Rhetorical devices
Rhetorical devices are language tools that help speakers make their arguments and views sound more convincing and memorable. George W. Bush uses numerous such devices in his “War on Terror” speech, something which suggests the address was carefully planned. In what follows, we will review some of the most important o…
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Allusions
An allusion is an indirect reference to people, events, media, literature, etc. For example, Bush mentions: “We've seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew and Arabic.” (ll. 14-16). Here, he alludes to different religious faiths and the support the US received from other countries in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
He also mentions “…Republicans and Democrats…
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Direct references
You will notice that the speech is filled with explicit references to events and people, typically used to construct ethos (appeals to authority and credibility).
Bush mentions members of Congress and the British Prime Minister to thank them for their support and thus depict them as reliable persons: “Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt, Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott, I thank you for…” (ll. 34-35); “I'm so honored the British prime minister had crosse…
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Analogy
An analogy is a type of comparison in which the speaker uses events and people to describe other events and people. For example, when Bush states that “Al Qaeda is to terror what the Mafia is to crime” (l. 79), he compares Al-Qaeda with the Mafia. In this way, he gives the audience a point of reference so that they link the group with the idea of terrorism. It also helps the audience to understand the extent of Al-Qaeda’s power and the importance of targeting the group to stop terrorism.
Later on, the speaker makes an analogy betw…
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Imagery and metaphors
The speech includes several metaphors which help the speaker create powerful imagery for a stronger impact on the audience.
“They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century.” (ll. 170-171) describes terrorists metaphorically as “heirs” and associates totalitarian ideology with ancestors. By doing so, the speaker associates terrorism with some of the most destructive political regimes in history. Furthermore, the metaphor “history's unmarked grave of discarded lies” (ll. 175-176) implies that many hist…
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Repetition
The speech is filled with repetitions in the form of anaphora (repeating the same words at the beginning of several sentences or sections). For example, the repetition of “We have seen” (ll. 7-18) helps the speaker list various examples of how people in the US and around the world have shown their solidarity towards the people affected by the 9/11 attacks. The repetition of “We will not forget” (ll. 44-49) helps the speaker convey gratitude for the compassionate…
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Tricolon
Tricolon means mentioning things in threes to make them more memorable and to maintain the audience’s attention. Often the speaker combines repetition with tricolon.
For instance, Bush lists three things terrorist want, each of them being introduced by repetition:
They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa. (ll. 160-164)
This shows the audience that the speake…
