Analysis of a Speech by Charles III
The Queen is dead, long live the King! So goes the traditional proclamation following the death of one British monarch and the ascension to the throne of another. This week, for the first time in 70 years, we heard this phrase (which happens to be an epanalepsis) as Charles III became King. The death of Queen […]
Rhetorical Devices: Symploce
This post is part of a series on rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. For a comprehensive, step-by-step overview of how to write a speech outline, please see this post. Device: Symploce (pronounced sim-plo-see or sim-plo-kee) Origin: From the Greek συμπλοκήν (simplokeen), meaning “interweaving”. In plain English: Repetition of a […]
Analysis of a speech by Oprah Winfrey
The 2018 Golden Globe Awards were handed out last night (7 January 2018). There were several highlights and many winners, but the overwhelming consensus is that Oprah Winfrey stole the show. Winfrey, a talk show host, actress and philanthropist was honoured as the first black woman to win the Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award. She used her […]
The Most Astounding Fact – Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist and author. He is also one of the most compelling speakers when it comes to talking about science. In the short video below, Tyson is asked the following question: “What is the most astounding fact that you can share with us about the universe?” Now that’s a pretty profound question. Tyson’s answer […]
Barack Obama's Speech on Gun Control
President Barack Obama began the final year of his presidency with a speech on gun control. In it, he discussed a number of measures that he proposes to take by Executive Order to reduce gun violence in the United States. It was a solid speech on many levels. Obama usually speaks with a teleprompter but as far […]
Analysis of a speech by Dan Gilbert
Dan Gilbert is a Harvard psychologist who has spent a lot of time thinking about and studying happiness. He is the author of Stumbling on Happiness. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “Gilbert’s elbow-in-the-ribs social-science humor is actually funny. … But underneath the goofball brilliance, [he] has a serious argument to make about why human beings are forever […]
Rhetorical Devices: Asyndeton
This post is part of a series on rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. For a comprehensive, step-by-step overview of how to write a speech outline, please see this post. Device: Asyndeton Origin: From the Greek ἀσύνδετον (asindeton), meaning “unconnected”. In plain English: The omission of conjunctions such as “and”, […]
Rhetorical Devices: Anaphora
This post is part of a series on rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. For a comprehensive, step-by-step overview of how to write a speech outline, please see this post. Device: Anaphora Origin: From the Greek ἀναφορά (anafora), meaning “to bring back” or “to carry back”. In plain English: […]
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