Rhetorical Analysis Of Oprah Winfrey's Eulogy '

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Philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey, in her eulogy, illustrates Rosa Parks impact towards her own personal life and all the other lives she forever impacted. Winfrey’s purpose is to thank Rosa Parks for the strength and courage she obtained to change the United States forever and promise her, that she too, will never be moved. She adopts a shocking imagery, gracious diction, and inspirational emotion order to make the reader believe that no matter who you are, how small you are, you can change the world, feel gratuity towards the reader, and lastly to never let yourself be moved. Winfrey begins her eulogy by believing no matter how small you are or who you are, if you raise you voice, you will be heard. Winfrey imagined “her being stalwart and strong,” when she was a little girl and had heard of Rosa Parks actions, but little did she know, later on in his life she met her and she was this “petite, almost delicate lady who had the personification of grace and goodness” She ties this sense of imagery together to really capture the impact Parks had in Winfrey’s life, now realizing no matter who you are, you could change the world. This overload of imagery is to make the audience believe in themselves that they hold the same power and strength Parks held within her. …show more content…

She appeals to the gracious diction in saying she “was a hero to me long before I recognized and understood the power and impact that her life embodied” and “changed the trajectory of [Winfrey’s] life and the lives of so many other people in the world. She ties together this gracious diction in order to convey the feelings of gratuity in the reader and realize the impact parks had upon this nation. This gracious choice of words is meant to impact the audience in such a way it makes audience feel like paying patronage towards Rosa