A commencement speech is a speech given to graduating students at a university. The term commencement is used to illustrate a new beginning for the graduates as they embark on the journey that is the rest of their lives. J.K. Rowling and Suzan-Lori Parks are both famous women who have given similar commencement speeches to graduating classes. Though each discuss relatively different topics within their speeches, the overall message between both is to provide helpful insights to the graduating students on how to have a successful future. At a glance, Rowling and Parks’ speeches and personas appear quite similar. Both Rowling and Parks are famous female role models popular enough to be invited to give a commencement speech for a university,
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However, the way each go about their formatting, logos appeal, pathos appeal, and specific word usage, calls for two very different, but relatable, speeches. Despite surface level similarities, Rowling and Parks’ speeches read completely different from one another as a result of style variety.
In each scenario, a famous woman who studied English is invited to a university to give a speech to a graduating class. Each begin with a quick “thank you” and progress with their main points before giving another “thank you” at the end of their speech. According to Wardle and Downs, “Rhetoric is always motivated. People in rhetorical interaction- writers and readers- are always having those interactions for particular reasons that relate to what they want or need from the interaction.”(Downs 464), so what is the motivation for Rowling and Parks’ speeches? Both speakers aim to teach something to their target audience, and in this case they both have the same target audience. They each try to get across a few main points to be informative to the class. While Rowling directly states her points and motive toward the beginning of her …show more content…
In terms of qualifications, they are both successful women who have had an impact on the world of literature big enough to be invited to give a commencement speech. Though Rowling is an author and Parks is a playwright, they are both successful women who have made an impact on entertainment and literature. This similarity in ethos is another example of a surface level similarity. Without reading either speech, simply comparing each speaker’s ethos appeal, indicates similar speeches; however, Rowling and Parks go about giving their speech in different unique
However, the way each go about their formatting, logos appeal, pathos appeal, and specific word usage, calls for two very different, but relatable, speeches. Despite surface level similarities, Rowling and Parks’ speeches read completely different from one another as a result of style variety.
In each scenario, a famous woman who studied English is invited to a university to give a speech to a graduating class. Each begin with a quick “thank you” and progress with their main points before giving another “thank you” at the end of their speech. According to Wardle and Downs, “Rhetoric is always motivated. People in rhetorical interaction- writers and readers- are always having those interactions for particular reasons that relate to what they want or need from the interaction.”(Downs 464), so what is the motivation for Rowling and Parks’ speeches? Both speakers aim to teach something to their target audience, and in this case they both have the same target audience. They each try to get across a few main points to be informative to the class. While Rowling directly states her points and motive toward the beginning of her …show more content…
In terms of qualifications, they are both successful women who have had an impact on the world of literature big enough to be invited to give a commencement speech. Though Rowling is an author and Parks is a playwright, they are both successful women who have made an impact on entertainment and literature. This similarity in ethos is another example of a surface level similarity. Without reading either speech, simply comparing each speaker’s ethos appeal, indicates similar speeches; however, Rowling and Parks go about giving their speech in different unique