The speech can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy5R7qhphGI&ab_channel=WashingtonPost
Credit: MPR News
Barack Obama is known to be an extremely talented public speaker, seen clearly in his Inauguration Speech in 2009. There are a number of specific ways Obama crafts his speech and delivers it that makes it extremely memorable and powerful.
The first key thing to note is how Obama delivers his speech, impacting the audience with nonverbal communication. Throughout his speech, Obama’s voice sounds commanding and warm, both commanding respect while also welcoming Americans into a new era with a new president. Besides just utilizing the tone of his voice, Obama also changes his volume and pitch in different areas to help build emotional connections with the crowd. He’s loud to motivate and inspire, quiet and sometimes even silent to emphasize, and pauses to build tension.
Besides just the way Obama delivers his speech, the way he crafts his speech also contributes to the speech’s richness. First, his speech carries a theme that is repeated throughout the entire speech: unity. He uses inclusive words such as “we” and “our” over 80 times, highlighting shared values and common purpose by creating a sense of togetherness. The importance of Obama keeping a theme of unity throughout the speech allows him to heal divisions within the nation, especially after polarized election campaigns.
Second, his speech has a solid structure divided into sections that keeps it organized and easy to follow. He starts off by thanking his predecessor and conveying his modesty. He then transitions to challenges the country must face together, quickly ending that section describing the challenges America has already persevered through, ensuring that America can do it again. He then discusses different policies, specifically foreign policies. Last, Obama talks about staying true to our values and clinging onto them during times of trouble. This organization helps Obama’s speech be very clear and easy to follow, never jumping from one topic to another.
Overall, a good speech doesn’t just require strong delivery skills, but also requires a speech with a common theme and an organizational pattern that makes the speech easy to follow.