Energy Speech: Rhetorical Element Analysis

In a speech, the effective use of rhetorical elements is as important as the conveyance of the core message. In fact, the efficacy of the latter is facilitated by the the former. The two become indivisible: content and rhetorical elements become style or voice.

In this speech, repetition is plentiful and very deliberate, to the degree that it is a strong characteristic of the gestalt. This was intended to drive home the speech’s key point, which is that uncertainty, if planned for, can be a source of advantage. There are many punch words and phrases (indicated by bold italics) in this piece too. In longer than typical speeches, emphases can be lost, so punch words bring attention to those points.

(For explanations of each rhetorical element, go here.)