Rhetorical devices
Rhetorical devices are important language elements when analyzing a speech. These devices are used by speakers to capture and maintain the audience’s attention and to present their arguments in a more persuasive manner.
The most important rhetorical devices in President Barack Obama's 2015 State of the Union address are enumeration, repetition, and rhetorical questions. Other devices worth paying attention to are allusion, direct address, humor, and figurative lang…
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Allusion
An allusion is a reference to an event, historical figure, or even literary work that helps the speaker to convey an idea related to his topic and arguments.
For example, Barack Obama mentions Alan Gross, a government contractor who was arrested in 2009 in Cuba for allegedly conspiring against the Cuban state: “And after years in prison, we are overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he b…
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Direct Address
The speech is a direct address to the Congress members (ll. 1-2) but also to a wider American audience. More than once, the speaker addresses American society and the Congress members wh…
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Enumeration
Throughout the speech, the speaker enumerates achievements and improvements in the US during his two terms as President, as well as all the issues and key areas where further improvements are required.
Apart from these overall enumerations, you can also identify specific short ones like: “That means helping folks …
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Humor and irony
In one instance, the speaker deviates from his overall serious tone, to make a small ironic remark: “I have no more campaigns to run. …
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Imagery
From time to time, the speaker creates imagery through figurative speech which draws on the symbolism of American shores: “Fifteen years that dawned with terror touching our shores…” (ll. 4-5); “…reverse the tide of outsourcing and draw new jobs to our shores.” (ll. 102-103)
In the first examp…
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Repetition
Repetition is another frequently used rhetorical device in the speech. Throughout the speech, Barack Obama uses this device to add emphasis to his ideas and make them stick with the audience, to stress the importance of certain actions, and to make his arguments more convincing.
For example, he starts several consecutive paragraphs with “We believed” (ll. 102-130)…
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Rhetorical questions
Rhetorical questions are used in the speech with the purpose of making the audience reflect on certain types of actions but also to map and structure the speech. For example, before the speaker begins talking about his proposals for America’s future, he asks a series of contrastin…
