Analysis

On this page, you can find a brief overview of the analysis of Mike Pence’s National Veterans Day Observance speech

Pence’s speech has mostly a circular composition, which is typical for many speeches. He begins with an introduction that helps him establish the first main topic of the speech – celebrating and thanking veterans – and continues by mixing a series of subtopics with anecdotes and the second topic of the speech. He concludes the speech by returning to the first topic, about which the audience has gained a deeper understanding by listening to the speech.

The speaker uses several strategies to engage his audience and show support and sympathy for the veterans. The style of his language is generally formal, with evocative words that help him express gratitude and respect for veterans.

Mike Pence sometimes uses rhetorical devices to help get his points across. The anecdotes he uses convey veterans’ bravery and the sacrifice they made by serving their country, while repetition helps him highlight certain ideas.

The forms of appeal that Pence uses the most are ethos and pathos, as they help him draw the audience’s admiration for the Armed Forces of the US and build trust in the Trump administration. He also occasionally draws on logos, especially when he communicates the most recent policies adopted by the Trump administration.

Pence uses a mix of direct and indirect argumentation to explain and suggest different ideas.  

You can read the full analysis in the following pages.

Speech analysis

I denne vejledning får du Studienets hjælp til, hvordan du analyserer, diskuterer og perspektiverer en tale (speech eller address) i engelskfaget. Kort fortalt handler det typisk om, at du skal lave en retorisk analyse af talen.