Rhetorical devices
Here you can read about the rhetorical devices Donald Trump uses in his inaugural address.
Rhetorical devices are language tools speakers use to make their views more memorable or catchy and achieve their intention of gaining the audience’s suppo…
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Allusions and references
An allusion is an indirect reference to a person, event, or literature that the speaker considers important for his speech. In this case, Donald Trump makes two very subtle allusions to American governing principles inscribed in the US Constitution and mentioned in the Gettysburg Address by former US President Abraham Lincoln – namely the idea that democracy should be representative: “…a nation exists to serve its citizens.” (l. 39); “…whether our government is controlled by the people.” (l. 32)
Trump further alludes to the Constitution when he says: “we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving …
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Antithesis and tricolon
The first part of Donald Trump’s speech is filled with contrasts, also known as antithesis. These contrasts are between the elite political class and American citizens and are meant to suggest that the political class has not served the interests of the people as it should: “Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.” (ll. 20-22)
These examples of antithesis also emphasi…
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Direct address
There are several instances of direct address in this speech. As required by the format of the events, the speaker begins by addressing all those present or who are watching his speech: “Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world:” (ll. 1-2)
As the sp…
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Imagery, metaphors, and hyperbole
The speaker creates imagery (mental images) through the use of vivid language, metaphors, and hyperbole.
One example of metaphorical language is “For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government…” (ll. 18-19) which negatively portrays the political class as self-interested and greedy.
Another example is “This American carnage” (l. 50), a hyperbolic metaphor the speaker uses to describe a decaying American economy and society.
Trump also uses dystopian language (suggesting a terrible and mo…
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Repetition, parallelism, and enumeration
Repetition and enumeration are very common devices in Donald Trump’s speech, helping him emphasize arguments or give structure to the address.
For example, the speaker often uses repetition in the form of anaphora (repeating the same words at the beginning of consecutive phrases): “We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.” (ll. 8-9); “We will bring back our jobs. We will b…
