Question: You will first choose a speech that is politically, socially, and/or culturally significant. It must also be a speech that has been recorded, either on audio or video. Analyze it thoroughly, the way we have done with Orwell`s essay "Politics and the English Language" and King`s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." As you begin to write and form your thoughts, it might help to consider what resonates in you as regards the overall message or point. The purpose of this assignment is to get you thinking and writing critically about effective rhetoric and the use of language to persuade, explain, or bring attention to a specific cause.

For this essay you must:

Do research in order to provide the historical background-that is, context-of the speech. What was going on, in other words, when the speech was delivered, and where? Who was/is the speaker, and what about him or her in terms of their experiences is significant; how do those considerations inform their speech, and by extension, their general agendas or positions? 2-3 sources should suffice.
N.B. Web sites (Wikipedia, for example) are not acceptable. We will go over in class what counts as acceptable sources, and the resources available to you to assist you in conducting research.

Next, meticulously analyze the language of the text itself. Pay attention to diction/word choice, the rhythm of sentences, and the general structure of the points the speech seeks to make. Always keep an eye on the way something is said as much as what it actually manages to say. Bear in mind that speeches are meant to be delivered (spoken) to an audience, so there will always be a certain distance between the silent effect of only reading a speech as text and the experience of listening to the speech being given. MAKE SURE YOUR ANALYSIS ADDRESSES THE SPOKEN VERSION OF THE SPEECH YOU CHOOSE.

Include ethos, pathos, and logos in your analysis. Begin by considering who the audience is. How does the speaker establish credibility and the kind of character that would maximize the attention and receptiveness of his or her audience in order to effectively communicate his point? What emotional appeals does the speaker make, and what feelings does the speech seek to stir in the audience? What is the logic supporting the speaker`s claims-facts, evidence, or proof-and what action(s) is the speaker finally calling for?