The most famous, powerful speakers in America all have something in common: technique. Whether the speeches are written by them or not, the underlying voices are all strategic. Depending on the message, the techniques can range. Most speakers make sure to include something catchy such as “Yes We Can,” voiced by President Barack Obama. In one of the most famous speeches of the 1980s, Ronald Reagan shouts “Tear Down This Wall” and it immediately stuck with his audience. Now, his speech is named so. However, often unnoticed is the language and the syntax used to craft these speeches that makes them even more catchy. In Reagan’s speech, he advocated for the tearing down of the Berlin Wall to unite the East and the West and promote prosperity and
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In the very beginning of the speech, Reagan utilizes time and space to create a sort of juxtaposition to the past. He uses then and now in order to separate what used to be and what is now. He uses phrases like “I come here today” and “Our gathering today,” to accomplish this (Raegan, 12-14). The audience is aware what day it is, but Raegan specifically says today to stress the importance of the occasion and how it is not the past, but a new day that calls for new rules. In his speech, he also makes the space he is in, apparent to the audience. He speaks, “because it is our duty to speak, in this place, of freedom.” By using the phrase, “in this place” he emphasizes his presence in the city of Berlin. This lets the audience knows he is serious about the matter and dedicated to the cause. One of the most important contrasts of time and space in Reagan’s speech is when he references Nikita Khrushchev and his failed prediction to rule the West. He says, “In the 1950s, Khrushchev predicted: ‘We will bury you.’ But in the West today, we see a free world that has achieved a …show more content…
One instance of this is when he says, “you Berliners have, in freedom, rebuilt a city that once again ranks as one of the greatest on earth” (Reagan, 57-58). Using the word “rebuilt” presupposes that there was something already built. By saying this, he emphasizes the strength of Berlin -- their determination, willingness, and success in rebuilding what was once destroyed, but also foreshadows their ability to show those same characteristics in the tearing down of the wall. He also adds that what was rebuilt is once again, the greatest. The word “again” presupposes that it was not before which again, highlights the resilience of Berlin. Another site of presupposition within this speech is when Reagan says, “Let us work to bring the Eastern and Western parts of the city closer together, so that all the inhabitants of all Berlin can enjoy the benefits that come with life in one of the great cities of the world” (Reagan,129-131). This phrase suggests that Berlin has not been enjoying the benefits he speaks of and that in order for them to do so, they must bring the city together. He creates a direct correlation between what he thinks should be done and the benefits that can come from that, with no room left for opposition. In the reading “Presupposition and ‘taking-for-granted’ in mass communicated political argument,” crafted by Anne-Marie
In the very beginning of the speech, Reagan utilizes time and space to create a sort of juxtaposition to the past. He uses then and now in order to separate what used to be and what is now. He uses phrases like “I come here today” and “Our gathering today,” to accomplish this (Raegan, 12-14). The audience is aware what day it is, but Raegan specifically says today to stress the importance of the occasion and how it is not the past, but a new day that calls for new rules. In his speech, he also makes the space he is in, apparent to the audience. He speaks, “because it is our duty to speak, in this place, of freedom.” By using the phrase, “in this place” he emphasizes his presence in the city of Berlin. This lets the audience knows he is serious about the matter and dedicated to the cause. One of the most important contrasts of time and space in Reagan’s speech is when he references Nikita Khrushchev and his failed prediction to rule the West. He says, “In the 1950s, Khrushchev predicted: ‘We will bury you.’ But in the West today, we see a free world that has achieved a …show more content…
One instance of this is when he says, “you Berliners have, in freedom, rebuilt a city that once again ranks as one of the greatest on earth” (Reagan, 57-58). Using the word “rebuilt” presupposes that there was something already built. By saying this, he emphasizes the strength of Berlin -- their determination, willingness, and success in rebuilding what was once destroyed, but also foreshadows their ability to show those same characteristics in the tearing down of the wall. He also adds that what was rebuilt is once again, the greatest. The word “again” presupposes that it was not before which again, highlights the resilience of Berlin. Another site of presupposition within this speech is when Reagan says, “Let us work to bring the Eastern and Western parts of the city closer together, so that all the inhabitants of all Berlin can enjoy the benefits that come with life in one of the great cities of the world” (Reagan,129-131). This phrase suggests that Berlin has not been enjoying the benefits he speaks of and that in order for them to do so, they must bring the city together. He creates a direct correlation between what he thinks should be done and the benefits that can come from that, with no room left for opposition. In the reading “Presupposition and ‘taking-for-granted’ in mass communicated political argument,” crafted by Anne-Marie