Speech Analysis

Content

The speaker is former Liberia’s President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She was speaking at Harvard’s commencement ceremony, held on May 27^th, 2011. Historically, commencement speeches are largely influenced by the need to encourage the graduating class by offering insights that will enable them fit in the corporate world. By bringing in successful individuals, learning institutions expose the students to an enabling environment where they can encounter the importance of translating the insights shared by the commencement speaker. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first elected female President in Africa, making her an epitome of change regarding political leadership.

Delivery

In her speech, President Ellen kept referring to the graduating class to join in recognizing their academic achievement and its importance to the modern world. Also, President Ellen mentioned public administration severally and its impact in maintaining healthy government relations with the people. The speaker maintained a medium tempo, which enabled her audience to relate with the shared content. She was clear and audible on different levels, a move that played an important role in promoting her content. President Ellen was positive throughout her speech. Even she maintained eye contact with her audience, she ignored other nonverbal cues such as gestures and facial expressions.

Overall Impression

President Ellen largely used ethos and pathos to influence the thought process of her audience. She shared bits of her early encounters when she protested against the U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. This way, the audience can recognize her credibility as a student, which contributed to her various achievements, among them becoming a head of state. In her speech, President Ellen says, “Failure is just as important as success,” to encourage the graduating class of 2011. I believe the speech was successful because the speaker shared various aspects about her life and how Harvard played a huge role by shaping her perspectives towards life.