Intention

Barack Obama’s main intention in his “Audacity of Hope” speech is to persuade the audience to vote for John Kerry at the 2004 presidential elections. 

Obama uses repetition to endorse John Kerry and to convince the audience of his reliability. Moreover, repetition helps Obama illustrate part of Kerry’s political agenda, like his plans to ensure health coverage for all Americans and to give tax breaks to companies creating local jobs. Obama also shows that John Kerry’s previous military experience in Vietnam is an important advantage for his presidency. 

Towards the end of his speech, Obama uses direct address to convince the audience to vote for Kerry. He also uses figurative language, like the expressions “crossroads of history” to create a sense of urgency in the audience...