Week 3: Homework Overview
Speech Analysis
Choose a famous speech to analyze and incorporate the following into the analysis.
1. Discuss who you think the intended audience is for the speech.
2. Provide three or more examples of figures and tropes used by the speaker. (See Chapter 8.) What effect do you think these had on the delivery of the speech?
3. Analyze the speech using the canons of rhetoric from this week’s lesson: invention, arrangement, delivery, and style. Did the speaker demonstrate a mastery of all four canons? Please provide specific examples.
Here is a list of famous speeches to choose from.
• Barbara Bush’s Commencement Speech at Wellesley College:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VhmyA4Kd80 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Jim’s 1993 ESPY Speech from V Foundation for Cancer Research:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Malcolm X:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zLQLUpNGsc (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• “Inaugural Address,” John F. Kennedy:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1PbQlVMp98 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• “1976 DNC Keynote Address,” Barbara Jordan:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKfFJc37jjQ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IB0i6bJIjw (access this video directly on YouTube)
• Mr. Rogers Lifetime Achievement Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5yFsFMm-Ow (access this video directly on YouTube)
Grading Rubric
Content Points
Description of audience: There is a clear understanding of the audience of the speech and considerations made to engage the audience. 10
Examples: Specific examples are utilized to illustrate key tropes, techniques, and ideas to describe the effectiveness of the speech and its delivery. 15
Analysis: The canons of rhetoric are used to provide a thoughtful analysis of the invention, arrangement, delivery, and style of the speech. 20
Style and format is unified and adheres to APA standards. 5
Total 50