eisenhower farewell address rhetorical analysis

Audio recording of the Farewell Address Perhaps best known for advocating that the nation guards against the potential influence of the military–industrial … Rhetorical Analysis Of George Eisenhower's Speech. Eisenhower’s solution is again metaphorical. Rhetorical analysis shows us that his credibility and ethos are accepted by the listener, his pathos and compassion are genuine, and his logic is stable. The speaker, in this case Dwight D. Eisenhower, a President of the United States in this case, may attempt to comfort people during difficult times or to press for national action such as reducing deficits, conserving energy, or even foreign war. Nearly a dozen other references to time exist in the four-page speech, many with a clear and active vehicle. There is no single entity to point at and say “that is the military-industrial complex.” It is an idea—a series of relationships and financial connections between corporate and government entities—that Eisenhower brought into public consciousness by creating the phrase. On January 17, 1961 President Eisenhower gave his farewell speech to the great people of the United States of America. Speech Analysis United States president Dwight D. Eisenhower “Atoms for peace” speech was delivered on December 8, 1953 (during the Cold War) to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, due to the end of World War II and the attacks of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the development of nuclear weapons were rapidly increasing and therefore, destroying the nation. Even with struggles with the war and congress in the air President Eisenhower still delivers America hope, and most importantly peace. Eisenhower clearly has more ethos in his speech because it being his Farewell address means that he was just a present and usually a president is very competent. (Eisenhower 7.) Political speeches delivered by executive office-holders can serve multiple purposes. The death of Stalin the same year caused shifts in relations with Russia. This evening, I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen. President Eisenhower gives great credibility in this speech using a great form of ethos in multiple, The Power Of Power In Theseus And Cupid And Psyche, Sociological Imagination In 'The Promise' By C. Wright Mills, My Role Model : Role Models : My Role Model. Furthermore, Eisenhower describes this “military-industrial complex” as a dangerous thing. The speech is known for the vision of Eisenhower who predicted the strong influence that military-industrial complex will be created on the citizens of Unites States in future. “Balance” – a physical rather than abstract property – serves as the vehicle for multiple, complex tenors. Eisenhower's farewell address (sometimes referred to as "Eisenhower's farewell address to the nation") was the final public speech of Dwight D. Eisenhower as the 34th President of the United States, delivered in a television broadcast on January 17, 1961. Rhetorical Analysis: Metaphor in President Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell Address. A metaphor serves to describe a thought or idea … but in a new light. ... Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address (nonfiction, 1961) Joan Didion, On … Farewell Address . Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address Transcript and Audio . Eisenhower's Farewell Address to the Nation January 17, 1961. Eisenhower’s concern of the power of money in the military-industrial complex (and other forms of government contract replacing “intellectual curiosity”) take shape and clearly visible on his metaphorical “road” or “lane” of time. President Eisenhower talks about progress for America and to keep thriving toward world peace and being better and making a better world, most importantly a better America for all to live in. In this amazing address, Eisenhower expresses fears and warns of deficit spending, … The presentation of complex concepts may tend to lose some audience members. Today, we are going to go on an odyssey, exploring in detail the constituents of the Farewell Address – the words and thoughts of Eisenhower. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Farewell Address (1961) Commentary by Scott A. G. M. Crawford, Eastern Illinois University Log in to see the full document and commentary. Hart, Roderick P. and Suzanne Daughton. In their book Modern Rhetorical Criticism, Hart and Daughton explain that metaphors “selectively highlight ideas” and “often mask ideas and values” (141-142). Metaphors then consist of two parts, tenor and vehicle, where tenor is the “topic or subject being explained” and vehicle is the “mechanism or lens through which the topic is viewed” (ibid). Unlike most metaphors however – for instance, comparing the Internet (tenor) to a highway (vehicle), the vehicle here does not actually exist. He refers to the Soviet Union's political ideology of communism as "hostile," "atheistic," "ruthless," and "insidious" and predicts that its threat may last a very long time. Eisenhower’s complex message becomes simple: we face immediate (time) dangers (military-industrial complex) and certain public policies (balance) can thwart those dangers. On the one hand, the metaphor is intended to highlight and idea; on the other, the metaphor is intended to mask that same idea. War had recently reached an armistice in Southeast Asia and threatened to break out in Europe with a nuclear armed Soviet Union promising the specter of mass holocaust and now dominating orbital space. Not surprisingly, references to the abstract notion of the future (and time itself) abound throughout his speech, and the speaker uses metaphor to help solidify this concept. Eisenhower presented this speech three days prior to the 1961 Presidential election, where he was to lay down his responsibilities of office to his eventual successor, President Kennedy. That is, I will show not only how the speaker’s concerns themselves are expressed in metaphor, but that the future (or time) itself becomes less of an abstraction, but is expressed concretely through the use of metaphor to lend immediacy or drama to the future and material substance to the abstraction of time. Download file to see previous pages In itself, it is a vision and a masterpiece addressing the need for balance in all aspects of our undertakings. 831 Words4 Pages. Thus was born not just a revival but a new era in the presidential farewell address. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Eisenhower's farewell address has attracted attention from scholars of rhetoric, the role of presidential speechwriters, the rhetorical presidency, and proponents of the warfare state thesis. As Foss states, the coding of these metaphors, selected by frequency and/or intensity, can help “to discover what is significant about the metaphors and provide an explanation of your artifact” (274). A glance at the speech shows that he is referring to the dynamic relationship between public and private spending, cost effectiveness of various programs, and potential sacrifice of what is “comfortably desirable” in favor of what is “clearly necessary” (Eisenhower/Eidenmuller 2). Then he actually says farewell with a few simple sentences: "Now, on Friday noon, I … "I like Ike" was an irresistible slogan; Eisenhower won a sweeping victory. Transcript of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address (1961) My fellow Americans: Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor. It is contained in single word, repeated dramatically seven times in one short paragraph, repeated with song-like rhythm in the style of a preacher. Executive politicians such as presidents and governors face many challenges when addressing a large public audience. Fifty-three years, ten months and eighteen days ago, Eisenhower gave what is now known as one of the most memorable farewell addresses in presidential history, excluding George Washington and his departing speech, to the nation. His example was reinforced by the next president, Dwight Eisenhower, who also delivered a farewell address to the nation (1961). Transcription by Michael E. Eidenmuller. This was the final speech he delivered as the current … The nation itself becomes its vehicle to “move forward” (ibid) and a “road to travel (2). Rhetorical Analysis Of President Eisenhower's Farewell Speech, On January 17, 1961 President Eisenhower gave his farewell speech to the great people of the United States of America. Eisenhower’s presidency, and his farewell address, can only truly be understood through the lense of Cold War philosophy and rhetoric, and exposes many of the anxieties and attitudes of the American people during an incredibly turbulent period of American history. The first metaphor to examine is “military-industrial complex” (Eisenhower/Eidenmuller 3). ( Tomdispatch.com ) - When it comes to war, if personnel is policy, America is yet again in deep trouble. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address, famed for its reference to the "military-industrial complex," is one of the most famous speeches in American history. Yet of the three metaphors described herein, this may be the most difficult to describe; “military-industrial complex” serves as the vehicle for a tenor of complex relationships involving corporate contractors and researchers, military demand, public policy in regard to foreign intervention or national defense, and the exchange of taxpayer dollars. Along with the creation of the Interstate Highway System, one of Eisenhower’s best known accomplishments as president was both the formation of NASA and his dogged persistence to retain NASA under civilian rather than military authority. Rather than explain each of these relationships, the metaphor of “balance” serves as a convenient substitute. Appeals to Ethos, Pathos, and Logos: In his “Farewell Address,” George Washington makes liberal use of the three forms of rhetorical appeal laid forth by Aristotle: ethos, pathos, and logos.Through ethos, Washington takes on a tone of humility in an effort to underscore the integrity of his own character and therefore more persuasively convey his ideas. Many of the ideas a speaker may intend to get across entail multiple entities with intricate relationships. 16 March 2011. This paper will expand the use of conspiracy rhetoric and the paranoid style as they apply specifically to the presidency through analysis of the Eisenhower Farewell Address. In this way, politicians can create the drama of immediate danger from concepts with which an audience may have little understanding or interest while at the same time offering policy solutions in the simplest, non-specific terms possible. His “Sputnik moment,” as coined by President Barack Obama, was literally the launch of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviet Union during Eisenhower’s presidency. New York: Pearson Education, 2005. American Rhetoric.com, 2010. Eisenhower used the term only once in his speech, yet the level of intensity is exemplified by how the phrase has been cemented in the popular, U.S.-American lexicon and is frequently cited by anti-war liberals as well as anti-interventionist, libertarian conservatives. It is a good demonstration of how important rhetoric devices among other devices are when writing a speech (IAEA par.8). (Credit: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) When: 1961. President Eisenhower had delivered this speech to the regards of the final days of him being president of the United States of America, after 2 terms in the White House it was now President Eisenhower’s … One tactic used by politicians to reduce complexity and address brevity is the use of metaphor. In examining the President Eisenhower’s farewell address, mission statement, I will use the method of metaphor criticism as described in Sonja K. Foss’ Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. Preparing to Write: Annotating Nonfiction. Modern Rhetorical Criticism, Third Edition. The world isn't literally getting smaller, and there is … Based on criteria of frequency and intensity, I have placed the metaphors in three categories: time, balance, and the military industrial complex. The farewell address serves several rhetorical functions and can provide a sense of legacy ... (1994) examines President Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address through ... and Jones (2007) offer a narrative analysis of the keynote address and argued Its meaning has been analyzed and debated by historians ever since. Eisenhower closes his speech with a flowery paragraph exalting the American ideals of brother/sisterhood and love (don't get us wrong, we believe in that stuff too). It becomes something to “shape” (Eisenhower/Eidenmuller 1). Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Farewell Address.” Transcribed by Michael E. Eidenmuller. Note that “guarding against” and “potential” imply future or imminent rather than a current “disaster.” As President, Eisenhower believes he has seen something dangerous on the horizon, and it seems only natural that in leaving office, he fears his loss of ability to confront or mitigate it. Some metaphors become even palpable, carrying “weight” as with the use of the word “balance” to address complex public policy, placing the matter tangibly into the audience’s hands. Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Farewell Address" January 17th, 1961 Roxanne & NatGeo Rhetorical Devices Rhetorical Devices Continued.. Simile: “We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of … Here Foss describes metaphor as “nonliteral comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain or experience is applied to another domain” (267). The word is balance. In fact both can be true and work in tandem. I have shown that metaphor not only makes ambiguous systems take physical shape, as with the military-industrial complex, but can also lend immediacy to the subject, as with the metaphors regarding time. Get in-depth analysis of Eisenhower's Farewell Address, with this section on Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical Devices. Historians largely agree that Washington's written farewell, along with Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address are the most significant in American history. Web. Eisenhower uses antithesis as a way of making his speech great and memorable. A farewell address, as delivered by Eisenhower on January 17, 1961, may attempt to create a legacy, impart final words of warning, or attempt to shape the context of future decisions made by forthcoming leaders and their people. Drama is heightened (making it a key term) when Eisenhower states that it is something to “guard against” and heralds “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power” (Eisenhower/Eidenmuller 3). Negotiating from military strength, he tried to reduce the strains of the Cold War. In 1953, the signing of a truce brought an armed peace along the border of South Korea. Pay attention, for once, to President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address and exert rigorous oversight and zealous control over the military-industrial complex. Dwight D. Eisenhower. On January 17, 1961, in this farewell address, President Dwight Eisenhower warned against the establishment of a "military-industrial complex." Anaphora (rhetoric) Eisenhower is addressing the fact that communication is making the world seem like a smaller place, and the citizens should not be fearful and hateful of the new information that they are beginning to get. Suffice to say for purposes of context that both science and military had become intertwined as “big business.” The single inventor had been replaced by mass teams of researchers at installations such as Las Alamos, and military hardware had skyrocketed in price and technical complexity. Print. The speech was received very well and created a sense of peace during a very volatile time in American. On January 17, 1961 he gave a memorable farewell speech which was broadcasted on TV. Examining this farewell address, I will attempt to show how this deep concern manifests itself metaphorically. President Eisenhower begins to give credibility to America on the adventure of free government and the basic purposes that the country is all about. Furthermore, a common criticism of some speakers is the undue length of their speeches which again, an impatient public may find unappealing. 1)Eisenhower served as the President of United States for a period of eight years. Foss would seem to agree, clearly stating that “[i]n contrast to the view of metaphor as decoration, metaphor now is seen as a major means of constituting reality” (268). In sum, President Eisenhower uses different rhetoric modes in his speech. Rhetorical Analysis Of President Eisenhower's Farewell Speech. Fifty-three years, ten months and eighteen days ago, Eisenhower gave what is now known as one of the most memorable farewell addresses in presidential history, excluding George Washington and his departing speech, to the nation. Eisenhower’s Farewell Speech, 50 Years Later Ike was the last commander-in-chief born in the 19th century, but his speech foretold of … Interestingly, his last reference to balance in that paragraph brings time back into immediate focus with “time and progress” (2). Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press, 2009. President Eisenhower delivered the speech on January 17, 1961. Shirley Chisholm, from People and Peace, Not Profits and War. Such warnings might carry less weight without some proposed solution. Property of American Rhetoric.com Page 1 Dwight Eisenhower Farewell Address delivered 17 January 1961 AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio Good evening, my fellow Americans. Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice, Fourth Edition. Good evening, my fellow Americans: First, I should like to express my gratitude to the radio and television networks for the opportunity they have given me over the years to bring reports and messages to our nation. Print. Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell Address. Calling out communism as "atheistic" reflects the religiosity of the 1950s. Similarly, time takes on great significance as “the long lane of history yet to be written” (4). Eisenhower's Farewell Address: Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical … The fact that Eisenhower actively pursued “civilian ownership” of NASA shows that not only was there a push for military control of the agency, but that Eisenhower saw other threats looming. President Dwight D. Eisenhower presenting his farewell address to the nation. These facts say a great deal about the context of the time. 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