Speech Activities

Patrick Henry speech (2A class notes) Context/Purpose: public denunciation of British king; asking the Virginia convention to join him in spearheading the American Revolution Audience: white, land-owning, rich males in Virginia who were representatives in the convention Structure/rhetorical devices: inclusive language to greet the group and present the issue, rhetorical questions bring up the logic of how poorly the British have treated the colonists and harness anger towards creating the Revolution, biblical allusions to appeal to this group’s ethics, repetitive exclamatory syntax, peroration includes a fiery call to action with “Give me liberty or give me death!” (aphorism) Tone: urgent and decisive; formal and passionate; frustrated; adamant; confident Mode(s) of persuasion: at the beginning, there is logos/ethos in the rhetorical Qs, pathos is tinged throughout and most strong in his call to action, depiction of colonists as victims is pathos/appeal to pity

Patrick Henry speech (2B class notes) Context/Purpose: colonists had some grievances against the British rule; some wanted to revolt while others were hesitant; Henry is urging for revolution as a means of escaping what he calls “slavery” to the British Audience: Virginia convention and its president (middle to old-aged white males who owned land); hoping message would spread to all colonists Structure/rhetorical devices: 1-greeting them and explaining why he is making this speech and why it’s so imperative share his opinion; 2- listing reasons to go to war/how British have wronged them, explaining what the colonists have done already to try to alleviate the situation, and urging them to learn from history; 3- in closing, he explains that we are already at war and this needs to be recognized and fully realized through a commitment of resources; 4- last line is a passionate plea for liberty as opposed to death; there is no road in- between (aphorism). Main devices- allusions (The Odyssey and the Bible); rhetorical questions/hypophora Tone: zealous; urgent; patriotic; passionate Mode(s) of persuasion: 1- ethos, 2- logos, 3/4- pathos/ethos

Ben Franklin speech Let’s now verbally go over the same aspects of the Franklin speech, commenting on similarities and differences to Henry’s speech when appropriate.

JFK Speech Discussion (after reading pp. 197-200) Context/Content: What dangers were most prominent in 1961 that Kennedy discussed in his speech? Purpose/Audience: How can you explain President Kennedy’s almost singular focus on international concerns while at the time of his inauguration the United States was facing serious domestic issues regarding poverty and civil rights? Persuasion: President Kennedy was particularly reliant on rhetoric in order to urge the citizens of the United States to rise to the challenges that faced mid- twentieth-century America. Analyze the devices used and the effect of the language in the particular quote given to your group. After watching the last two minutes of the video version of the speech: Is anything done visually/orally in regard to gestures, expressions, and voice modulation that enhances or takes away from the message? How does the audience atmosphere have an impact? In general, how does the video version of a speech possibly change its meaning or reception as opposed to the written version?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLmiOEk59n8

Draft JFK Inaugural Speech Final Copy “I would like to see permanent joint commissions at work…to undertake interstellar exploration to conquer the deserts and tap the riches of the oceans…” “Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.” Adapted from Richard J. Tofel, Sounding the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher, 2005), 61-62. Found on JFK library website.

Rhetorical Fallacies (2A class notes) Logical fallacies: cherry-picking facts, slippery slope (exaggerate the consequences of something), hasty generalization (stereotypes), false equivalency/weak analogy Ethical fallacies: bandwagon, dogmatism (because I said so), ad hominem (character attack) Emotional fallacies: scare tactics, appeal to pity, demagoguery (appealing to prejudice) Miscellaneous: red herring, non-sequitur, misdirection, apophasis (someone says they are not going to address something, but by saying that, they are addressing it)

Rhetorical Fallacies (2B class notes) Logical fallacies: false equivalency/weak analogy, straw man (propping up opposite argument and knocking it down), slippery slope (exaggeration of consequences), circular reasoning, cherry-picking certain facts/arguments Ethical fallacies: bandwagon, dogmatism (because I said so), appeal to authority, ad hominem (character attack) Emotional fallacies: appeal to pity/guilt/fear, scare tactics Miscellaneous: red herring, non-sequitur, apophasis (saying you don’t want to address an issue, but by mentioning it, you are bringing it up)

Clinton/Trump Candidacy Announcement Speeches Re-annotate the speeches for any fallacies you notice. Are there any aspects of the content in each candidacy announcement speech that have changed in the past year and a half? (In other words, to your knowledge, have the candidates modified or flip-flopped on any policy positions?). Look over the speeches and mark policy positions that have changed. How would you describe each candidate’s overall rhetorical style? Consider tone, mode(s) of persuasion, and reliance on particular rhetorical devices or fallacies, and how all these aspects link together. Write a few sentences for each: ________’s rhetorical style is characterized by __________... (explain, linking terms together appropriately, accurately, and concisely).

FDR 1941 State of the Union Listen to excerpts 1. Foreign concerns: from -30:03 to -27:30, beginning with “Every realist knows” and ending with “hold off the whole world.” 2. Domestic concerns/four freedoms: from -7:35 to -2:00, beginning with “For there is nothing mysterious” and ending with “crash of a bomb.” Take notes on content and any devices you hear. http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/speech-3320

Reagan 1988 State of the Union Watch highlights video and take notes on content and any devices you notice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmVkZ4E9Ftk

Compare/Contrast Main similarities between the two State of the Union speeches? Main differences?

Gettysburg Address Background November 1863 Lincoln invited to make “a few appropriate remarks” to dedicate the battlefield as a national cemetery Battle of Gettysburg was in July 1863; Union victory; marked turning point of the Civil War; 51,000 casualties and many more wounded or missing Ironically, Lincoln was slated as a secondary speaker at this event 15,000 attended the event Speech is regarded by many to be a masterpiece of oratory Known for its brevity- only 272 words

Gettysburg Address- Abraham Lincoln, 1863 Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Gettysburg Address Purpose? Main uses of rhetoric? Why is it hailed as a masterpiece of oratory, in your opinion?

The day after … Printed in the Pennsylvania Patriot and Union newspapers We pass over the silly remarks of the President. For the credit of the nation we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall be no more repeated or thought of.

2013: In what might be one of the oldest corrections in the history of journalism, the editorial board of a Pennsylvania newspaper has retracted its predecessor's famous panning of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as "silly remarks." Seven score and ten years ago, the forefathers of this media institution brought forth to its audience a judgment so flawed, so tainted by hubris, so lacking in the perspective history would bring, that it cannot remain unaddressed in our archives. Back then, the editors of the Patriot & Union newspaper - an ancestor of today's Harrisburg paper - thought so little of Lincoln's "silly remarks" that they hoped "the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them, and that they shall be no more reposted or thought of.

While mildly received on its delivery, the November 19, 1863, speech marking the consecration of the national cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has gone on to become one of the most famous pieces of writing in the American canon -- inscribed on monuments, taught to schoolchildren and frequently surfacing in cultural references. Filmmaker Ken Burns recently urged all Americans to learn and recite the speech, calling the address "some of the most important words ever spoken." The world will little note nor long remember our condemnation of this speech-- but we must do as conscience demands. In the editorial about President Abraham Lincoln's speech delivered Nov. 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, the Patriot & Union failed to recognize its momentous importance, timeless eloquence, and lasting significance. The Patriot-News regrets the error.

Instructions As we view the following parody about speeches, pay attention to: 1. Who and what is being mocked 2. Why they are being mocked 3. How the mockery occurs (tactics, uses of language, devices, etc.)

SNL on the Gettysburg Address and “all the speeches”! https://screen.yahoo.com/weekend-11-15- jebediah-atkinson-080100667.html

“Left Speechless” + Politicians Exploration Discuss “Left Speechless” article in groups. Do you agree/disagree with article’s claims about how political speeches have changed over time? Draw upon specific examples from the speeches we have read to support your thinking. Keep in mind the different eras that have been represented and how the cultural context may play a role in how speeches are delivered—Revolution-era, Civil War, 1940s/WWII, 1960s/Cold War, 1980s/Cold War, present day. Share out your politicians exploration, explaining the two politicians you researched and why, what you noticed about their websites, and what you noticed about their social media. Consider the connection between these two topics---how does the use of technology via websites and social media change political language? Which medium do you find most effective for politicians to share their ideas—speeches, websites, or social media?