Sophie Conen Mr. McCallister AP Language and Composition 10 April 2024 A Rock, A River, A Tree A presidential inaugural address symbolizes a new beginning and celebrates a new leader for a nation. At the 52nd United States Presidential Inauguration, Bill Clinton called on American Poet and Civil Rights activist, Maya Angelou, to give the speech “On The Pulse Of The Morning”. The people of 1992, who voted for Bill Clinton, were looking for someone who could make a difference in society, but that does not mean that the United States should change completely. There are rooted traditions within the US that can not just be forgotten about. Bill Clinton offered a change by unifying the nation and giving more opportunities to citizens. When Clinton …show more content…
By giving an object that is not human, characteristics that describe a human, the readers or audience can connect with the speech or writing more. The rock is displayed with human-like characteristics when she says, “But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,/Come, you may stand upon me/Back and face your distant destiny,” (Lines 9-11). A rock is a piece of nature, which is very strong, therefore it relates to how humans rely on America to provide for them, which in some cases is not always possible. As she speaks to the US on the inauguration day for Bill Clinton, she is poetically relaying the messages and values of Bill Clinton to unify the nation. By using a poem rather than a normal speech, it provides a more simple, yet flexible effect on the listeners. The second object, a river, is something that is constantly changing as it flows. One day it could be dried up, the next it could be overflowing, or very low on water. The constant change of the river is in reference to the US as our country isn’t the same thing day after …show more content…
The idea of her saying each of you a bordered country can resemble peace within the US. Many countries throughout the world work hard to have peace and to not have threatening nations surrounding their borders. She uses this sentence to relate to Bill Clinton wanting to preserve peace for the US. Within Bill Clinton’s inaugural address he expressed themes of “unification, inclusivity, and opportunity” and Angelou, “reflected fellow Southern roots and African American voting support for Bill Clinton, his affinity for jazz and blues, and his desire to project through her poem and his own inaugural address” (Holmes). Since Angelou is a poet, she is able to use her terminology to allow the people of the United States to listen to her speech, and understand the message she is trying to put across. The final object that Angelou addresses the nation with is a tree. A tree is an object that can be interpreted in various ways. A tree symbolizes how things are connected, and the value of
Introduction If one has not heard of Bill Clinton, either he/she is very young or likely lives under a rock. William Jefferson Clinton, best known to many as “Bill” served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated in office at the age of 46, Clinton was the third youngest president (John F. Kennedy was the second youngest at 43, while Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest overall at the age of 42). Clinton was the first president to been born after World War II and
President Bill Clinton, gave an apologetic speech “I have Sinned” on September 11, 1998 in front of over a hundred priests and ministers in the annual White House prayer breakfast. The whole nation knows what happened with President Clinton and his intern, many would defend him even say that media and other sources are invading his privacy but something like that coming from our president? I don’t think it’s something a big icon as himself can just let slide by. Which leads to this speech of his
Huynh Clinton’s “I Misled People” Apologia Speech Analysis In August 17, 1998 Clinton, after seven months of silence, Clinton finally admitted that he had an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. In a four-minute apologia speech, Clinton formally apologized for his personal misconduct, and at the same time, asked for support from the people to stop the lawsuit and accusations that came from the scandal. Clinton carefully and skillfully made use of logos and pathos
over dozens of appealing, able and engaging men to make war and shape peace?” (Matthews 25-26). In this rhetorical question, Chris Matthews forces the reader to understand the realities of politics and government. According to Matthews, to find success in politics one must play a game to earn votes, rather than actually perform the sole duties of government. The reflection, caused by the rhetorical question at hand, allows the audience to understand and visualize the fact that government is a game with
an Apology: The Clinton Sex Scandal "I ask that all Americans demonstrate in their personal and public lives... the high ethical standards that are essential to good character and to the continued success of our Nation." On August 17, 1998, exactly one year after making the statement above, President Bill Clinton prepared to deliver a speech concerning a scandal that had gripped the nation for months. It is needless to say that this was an important moment during the Clinton administration
Sex is biologically determined and hormones may make differences between women and men’s characteristics. However, gender and/or sexual identities are shaped through culture, social constructions, and interactions (Brooks & Hebert, 2006; Eguchi, 2009: Riley, 2003; Pascoe, 2005; and Speer, 2001). Eguchi (2009) discusses identity negotiation theory that “identity is constantly co-created and co-shaped while being negotiated ‘between the self and relevant others’ via social interactions” (p. 198).
2017 Christopher Borrelli: Style Analysis It is imperative to any columnist’s future in the journalistic world that he or she appeals to their audience in terms of style. A columnist has no hope of succeeding if the audience would characterize their style as snide, condescending, or disrespectful because, unless they are some kind of mental masochist, nobody wants to feel that way. Chicago Tribune columnist Christopher Borrelli makes skillful use of several rhetorical devices, some of which include
been wrong. The film shows the corrupt food industry and argues that the obesity epidemic is not because of the insufficient amount of exercise or having an increased appetite; it is because of the corruption in the food industry. Through rhetoric analysis, the filmmakers are able to convince and warn their audience of the reason behind the growing epidemic of obesity and how the government and food industries are manipulating the people. In the film, Couric and Soechtig effectively use sources that
my own analysis of this poem. Maya Angelou was an actress,