Analysis
This analysis of Abby Wambach’s commencement address “Make Failure Your Fuel” looks at the composition of the speech, which begins with humor and personal stories to introduce the topic. The rest of the speech is structured in four parts, which helps to present the speaker’s arguments in a clearer manner.
The style of language is informal and stands out through the use of colloquial words, which have the effect of making the speaker approachable, (especially for the younger audience she is addressing), combined with sports terms, which give her arguments legitimacy because they reflect her personal take on the topic as an athlete.
The dominant rhetorical devices used by Wambach are direct address and repetition, which have the effect of engaging the audience. Metaphors build interesting associations, while direct references help give context to the speech and rhetorical questions prompt the audience to reflect on the speaker’s arguments.
Wambach uses several forms of appeal in her speech, prompting the audience to see the logic of her arguments, but also appealing to their emotions. She also builds ethos by presenting herself as a skilled and knowledgeable figure who has the authority to speak about her chosen topic.
The argumentation is mostly indirect, as Wambach often supports her case by using personal stories. However, she uses some of these stories to introduce more direct arguments about how women can achieve success in a world dominated by men.