Rhetorical Analysis Of Bush And Blair's 9/11 Speech

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Following the sorrowful, unjust, and seemingly hopeless occurrences of September 11, 2001, both of former President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Blair had delivered extremely powerful, reaching, and meaningful speeches to Congress and to the Labour Party, respectively, whereupon they had been highly well-received and honored for their words. Within their speeches, Bush and Blair had established distinct, identifiable tones, and had utilized a plethora of rhetorical strategies. President Bush had presented an oscillatory tone between states of sadness and hope, an air of credibility and persuasion as established by cornerstones of promise and implementation, alongside repetition of particularly significant or far-reaching phrases, involvement …show more content…

Namely, all of the major distinguishable components of his speech, as arranged in chronological order, begin rather wistfully, then evolve hopefully. This is especially evident in the speech’s introduction, whereby Bush re-introduces and emphasizes the ramifications of the events of September 11: “After all that has just passed, all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if America’s future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror” (Bush, 2001). Effectively, despite the inevitable sadness and anxiety that is paired with the dreadful day, the speaker carries on with strength of heart and of mind. Overall, his speech is somewhat contemplative and reminiscent, while simultaneously of a progressive standpoint. In addition, Bush’s speech is highly persuasive of the American people to take action and move forward, through effort, courage, and liberty. The facts that lay before the American nation and its people immediately following September 11, 2001 had been harrowing at the least, and life-sapping at worst. Yet, President Bush manages to maintain a resilient tone throughout the