Rhetorical Analysis Of Commencement Speech

Wallace is a tremendous writer and orator which is why the overall tone of the commencement speech gave his audience the opportunity to advertise his best ideas. Wallace varies his use of first and second person points of view which invites his audience in to his thinking process. This is shown throughout his entire speech with his use of I for first person as well as his use of 2nd person through his descriptive analysis of his anecdotes. As Wallace tells personal anecdotes and speaks his ideas through first hand experience, he maintains a personal and very direct tone. Also his conversational style challenges his audience to relate to his ideas and take in his ideas in an informal dialogue rather than a complex argument. He sporadically

A commencement speech is typically given by a notable figure in the community and pay tribute or praise to an institution like a college or an idea. Wallace understands that these student, like himself, are liberal arts graduates but what becomes very persuasive is the way that Wallace challenges the previous notions of a cliché commencement speech. Wallace proposes his own idea of what a commencement speech should be. As Wallace opens up his speech he mentions that “this is a standard requirement of US commencement speeches, the deployment of didactic little parable-ish stories” (Paragraph 2) which sets his audience to reconstruct their knowledge of the cliché idea of what a commencement speech is supposed to be. The audience and tone tie deeply into one another. Wallace involves his audience in the process of his speech by drawing them into his story rather than making claims and supporting his claim with facts. Like I mentioned with Wallace’s tone he brakes down the barrier between audience and speaker by indicating that “If anybody feels like perspiring, I’d advice you to go ahead because I’m sure going to.” (Paragraph 1). He empowers his audience and creates subjectivity with numerous anecdotes and life lessons – for example, in the last few lines of the speech he mentions that “it is about the real value of a real education, which has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight that we must remind ourselves This is water… This is water.” (Paragraph 36) He perfectly sets up his audience with empowerment with providing a pathway to living the most fulfilling life; simply giving yourself a choice and having awareness throughout our