Naomi Belay - The President Calling

I listened to President Johnson give a speech after John F. Kennedy's assassination. Whilst listening to his speech, I had noticed Johnson's syntax and the way he worded things, in the beginning of the speech, he says something like "the greatest leader has been struck down by the foulest deed of our time" and how dramatic and emotionally stirring that sounds. I also noticed that Johnson had used anaphora - the repetition of the first word in every sentence or clause; Johnson constantly says "the dream..." and how Kennedy had vitalized all the dreams. The beginning focuses more on the emotional impact that Kennedy had had, and is more sad, and Johnson speaks more as a friend than the vice president, and then after a few minutes, it gets more strong and Johnson speaks about how they need to persevere and speaks more as the vice president and a politician. I was also interested in the particular part in his speech where he said talked about the unfortunate "thrust upon him, the awesome burden of presidency", and how he couldn’t do it on his own, and no one wants to become president in the way he was. Regardless, I thought he executed the speech very well and I enjoyed how he didn't just speak as a friend or politician, he spoke as both, and how Johnson wanted to finish what Kennedy had started.