Making a Speech Memorable (Coursework Sample)

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Making a speech memorable
Patrick Henry, Martin Luther King, and Barrack Obama will run down in history as one of the most prominent people that not only changed the American history, but also became part of the history. They are speakers of their own making with great sense eloquence and power of the mouth which have made people remember, emulate and quote their speeches over the years. Their source of convincing and power of moving audience have triggered fundamental examination of their speeches. In this regard, this essay focuses on how the use of metaphor, hopefulness, and imagery, as used by these individuals, makes each speech great. The paper will then explain why Patrick Henry, Dr. Martin L. King, and Barrack Obama are considered movers and shakers of American History through their actions, writings, and most of all their speeches.
Firstly, the use of metaphor to enhance understanding of the audience is one of the techniques that have been used by these personalities in almost all their speeches. In definition, a metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things, such as a human body and a vehicle, with one vital thing in common. Metaphors connect new ideas to an object that the audience knows in order to deepen their understanding. For instance, Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech of "I have a dream" incorporates notable metaphors that make the speech memorable and great. The banking metaphor is one of the explicit metaphors in the speech (Clayton, and Hodges, P111). King states that several marchers have arrived in Washington to ‘cash check’ while he asserts that the US government has given people of color a promissory note that none has paid or a check with insufficient funds. Indeed, this metaphor has remained relevant today particularly to the Negro people who have so far not achieved living a standard life. Likewise, Patrick Henry’s speech ‘Give me liberty or give me Death’ also make use of this technique. He quotes "Sir; we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm that is now coming on" (Chausse, P48). Indeed, metaphors form the basis for deep understanding.
Secondly, the use of imagery is one other figure of speech that in fact, identifies President Barack Obama’s second Inaugural speech. Understandably, imagery is a figure of speech that incorporates the use of vivid and descriptive language to add depth and deepen the audience understanding of the topic. In essence, it creates mental pictures that remain memorable in the audience over years. Besides the notions of Chosen people and Mission, come a third Christian Doctrine, sacrifice. Using the image of "Through blood drawn by lush and blood drawn by sword," President Barack Obama referred to the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln (Navarro P90). Rather than saying directly, as Lincoln did, Obama uses this rhetoric to emphasize national renewal.
The use of hopefulness wins the heart of the audience. Understandably, no one likes discouragement. As Abraham Lincoln states, encouragement is oxygen to the soul. Martin Luther King’s "I have a dream" focuses on giving slaves hope for freedom. President Barack Obama’s second inaugural speech " Hope for change," and Patrick Henry’s speech "give me Liberty or give me Death" are all speeches directed to giving people hope for the better. In essenc...