A strain of sorrow and pessimism underlies all of Vonnegut’s fiction, as well as his graduation speeches. But he also insisted that young people cherish those fleeting moments of joy.
The Ukrainian president’s key wartime speeches are to be published in a book. His ability to weave a narrative bigger than any one life or nation has shaped the way we have understood this war.
French President Emmanuel Macron.
Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA/EFE
In Africa, French will only continue to embed itself - if speaking it is in the interests of Africans and not attached to French foreign policy interests.
In a speech that touched on America’s darkest days and most inspirational leaders, Ukraine’s embattled president made a powerful call for stronger action on Russia.
Delivered under the eyes of history.
Jabin Botsford//The Washington Post via AP
In order to avoid being labeled a communist sympathizer, King needed to publicly distance himself from the controversial poet. Privately, King found ways to channel Hughes’ prose.
Eloquent Obama and bombastic Trump certainly have different speaking styles. But a big data analysis of their speeches also shows a surprising commonality.
President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.
Patrick Semansky/AP Photo
Australian politicians – unlike their American counterparts – have largely abandoned the art of stirring speeches. Good rhetoric doesn’t equal good policy, but at least it’s evidence of imaginative thinking.
“Every day I wake up determined to deliver for the people I have met all across this nation that have been neglected, ignored, and abandoned.”
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Trump appeared surprisingly presidential. According to a scholar of American political rhetoric, there were echoes of Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Reagan.
Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 15, 2016.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters
Two experts in political rhetoric explain how one candidate has used rhetorical devices like framing and ‘argumentum in terrorem’ to stoke fear and attract voters since the Orlando nightclub shooting.
South Africa’s current economic situation is reminiscent of events in 1985 when the economy nearly collapsed. This article, first published last year, looks at the similarities.
Obama delivers his final State of the Union address.
Carlos Barria/REUTERS