A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

The 44th President of the United States, and first African-American to hold that title, Barack Obama in his 2009 inaugural address, emphasizes the need for American unity in a time of economic crisis. Obama’s purpose is to motivate the American people and does this through the use of anaphora to encourage Americans to fight the good fight and maintain hope. To do this, Obama adopts a confident and optimistic tone in order to assure the nation that the future is bright if we choose it to be. Through his strong use of allusion, Obama gains respect and credibility due to his knowledge of past events and cultures.

Throughout the inaugural address, Obama motivates and encourages his listeners through his use of rhetorical devices, one of them being anaphora. One example of this is when he states, “These things are old. These things are true” (10). He uses this example to show the listener that the lessons our ancestors have taught us may be old, but they are still valid and true. Obama uses anaphora to emphasize the need for unity in times of crisis. The audience sees this demonstrated when Obama states, “For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life” (2). The words “for us” are used several times to

For example, Obama states, “Nothing but hope and virtue could survive”(20). Obama states this to show the listener that he is confident and hopeful about the future of America. Obama adopts a confident and optimistic tone so that his listeners may be able to adopt the same perspective as well. The listener sees this demonstrated when Obama states, “We did not turn our back nor did we falter” (5). Obama states this to show that in times of despair, America has remained strong in the past, and will maintain strong in the