Rhetorical devices

The language Barack Obama uses in his 2009 inaugural address is formal and emphatic but understandable by the general public. He often uses references to US history which he connects to his new administration.

Choice of words

The choice of words reflects a serious, even traditional approach with words like “legacy” (l. 171) and “heritage” (l. 187), and an emphasis on values like “honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism” (ll. 246-248).

Sometimes the speaker uses old-fashioned words which reinforce the connection between past and present such as “bestowed” (l. 6) or “forebears” (l. 20). Furthermore, he includes a quotation from an address which was read to the troops during the American Revolution, ordered by George Washington and written by Thomas Paine : “ ‘Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].’ ” (ll. 281-284)

Most of the adjectives and adverbs he uses are connected with responsibility and hardships, which suggests a less celebratory mood, although an inaugural address is usually a celebratory event:

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not   be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. (Applause.) On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. (ll. 42-49)

Formal sentence structure

The sentence structure is formal; there are no interruptions and when the sentences are fragmented, it is to give emphasis to what the speaker is saying: “Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor – who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.” (ll. 67-71)

Serious tone

The tone of the speaker is serious, determined, and occasionally encouraging. By making allusions to religious language, Obama imbues his speech with a formal and official tone: “But in the w...