In his exceptionally motivating speech dedicated to college graduates at the University of Stanford, former CEO of Apple Steve Jobs appeals to his audience by recalling past experiences as well as attributing lifelike qualities to abstract concepts in order to deliver his message of striving for a fulfilling and joyous life, ultimately moving the audience to pursue what they love. Steve Jobs demonstrates how he is a powerful and influential speaker, and establishes it from the start by describing three stories from his life in thorough detail. Alongside those, he recalls short quotes and fragments of encounters which influenced him greatly in his lifetime. He states, “...I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me.” Through voicing this experience, Jobs establishes …show more content…
By looking back at experiences like this, Jobs is able to intrigue his audience and convey his message. To add to his inspiring and encouraging speech, Steve Jobs gives many inanimate objects and concepts a set of human characteristics to invoke thought from the listeners. The most stimulating example of this was brought up nearing the end of his speech. Jobs proclaims, “And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.” A deep concept within itself, Jobs makes Death and Life their own entities, not just a word. By doing so, he allows interpretation to be used by the audience, letting them determine what they believe he is saying. A common explanation for the quote is that Jobs is explaining how Death- an entity- is the inevitable fate that will eventually take every soul away, though it was created by Life, who brings uniqueness, difference, and beauty to