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Richard M Nixon Rhetorical Devices

1178 Words5 Pages

Colin Becker
Mrs. Grillo
10H-1
14 April 2023
Nixon Rhetorical Analysis Essay Speeches are constantly given all throughout people’s lives, but hardly ever remembered. A good speech can persuade, enlighten, or illustrate a relevant message about a topic; and yet every good speech includes a similar ground work. Rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, are what differentiate a monologue from a powerful speech. An example of these devices being used are in Richard M. Nixon’s resignation speech. In his speech he uses devices such as parallelism and repetition. After the Watergate Scandal, the House Judiciary Committee approved Nixon's impeachment for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress, it was very evident that Nixon would be removed from office. With all his political support completely gone, and his reputation depleting at a rapid rate, Nixon decided to resign publicly in …show more content…

This creates the illusion that “Nixon puts his personal needs aside to better fulfill the needs of the public, appealing to their emotions. This allows the people to overlook the past actions of their leader and feel valued” (Nixon Resignation Rhetorical Analysis, Caitlin, Mady, and Sarah). Nixon is very good at spinning a situation into a positive light, and using rhetorical devices like pathos to do so in this example here. Nixon also uses repetition. Nixon countlessly mentions the “interest of the nation,” really driving home the overall message that Nixon cared for the nation and that’s why he is stepping down, not because he would be removed from office or resented by the American

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President Nixon’s Letter of Resignation Throughout his speech, President Nixon used a variety of rhetorical devices in order to attempt to get his *purpose* across, the reasoning for the variety of rhetorical devices was due to the people losing faith in him; this was his last attempt to get the people to understand his reasoning behind his actions. The most obvious devices Nixon used included, allusion, analepsi, dicaeology, and hypostrophe. The first rhetorical device observed would be allusion in paragraph 1. Nixon starts off with, “Good evening.

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The televised advertisement was very persuasive for voters of different ethnicities and backgrounds. He used the three different rhetorical appeals, ethological appeals, logistical appeals, and pathological appeals, to gain the votes, minds, and hearts of citizens. Nixon emotionally connected with American parents and future American parents as voters to gain their respect and trust with their children and their uncertain futures in a turbulent American society. He shows himself to be a respectful and knowledgeable man whom not only has experience as a leader and political figure, but also sees the people of America as people. He deems them more important than the American government system, and tries his best to ensure that they know that they will be taken care of by him if he becomes the President of the United States of America.

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