saying this he was using a similie to explain the danger of inlation.
He used this similie so the audience was able to relate a political subject to something more personable. By describing inflation as something dangerous, like a robber or hit man, the audience is able to see that inflation is a threat. The effect is a better understanding of Reagan's point, and used as a persuasive tool. If someone relates inflation to fear or danger as a result of this quote, then Reagan made a convincing argument. This was important because he was able to simplify the subject of inflation for someone who may not completely understand what it is.
--Ashley Burchel!
But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom - and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. (Quote from JFK Inaugural address.
John F. Kennedy used this to mean, that people need to support their freedoms, but do not need to ride the system (or the tiger) to reach the top. The tiger, being the system of the U.S. polictical area, is used as a metaphor in JFK Inauguration address.
John F. Kennedy reached the audience in many ways; one by refering to the system as a tiger, which is a fierce animal, and second by saying that people should strongly support their freedoms, which they will during JFK's presidental years.
John F. Kennedy was one of the most influencial presidents of all time. Whether it be in the 1860 presidental debates where he smothered Richard Nixon, his inauguration address where this quote derived, or his space exploration speech where we would then later put a man on the moon; John F. Kennedy had the inate ability to persuade people to do bigger and better things. He did this just from his rhetoric and his ability to persuade others of his beliefs and wantings for the United States of America.
Sources:
http://www.speaklikeapro.co.uk/JFK_inaugural.htm
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inaugural_address_of_John_F._Kennedy
"Even though this is late in an election year, there is no way we can go forward except together and no way anybody can win except by serving the people's urgent needs. We cannot stand still or slip backwards. We must go forward now together." ,stated in President Ford's pardon on Richard Nixon. The usage of this quote was important because it would make the American feel as if they were apart of this historical situation. I believe this quote was effective because it supported his reason of pardoning Nixon of his crimes. Also it was effective because it made the people believe that he pardoned Nixon for their benefit.
T.Hearst ™
“We are a nation of communities... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.” A quote said by our 41st president, George H.W. Bush. This quote is an important trope because he is trying to reach our nation in saying that we’re all basically the same, that together we are one. He is tried to persuade the people that he doesn’t see people as being different, that he sees everyone as being one.
d.fivecoat
In Eisenhower's farewell address, one of the tropes he used was "America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect."
This was very important because it depicted everyone in the U.S. as one being. He was able to connect with everyone in the U.S. No one was left out by saying America. By saying just one word, he was able to refer to every american in the U.S., which could have possibly made what he was stating more agreeable with the americans.
-ralph woods-
In his 1964 speech accepting the Republican nomination for president, Barry Goldwater used a specific quote to reach the audience. He said, "We cannot allow the American flag to be shot at anywhere on earth if we are to retain our respect and prestige.
This quote is important because it outlines Barry Goldwater’s view that America should use war against its enemies. It also connects directly to the audience by causing them to draw upon their fears and emotions. During this time, in the midst of the Vietnam War and shortly after the assassination of JFK, the average American feared attack from the evils in other parts of the world. Goldwater was giving them the hope of a safe future by promising to protect them with military action.
I choose my unit paper on Thomas Jefferson. He was the third President of the United States and one of the major authors of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was a talented writer. Many people say he was not the most eloquent speaker but that he was a great writer.
Thomas Jefferson uses similie in his First Inaugural Address. One quote from the speech states "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists. If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it." He says "let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated". He uses this to describe the people who want to seperate the union. He says that it is better for them be left alone. He uses the similie to describe how they showed be left alone.
-Cindy Flores
In my unit paper, i choose to do George Washington. Not only was he a political leader, he was also the first president of the United States. Although, it was long ago, his presidency still has affect on our world today. A famous quote once stated by him was, "A government is like fire, a handy servant, but a dangerous master.” This quote was efficent then as is today, because, the government can handle many factors it faces, however, in bigger situations, it can be more dangerous, and not so good. This trope is seen in our modern society, with the terrorist attacks of 9-11. The government couldn't control the tasks of our world being terrorized just as no one else could, it was a bigger issue, that brought us to war.
By George Washington, being able to compare our government to something people can relate to, shows broader examples we can compare with; a better efficiency to the people.
--ashley bayse. :)
Bill Clinton was an wonderful orator and often used rhetorical devices in his speech. At the beginning of his first term as president of the United States, he had a very positive attitude towards the future of this country.
In his inaugural address, Clinton spoke about the continuous changes in the world and the effect these changes would have on the United States. He said although our nation had "drifted," he added "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America."
By using this language, he makes the American people realize that although there are problems with our country, we possess many positive qualities that could help solve these problems. He informs the audience that positive changes are possible. He also makes us aware that we must work together in order to achieve the goals he has mentioned.
-e. styers
Alexander Hamilton was a man who hardly ever used tropes to describe his works. He always was straightforward and simple. There is a quote, however, which he stated, "Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal."
This quote, I think, explains that people are gifted to reason. It is effective, because it gives people a sensible cause to make choices.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/alexander_hamilton.html
--T.Xiong ^_^
I selected General George S. Patton J.r as my unit paper topic. He was very influential in all of his speeches. By using rhetoric and tropes he communicated with his audience in a way that they were motivated and moved by his words.
In his famous third army speech he stated "War is an art and as such is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formula".
In this powerful statement he compares war as being an art and something that cannot be affected or defined by any explanation or idea made by anyone. By saying this he means that you have to experience war first hand before you can truly understand why its unexplainable.
This reached his army in a way to prepare them for the realism of war. He is telling them that they better prepare for the long journey that they are bound to take and only then will they be able to understand the true meaning of this statement.
-J. Baranowski
“In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the… Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.‘ It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt... And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” -- Martin Luther King Jr, “I Have a Dream”
Martin Luther King Jr. is known to be one of the greatest orators in the history of the United States. King was a very effective speaker, the utility of tropes contributed to his effectiveness. In the excerpt above from his speech “I Have a Dream”, Reverend King uses a metaphor to symbolize the injustice displayed toward African-Americans.
He uses the image of a check to symbolize the promise given to all Americans, the birthright to the unalienable rights “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Using the image of the check, he explains that African-Americans have been given a “bad check“, because they have been denied the unalienable rights entitled to them by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The use of these metaphors makes the situation of injustice toward blacks seem more understandable. A bad check is something that the average person will be able to relate with, using this trope Martin Luther King Jr. can gain the interest of his audience.
--L. Gonzalez
Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States and one of the most memorable presidents of all. Although remembered by the Watergate affair, President Nixon also accomplished many things like improving relations with the U.S.S.R and ending the war in Vietnam.
Although President Nixon made many speeches he did not use many tropes in them. He did use one trope however he did make in his speech, “The Meaning of Communism to Americans.” In this speech Nixon tried to express the fact that we need to improve our relations with the U.S.S.R.. Nixon stated, “We must cut through the exterior to the very heart of the Communist idea.” In this quote he is saying that in order to improve relations we need to understand what they’re doing first so we know how to correct it. This trope was effective because overall we did improve our relations with them.
-Sam Everhart-
I chose President George Walker Bush because in my opinion, he has the greatest influence on our country. Everything he says, does, and even thinks has an impact on every American. He represents the nation of The United States of America.
“Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” I think this is a very important and controversial statement made by President Bush and he uses an erotema because he pretty much presents the readers or his audience with a rhetorical question. Obviosuly no one wants to take side with the terrorists but just because they don’t want to be on one side doesn’t mean that the other side is the right decision.
He tries to make his audience feel as if by not agreeing with his decision, they are going against him, and our whole country and what’s good for us as a nation. I mean the United States is one of the leading countries of the world so obviously developing countries will not disagree with him because he clearly states that if you don’t respect his decision then you support his opponent. He tries to use pathos to persuade the audience to agree with him.
So although I might disagree with his quote, I think he does a very good job of using it.
-Uroosa Naveen Haider
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_w_bush.html
"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…" is a quote in from Abe Lincoln. The metaphor used by him was “conceived from liberty” and it explains why the men fought at Gettysburg because they were in favor of the idea of liberty and he wanted them to be remembered for their war efforts. People were in shock and awed by his speech. However, the audience did not react well afterwards to his speech. He swayed more people to join the Copperheads, anti-Lincoln, than people to support his rededication to the lost soldiers.
Malcom Ivery
Tropes in political rhetoric
“ They are flush with oil cash and are leveraging their influence against ours with Beijing and New Delhi in a geopolitical chess match.”
This quote was said by former NC Senator Elizabeth Dole. It’s meaning is that countries are doing what they can to “win” the oil battle. It makes it seem that the oil industry is playing with our money and is not looking for our best interest. This was a great use of rhetoric because it makes it seem as though she can “play” the game to our best interest and help us come out on top.
Smorris
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-s20080603-53&person=300035#sMonofilemx003Ammx002Fmmx002Fmmx002Fmhomemx002Fmgovtrackmx002Fmdatamx002Fmusmx002Fm110mx002Fmcrmx002Fms20080603-53.xmlElementm1m0m0m
On my unit paper i did it on Jesse Jackson. He was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Jesse Jackson was powerful voice in the political arena. He had some very powerful speeches.
He used different tropes in his speeches such as metaphors and similes. But one metaphor such out in his 1984 Democratic Convention Speech. It qouted that "Leadership can part the waters and lead our nation in the direction of the Promised Land. Leadership can lift the boats stuck at the bottom." He used that metaphor to say that leadership takes hard work. And it will make the world better.
http://www.school-for-champions.com/speeches/jesse_jackson_1984_convention.htm
--Asia D.--
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