Unit 8
Activity 3
Modern voices, timeless techniques
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Group 1Eloquent and unyielding
Group 1
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 23 July address to the House of Representatives was a welcome reminder of what political speech can be: eloquent, lucid, truthful, intelligent, moving and persuasive. [...]
Ocasio-Cortez's address was a masterpiece of heartfelt, unadorned plain speech that (consciously or instinctively) employed the tools of the orator, the rhetorician and preacher. What carries us is repetition, rhythm, emphasis, cadence, pronunciation (the congresswoman leans into her Bronx vowels) and a seamless transition from each event or idea to its larger implications.
Walking up the steps of the U.S. Capitol building, the congresswoman, as she tells it, was “minding my own business” when she was “accosted” by Representative Ted Yoho, a Republican from Florida, who “put his finger in my face… He called me disgusting, he called me crazy, he called me out of my mind, he called me dangerous.” [...]
In a few rhythmic sentences, Ocasio-Cortez pulverizes the “daughter defense” – the suggestion, made by men including Brett Kavanaugh and Mitch McConnell, that having female children automatically makes them more sensitive and respectful to women. [...]
“Having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.” [...]
Ocasio-Cortez ends her speech with more repetitions (accost... without remorse) and variations as she thanks Yoho and brings us full circle back to the Capitol steps. “I want to thank him for showing the world that you can be a powerful man and accost women. You can have daughters and accost women without remorse. [...] It happens every day in this country. It happened here on the steps of our nation's Capitol. It happens when individuals who hold the highest office in this land admit, admit to hurting women, and using this language against all of us.”
In rhetoric, the name for the repetition of an opening phrase is anaphora, and if you Google the word, several sites direct you to Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech. I'm not suggesting that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez comes anywhere near MLK's oratorical powers, but she's on her way. She's different from what we're used to hearing. She makes us pay attention. With her tone, word choice, posture, her honesty, she makes it clear (in case it needs clarification) that women are as articulate, intelligent and brave as any man.
Ocasio-Cortez's address was a masterpiece of heartfelt, unadorned plain speech that (consciously or instinctively) employed the tools of the orator, the rhetorician and preacher. What carries us is repetition, rhythm, emphasis, cadence, pronunciation (the congresswoman leans into her Bronx vowels) and a seamless transition from each event or idea to its larger implications.
Walking up the steps of the U.S. Capitol building, the congresswoman, as she tells it, was “minding my own business” when she was “accosted” by Representative Ted Yoho, a Republican from Florida, who “put his finger in my face… He called me disgusting, he called me crazy, he called me out of my mind, he called me dangerous.” [...]
In a few rhythmic sentences, Ocasio-Cortez pulverizes the “daughter defense” – the suggestion, made by men including Brett Kavanaugh and Mitch McConnell, that having female children automatically makes them more sensitive and respectful to women. [...]
“Having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.” [...]
Ocasio-Cortez ends her speech with more repetitions (accost... without remorse) and variations as she thanks Yoho and brings us full circle back to the Capitol steps. “I want to thank him for showing the world that you can be a powerful man and accost women. You can have daughters and accost women without remorse. [...] It happens every day in this country. It happened here on the steps of our nation's Capitol. It happens when individuals who hold the highest office in this land admit, admit to hurting women, and using this language against all of us.”
In rhetoric, the name for the repetition of an opening phrase is anaphora, and if you Google the word, several sites direct you to Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech. I'm not suggesting that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez comes anywhere near MLK's oratorical powers, but she's on her way. She's different from what we're used to hearing. She makes us pay attention. With her tone, word choice, posture, her honesty, she makes it clear (in case it needs clarification) that women are as articulate, intelligent and brave as any man.
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Vidéo associée
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➜ La traduction de « manipuler »
manipulate : influencer ou contrôler de manière habile, souvent avec une connotation négative
handle : gérer ou manipuler des objets, neutre
influence : affecter les décisions ou opinions de quelqu'un, plutôt neutre ou positif
tamper with : intervenir dans quelque chose de manière nuisible, connotation négative
manipulate : influencer ou contrôler de manière habile, souvent avec une connotation négative
handle : gérer ou manipuler des objets, neutre
influence : affecter les décisions ou opinions de quelqu'un, plutôt neutre ou positif
tamper with : intervenir dans quelque chose de manière nuisible, connotation négative
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Questions
You are in charge of one document.
1
Identify the speaker described in your document and the topic(s) they are addressing.
2
Explain how rhetorical techniques help the speaker make their point.
3
How do the choices of language or imagery affect the audience and make the message memorable?
Let's talk this out!
4
Present your document to the other groups. What similarities or differences do you notice in the rhetorical choices made by each speaker?
5
Which strategy do you find most effective, and why? What makes it persuasive beyond the content itself?
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Prepare three
questions about what
you have learnt from
this set of documents.
Quiz your partners.
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The Power of Words podcast
You are journalists recording an episode of The Power of Words, a podcast that analyses communication strategies. In today's episode, you discuss how modern political speakers use rhetoric to hook their audience. Each journalist presents one speech from this page. Then, together, compare the strategies and highlight the techniques that make each speech impactful.
You are journalists recording an episode of The Power of Words, a podcast that analyses communication strategies. In today's episode, you discuss how modern political speakers use rhetoric to hook their audience. Each journalist presents one speech from this page. Then, together, compare the strategies and highlight the techniques that make each speech impactful.
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j'ai une idée !
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