Amid the sound and fury of the recent American elections, an eloquent acceptance speech by Joe Biden was missed by many.
Unlike the bombastic ‘us versus them’ utterances of Donald Trump, Biden’s speech was a uniting ‘we’ – paraphrased from a term he used in it talking about the ‘Soul of America’.
It contained a number of rhetorical devices – devices that without us realising it use the power of words to seduce us to (what most of the world hopes) is a new dawn.
The speech contains some wonderful illustrations of employing language in a way that we can emulate for business, for social good (and of course for politics!)
Apparently Biden’s speech had major contributions from a Joe Meachem, a Presidential historian. He’s undoubtedly aware of, and has repurposed previous Presidential speeches – but that in no way diminishes the power of the prose Biden gave to all Americans, not just those who voted for him.
So what’s some examples (I should note a thanks to Hilary Bryan for pointing out some of these devices in the first place)?
Repetition (also known as anaphora)
Numerous examples, including:
“Ahead to an America…” Five in a row, outlying future aspirations.
“We…” “We stand…”, “we have…”, “we can…”, “we must…”
Focus on We and Us
The main emphasis of the speech, including its first five sentences.
“My fellow Americans, the people of this nation have spoken. They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. A victory for “We the People.”
A poetic call for change
“Let this grim era of demonisation in America begin to end – here and now.”
Reverse the order of words (chiasmus)
“And we will lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.”
Of course the difference between the desire of Biden’s speech, and the reality of the system he’s inherited is vast.
But at least it provides a hope, reflected through rhetoric, that an America as a force for good rather than a one that appeals to its “darkest impulses” (wonderful backhand slap to Trump) is just around the corner.
The world waits.