An inaugural address is a speech for a very specific eventbeing sworn into the office of

the presidency. Therefore, political speeches are full of literary devices. To make the
matter clear, an effective speech is constructed on the foundation of a big idea, the
purpose of the speech, that is strengthened throughout the speech with simple repetition.
For a presidential inauguration, the big idea, or purpose, is the incoming presidents
vision for the next four years and the principles on which this vision is based.

Hand in hand with the main idea is the call to action. A speech is most effective when the
audience is challenged to engage with the message and the speakers argument. The most
memorable quotes from inaugural speeches come from presidents who challenge the
American people to reassess their beliefs and take action.

In 1989, George Bush, addressed the nation with a sermon-like approach, promoting
altruism and a strong reassertion of our national roots in a changing world. His big idea is
grounded in morality, unity and selflessness, and national tradition in the face of change.
These ideas are represented through metaphor that G. Bush repeats often. He relates
American democratic traditions to words and books first by referring to the long tradition
of the oath of office: Ive just repeated word for word the oath taken by George
Washington 200 years ago, and the Bible on which I placed my hand is the Bible on
which he placed his. He segues from American long history to the idea of unity and
humanity: We meet on democracys front porch. A good place to talk as neighbors and
as friends. For this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a
moment, are suspended. Bush, envisions our nations history and traditions as a story that
must be sustained and reasserts the idea of unity and loving our fellow man. To introduce
morality in connection with humanity, he follows with a prayer. Make us strong to do
your work, willing to heed and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: Use
power to help people. With his big idea and metaphors in place, he continues to utilize
them throughout the speech: Bush does not make direct reference to Christian morality,
but the message resonates his prayer from the beginning of the speech: America is never
wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a
purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the Nation and gentler the face of the
world. All of these ideas culminate to his presidential promise to the American people:
There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people.
He closes by connecting all the dots of his big idea, and revisiting the allusions created to
relate to those ideas: But I see history as a book with many pages, and each day we fill a
page with acts of hopefulness and meaning. The new breeze blows, a page turns, the
story unfolds. And so, today a chapter begins, a small and stately story of unity, diversity,
and generosity shared, and written, together. Every assertion about democracy and the
future of our American nation is united in the end to leave the audience with the big idea
presented from the beginning of the speech. The use of metaphor helps the audience
follow the purpose and central message of the speech all the way to the end.

John F Kennedys 1961 inaugural address accomplished more with brevity and concise
language than most accomplished in much longer speeches. Kennedys most quoted line
is of course, My fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you ask what
you can do for your country.

His call to action challenged an idealistic generation to continue to serve their country
after having already been sacrificed by the older generation to the Vietnam War. His call
to action is repeated throughout his speech, but the most famous line embodies
everything he wanted to impart on the American people.

Speakers who weave narrative throughout their speeches instead of just spouting bullet
points are the most effective in conveying their message. Our brains are wired for story.
We make sense of our world through the narrative of experience. In this sense, presidents
who acknowledge and pay homage to American history while also offering hope for the
future are the best storytellers. Obamas first inaugural address masterfully utilizes the
narrative of American history to address the landmark event of his own election into
office. He invokes history as both a call-to-action and as reason to move forward.
Obamas narrative is the story of America: My fellow citizens: I stand here today
humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the
sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

Every good story has a hero, a villain, a conflict, and a resolution. Obama is not the hero;
the voters and citizens of America are the heroes. The villain is not American history, but
the desire to live in the past. The conflict in his narrative is not between the two parties,
not even between the previous administrations. Instead, he posits that some of the
conflicts such as the Iraq War, were unavoidable, and others such as the poor economy
are collective failure. His resolution is simply that America is changing for the better, and
our differences are actually the strengths of our country: We are shaped by every
language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted
the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger
and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass.
He focuses on the basis of American political and patriotic rhetoric, freedom and
equality: The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history;
to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to
generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a
chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
This historical pursuit of American nation is the plot of his speech. Every instance of
history he references is about the greater good, but clearly evokes the struggles our nation
and its people have endured to accept equality, and thus, finally elect an African
American for president. He does not aim to divide white versus black, but doesnt shirk
the darker realities of our forefathers, and specifically African American forefathers: For
us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and
plowed the hard earth. To create an emotional appeal, he spotlights his own family
history to demonstrate that our history and our nation are still young and that the past is
not far behind, but the social climate is changing: This is the meaning of our liberty and
our creed why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in
celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty
years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to
take a most sacred oath.

In his closing, he again pays homage to American history, quoting a line from
Washington himself that embodies the American spirit and establishes a responsibility to
the future: Let it be told to the future worldthat in the depth of winter, when nothing but
hope and virtue could survive that the city and the country, alarmed at one common
danger, came forth to meet.

Obama utilizes this quote to offer a happy ending to the story, and carries the torch of
responsibility to future generations: America. In the face of our common dangers, in this
winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us
brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by
our childrens children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that
we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and Gods
grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future
generations.
Body language tells another story, so stage presence is just as important as the words in
the speech. As a speaker, Bill Clinton has been described as cool, calming, attentive, and
charismatic. Hes the master of using pauses and silence to emphasize a point,
simplifying complex details so the general population can understand, and overall
engaging audience members to listen. What should also be noted is his ability to utilize
body language to subtly emphasize his points and likability.
In his first inauguration speech, notice as Clinton uses his hands when he lists points,
smiles when he challenges the audience to show that a future together is bright, and
makes a hammer gesture when he wants to emphasize a point. He also keeps an open
posture that conveys genuineness and authenticity never a closed posture. These body
language tactics are used sparingly in this particular speech but are powerful when
displayed.
This usage of body language along with rhetoric that is simple such as, There is nothing
wrong in America that cant be fixed with what is right in America, exude confidence and
authority. Despite speaking in front of voters who were skeptical at the time of political
change, his warmness and message positively resonates in the body language and facial
gestures of those around him.
The tone of a speech is reflected in careful word choice, sentence structure, and
organization of information. If the tone, or style, of the information contradicts the
intended purpose of the speech, the audience will misunderstand the message. In his first
inaugural address, Ronald Reagan crafts his tone to hold the American government
accountable for its failures: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our
problem; government is the problem. From time to time weve been tempted to believe
that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an
elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people.

While his message is that government is broken, his challenge is to still create and
strengthen trust and faith in government. He does this with tone. He doesnt backtrack
from holding the government responsible. Instead he re-establishes the purpose of
government with the idea of self-rule as the basis: Now, so there will be no
misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to
make it work work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back.
Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it. Without careful use of
tone, Reagans address could have come across as a complete defamation of the
American government and a call to abolish government. However, the tone is a call to
action, a message of hope, and a message of a change in the powers of government.

Regarding the structure of Trumps speech, there is nothing much remarkable yet.

Indeed, it is rather classic and simple: exordium; the main claim; confirmation of the
claim using words like a dark past, a bright future; conclusion including a short
summary; God bless.

It is traditional for an inaugural speech of a US President to start with welcoming the

former Presidents that are present, with a reference to the peaceful transfer of power, and
with thanking the outgoing President for his services to the country. At first sight,
Trumps speech seems to follow this tradition. But a closer look reveals some nasty
sideswipes.
When thanking outgoing President Obama, Trump only thanks him for the peaceful and
orderly transfer of powerbut not for his services to the country. This foreshadows the
chapter a dark past, which forms a thorough calumny. In the exordium Trump deviates
from the tradition more plainly with a statement of a purely populist nature: We, the
citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and
restore its promise for all of our people. Together, we will.... This, too, points out
straightaway what awaits the audience in the remaining of the speech: Trumps speech is
a classic example of populism of the worst kind.

and Donald Trumps speech was no exception. Although my analysis primarily reviews
specific devices like anaphora, it also considers pragmatics with an emphasis on
politeness.