A speech encompasses an expression of a person’s feelings and thoughts using articulate sounds. Most famous speeches that have been compounded by different world leaders encompassed various message to different intended audiences. “Tear down This Wall” by President Ronald Reagan, “I have A Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. and “Ask not what your Country can do” by John F, Kennedy encompass famous speeches in American history.
Though the three speeches can be analyzed rhetorically using allusion and metaphor, they differ in terms of the audience for which they were intended.
Reagan alludes himself to the “I am A Citizen of Berlin” speech by Kennedy, to emphasize on the importance of liberty and freedom. This allusion enhances the clear understanding of the fact that Reagan is more interested in enhancing freedom and liberty in the world. King alludes himself to the US declaration of independence, The Gettysburg Address and the Bible, to emphasize on the fact that all human beings are created equal and should always be treated equally, regardless of their race or social background.
Kennedy alludes himself to the America’s independence, with the aim of building a good character for himself and assuring the American people that he would work towards the liberation of all and the securing of freedom for all Americans. The use of allusion in these speeches is intended to reveal to the audience the speeches’ main subject as well as to enhance the persuasiveness of the speech to the intended audience.
While Reagan’s and Kennedy’s speeches emphasize on the enhancement of freedom and liberty in the world, King’s speech emphasize on the enhancement of equality for all Americans, regardless of their Race and social standing. Metaphors are utilized in the three speeches to emphasize on the speeches’ subjects.
Kennedy uses the passage of a torch to the new generation, to emphasize on the passage of the responsibility of enhancing freedom and liberty in the world, to the new generation by the old generation. King utilizes the joyous daybreak and the long night of captivity, to emphasize on the gaining of equality by the African Americans that were initially oppressed due to race.
Reagan utilizes the tearing or the wall as a metaphor to emphasize on freedom and liberty for the world, as to him tearing of the wall is equated to according the world with freedom and liberty. Based on the metaphors, the three speeches are powerful, as they culminated to positive actions on the basis of their subjects.
In contrast, the three speeches utilized metaphors to emphasize different message to different audiences. Kennedy’s speech was written for the American people, its allies, Foes as well as the other countries it had aided in acquiring freedom in the world. King’s speech was written for all Americans, but with particular emphasis on the African Americans that were still seeking equality in liberal America.
Reagan’s speech was written for Soviet Union’s Leader, with the aim of encouraging him to break down the Berlin Wall. Based on the different audiences for which the three speeches were composed, they work for me well because their similarities and differences manage to emphasize on the messages being passed to the three different audiences. In conclusion, though the three speeches can be analyzed rhetorically using allusion and metaphor, they differ in terms of the audience for which they were intended.