Language

Michelle Obama uses the language of her Commencement Address to help her get her message across. She does this by choosing her words carefully and by speaking in a conversational tone with many interjections. She also makes efficient use of rhetorical devices and forms of appea…

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Word choice

Obama does not use too many difficult words, although there are a couple of examples where the word choice leans towards a more formal style, such as “eloquent rebuttal” (l.52) or “empowerment” (l.116). This points to the speak…

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Sentence structure

Obama’s sentence structure helps to make the speech understandable to a wide audience, with most sentences being relatively short and simple. This can be seen in her account of Ruby Bridges’ story, for example, where we have five simple sentences in a row:

Parents actually pulled their children out of that school in protest. People retaliated against her family. Her father los…