We’ll start by looking a bit at some election ads and campaign images.

Then, we’ll talk about Kennedy’ Inaugural and compare our Presidential inaugural addresses and get one actor to try them out.

Next, we’ll listen to President Reagan’s Challenger speech and answer a few questions.

1. Take a look at the first 2 paragraphs. How does Reagan create an atmosphere and tone appropriate to the kairos?
2. What is the purpose of paragraphs 3-4? What is he trying to communicate?
3. At one point, Reagan directly addresses schoolchildren? Why?  Is he really addressing schoolchildren?
4. Explain why Reagan makes the Drake connection.  What’s the purpose?
5. Compare Reagan’s style of speaking with Kennedy’s.  What’s similar? What’s different?

Finally, Thomas Paine, tries to inspire/anger us.  Look at The Crisis #1 and note the rhetorical strategies Paine uses and why.

Image Credit: AmericanRhetoric.com

We move a bit into persuasive speech making next.

We’ll start with these rhetorical terms.  Look them up and practice a bit by making an example.

1. Anadiplosis
2. Anaphora
3. Antistrophe
4. Antithesis
5. Archaism
6. Chiasmus
7. Climax
8. Litotes
9. Paraprosdokian
10. Zeuegma

Then, we’ll ask each small group to take 2 terms and create small posters to demonstrate how the device is used. Make it pretty.

Next, let’s listen to JFK’s Inaugural Address.  Please answer these questions in a blog post.

1. In JFK’s speech, why are so many words abstract? how do words like freedom, poverty, devotion, loyalty, and sacrifice set the tone of the speech?
2. Find examples of formal rhetorical tropes such as metaphor and personification.
3. Does Kennedy use any figures of speech that might be considered clichés? Which? Is there a pattern?
4. More than 20 sentences are complex sentences–sentences that contain a subordinate clause?  How do these sentences convey hidden energy?
5. Why is the dominance of declarative sentences appropriate in an inaugural address?
6. Find examples of anaphora and zeuegma.  Explain their use.
7. Quote 3 examples of parallelism. Explain their use for Kennedy’s purpose.
8. Kennedy uses both hortative sentences (”Let us” “Let both sides”)  and imperative sentences (”Ask” or “Ask not”).  Explain the difference and why he starts with one and ends with the other.

Then, whew!…Imagine if you were suddenly, by some quirk of fate and the space/time continuum going to be asked to write the inaugural address for the next President. Write 2-3 paragraphs that might be appropriate using all you’ve learned about rhetoric and figurative language.

HW:  Listen to and read Reagan’s Remarks on the Space Shuttle Challenger’s destruction and comment on how Reagan uses rhetorical strategies and for what purpose. 200-300 words.