Rhetorical devices

Repetition

Rudd frequently uses repetition to highlight certain ideas and create a memorable, dramatic effect.

There are several examples of anaphora (a type of repetition that appears at the beginning of successive phrases) in the speech. We encounter two examples anaphora at the beginning of the speech, as Rudd states:

We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history. (ll. 4-6)

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 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their…

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Tricolon

Tricolon (naming things in threes) is used several times in the speech. This rhetorical device gives the speech more rhythm and helps make it more memorable. For example, Rudd states:

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 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. (ll. 9-12)

Here, tricolon helps highlight the complex suffering experienced by indigenous people and acknowledges the fact tha…

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Direct references and allusions

In Rudd’s speech, we can find several direct references and allusions (indirect references) that help the speaker emphasise his ideas and enhance his message. Rudd directly references the promise he made during his campaign: “Last year I made a commitment to the Australian people that if we formed the next government of the Commonwealth we would in Parliament say sorry to the stolen generations.” (ll. 42-44). By reminding the audience that he made this promise, the Prime Minister portrays himself as a trustworthy politician, who fulfils his promises.

Rudd mentions Bringing Them Home, a 1997 report on the Stolen Generations (ll. 104-105), a direct reference which helps him support his claim that Nana Fejo’s story is one of many, as it provides first-hand accounts of other children being taken from their indigenous families. A direct reference to the Link-up programme, which helps indigenous people …