Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Address Rhetorical Analysis

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”You’ve got to find the thing you love...the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work-” says Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, NeXT, and Pixar, at the June 12, 2005, Stanford University commencement address. Jobs speaks about the three most impactful moments in his life and how they affected the achievements he has attained. He strives to have the audience of Stanford graduation obtain his most valuable lesson, and he uses many different strategies to get there. Jobs started from nothing and despite what people had to say about him he still manages to acquire successful idea after successful idea. People of today trust …show more content…

He begins speaking about how he was fired from a company he started, but does not want to stop working in that area because he still loves what he does. Jobs introduces a downcast feeling as he speaks about attempting to get his job back. “What had been the entire focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating,” says Jobs. By using words like “devastating,” he allows the listener to understand that, in that moment, Jobs is more than sad; - he is a wreck. Jobs’ tone picks up positivity when he commands the graduates to, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” His tone demands that they take his advice because he wants those kids to be as happy as he …show more content…

As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” He ensures that everyone has a destiny, and one can only fail if he does not attempt to pursue that dream. The audience is more so commanded then asked to, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” Jobs encourages them to never let their dreams slip away from them, and in order to be truly happy one needs to love what they do. Everyone wants to get paid doing something they love and that is why Jobs pushes hard to get his point across that “you’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” All of the graduates sitting in the audience are searching for answers through this speech and Jobs presents this as one of the main take aways for the students. In summary Steve Jobs grasps the attention of every graduate in the audience. He encourages and inspires all of the people listening to take a hold on life and to not let life take control of oneself.
Steve Jobs fluctuates the urgentness in his words the audience clutches onto every last word of his, and won’t hesitate to apply it to their own lives. Not long ago Steve Jobs applied this to his own life, and he has now achieved a great triumph of success-the same will follow for the graduates who apply this life-changing advice to their

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