IXL | Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 1

Read the following excerpt. It is adapted from President John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural speech.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty. . . .
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility—I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Adapted from John F. Kennedy, "Inaugural Address"

Based on the excerpt, what is the purpose of John F. Kennedy's speech?

to convey his dissatisfaction with the failures of the previous generation

to encourage Americans and people worldwide to work together for freedom

to motivate Americans to defend liberty in their local communities

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Learn with an example

question

Read the following excerpt. It is adapted from President Ronald Reagan's 1986 televised address after the space shuttle Challenger burst into flames after takeoff. The explosion claimed the lives of all seven astronauts on board.

Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them. . . .

Adapted from Ronald Reagan, "The Space Shuttle Challenger Tragedy Address"

Based on the excerpt, what is the purpose of Ronald Reagan's speech?

to offer reassurance to his audience

to warn his audience about space travel's dangers

to mourn the loss of the space program

key idea

Rhetorical strategies are the ways that a writer or speaker uses language to influence his or her audience. They include decisions about word choice, sentence structure, and tone, as well as repetition, metaphors, and other devices.

When you analyze an author's rhetorical strategy, you can better understand what makes a text so effective. To do so, first consider the author's purpose, or what the author hopes to accomplish with the text. For example, an author might want to inspire his or her audience, or to persuade them to do something.

Then consider how an author's use of language advances that purpose. For example, a metaphor may make a key idea more memorable, or a touching story may make the author's causes seem more sympathetic.

solution

The purpose of Ronald Reagan's speech is to offer reassurance to his audience.

You can tell because Reagan reminds the audience that sometimes tragedy happens to pioneers, and he promises the audience that they will continue to progress toward the future.

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Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

B.2Identify audience and purpose

C.4Interpret figures of speech

M.2Use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive writing

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