Suarez 1

Valeria Suarez
Olivia Rines
UWRT 1101 002
09 Jan 2015
Genre Analysis
We use the term Political Speech for hundreds of speeches without realizing how deep
the details can go. I chose this genre because I find these kinds of speeches really interesting and
complex. More importantly, I think everybody should have some knowledge on how to give a
successful political speech. Many different features can apply to a political speech, depending on
what is the intention behind it.
Political speeches are a part of our daily life, and in this paper I want to explain which
features make this possible. Most political speeches main focus is to persuade the audience,
because many times a speech is successful thanks to the way it is performed, more than thanks to
the content that we can find on it (Bax 164). Anyone, anywhere, is capable of giving a political
speech as long as they cover at least a few of the common characteristics or features that
represent and differentiate a political speech from other kinds of speeches.
Repetitions, lexis, rhythm, rhetoric and persuasion techniques are some of those features
that can easily represent a political speech.

Repetitions can be used in different ways, but is

commonly used to reinforce an idea in the audience. It can also lead to the use of contrasts,
parallelisms or the creation of the list of three, which allows you to compare 3 initial elements
with 3 other elements that can either contrast or reinforce an idea for the audience (Bax 172

Suarez 2

173). The next feature to discuss can be Lexis. The most relevant part of the use of lexis in a
political speech, is that the speaker must understand how to play with the different options that
he ro she can have to deliver a message. The speech should include pronouns and metaphors to
have a stronger message. If the speech is directed in an emotional way to the audience, then the
use of words or terms that are more general and cover several ideas in one are the best ones to
use. However, if we are trying to deliver a logical message, the terms we use should be more
specific and detailed (Bax 168).
Next: Rhythm, the way we manage the speed of our talking. To create suspense or to
bring back the attention to the speech or to specify something on it. The rhythm is crucial
because the length of our pauses can mean the difference between delivering different messages
with the exact same words (Bax 178). Along in with the other characteristics, we will find
rhetoric. This particular feature can usually be considered negative by many people, but without
rhetoric we couldnt have debates of different opinions and that is one of the most important
things in politics. Rhetoric calls out different kinds of emotions in people, but this is the exact
impact that political speeches are looking for to cause and thats thy this is such a crucial part or
this kind of speech (British Political Speech).
In addition to all of this, different ways of persuasion are always involved in political
speeches. The use of arguments and emotions, are important in the creation of a political speech.
According to Bax, Aristoteles had three characteristics that were fundamental to this kind of
speeches. Inclusion of the moral character of the speaker, the induction of feelings into the
speech and logic, that is always fundamental for us as human beings (Bax 165 166).
The first example selected for this genre will be the speech I Have a Dream by Martin
Luther King Jr. This speech was included in the analysis because it is one of the most important

Suarez 3

speeches ever done. This speech is a form that expresses the hard situation that people once lived
in America and how hard they had to fight for their civil rights. It also expresses Martin Luther
King Jrs thoughts and it follows the pattern that he used for his political speeches, insisting and
claiming for people to defend what is right. Even when it has more than one feature that we
mentioned before, like repetition, it is mostly a persuasive speech with emotions as its main part
or content to get to the goal. A small fragment of this speech:
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves
and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the
heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis
of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today. (American History)
Secondly, I decided to include the speech that Hugo Chavez did on October 7, 2012 when
he was reelected as president in Venezuela for the fourth time. I want to include this speech as an
example of how different the political speeches can be and the real reasons behind it. This
example is different from other speeches because it is not trying to bring a new idea to the
population, instead is trying to maintain an idea that was already there and that has been in the
people for more than ten years. Every person has his or her different characteristics and
preferences when it comes to doing a speech and most of those characteristics are repeated by the

Suarez 4

person in every speech they make. This particular speech is about patriotism and expressing the
feelings after winning the elections. One of the important things to highlight in this speech is the
Lexis he used and, if we listen to it, the rhythm. Paused speech with colloquial words that can
make him closer to the population. These characteristics were the ones that lead the population to
be present and listen to the speeches that Chavez used to give. The following fragment of one
speech performed by Chavez is included to show the difference between his style and the others,
for example, the lexis he uses relates a lot to a particular section of the population in his country:
Viva Venezuela. Viva la Patria. Viva Venezuela. Viva el Pueblo
de Bolvar, viva la revolucin bolivariana, viva el 7 de octubre.
Primero que nada, aqu estamos de nuevo en el balcn del
Pueblo. En el palacio del Pueblo, en la plaza del Pueblo. Debajo del
cielo bendito de Caracas, no oyen all? Ay mi madre! Me oyen all?
Y all? Tampoco me oyen all? All estn los soldados de la guardia
presidencial.
Estamos en Cadena Nacional. Lamentablemente por all en la
calle no se oye, no puedo hacer ms nada lamentablemente. (Correo del
Orinoco)
English Translation:
Live Venezuela. Viva la Patria. Live Venezuela. Viva el Pueblo de Bolivar, the
Bolivarian revolution viva, viva on October 7.

Suarez 5

First of all, here we are again on the balcony of the Town. In the Palace of the
People in People's Square. Under the blessed sky Caracas, is not heard there? Oh my
mother! Did I hear there? And there? I also hear there? There are soldiers of the
presidential guard.
We are in National Chain. Unfortunately there in the street do not hear, I can not
help but unfortunately nothing. (Google translate)
Last, the speech Gender Equality is Your Issue Too by Emma Watson is my third
example. This speech includes the introduction of the United Nations campaign HeForShe, to
fight for the gender equality and respect. I included this speech because it shows that it is not
necessary to be a politician to do a political speech, as long as you can understand the genre and
its rules to do a successful speech. In addition, I think this speech involves many features of
political speeches, like rhetorical and persuasion with real arguments and facts but also appealing
to the emotions. In this speech, she includes herself into examples, what makes all the speech
more likeable for common people who have live in these kind of situations. Other reason to
quote this speech is the date, is very recent and I believe that we can see how speeches that are
not so current can have an effect kind of alike to current speeches. This example is relevant and
included because it shows some of the persuasive features that were previously explained in this
analysis, like the use of emotions and incorporation of the moral character of the speaker. A small
fragment of this speech:
These rights I consider to be human rights but I am one of the
lucky ones. My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didnt
love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit
me because I was a girl. My mentors didnt assume I would go less

Suarez 6

far because I might give birth to a child one day. These influencers
were the gender equality ambassadors that made me who I am today.
They may not know it, but they are the inadvertent feminists who are
changing the world today. And we need more of those (UN Women)
I believe that the political speeches have and will continue to evolve and grow. One of the
most important things I have seen by myself is that more people in different place are interested
in doing a political speech, listening a political speech and understanding political speeches
because of the effect and importance that they have in the current events around the world. I
think that every day more people is interested in using political speeches in their life, for
different reasons of course. More and more people that are not just politicians but common
people are using this genre to express ideas and get to big masses of people. I learned that to give
a political speech successfully, you must think before. You have to plan and consider many
factors that will make the speech good and understandable, it is not just saying many words
trying to say something that could work. When we are going to do something, it must be well
done and I think that knowing more about how to do political speeches is the first step to do it
right.

Suarez 7

Works Cited

American History. Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech August 28 1963. Web. 08 Jan
2015.
Bax, Stephen. Discourse and Genre Analysing Language in Context. Great Britain: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2011. Print.
British Political Speech. Why Rhetoric? Web. 24 Jan 2015.
El Correo del Orinoco. Vea el discurso de Chvez el 7 de octubre desde el Balcn del Pueblo
(+Video).7 Oct 2013. Web. 08 Jan 2015.
UN Women. Emma Watson: Equality is Your Issue Too. 20 Sep 2014. Web. 08 Jan 2015.