To Wit: An E-zine On How To Be a Wit
10/15/2008

This is an E-zine from Thomas Christopher on how to be witty.

WITTY SELF-EXPRESSION PRODUCTS

I'm offering T-shirts and other self-expression products designed using the techniques discussed here. I've set up an online "store" at wittyselfexpression.com. I expect to use many of the designs as examples in this e-zine.

Style in Political Speeches: "Anaphora"

When you're writing you can always bullet point the items in a list. When you're speaking, your listeners can't see the indentation, and they can't see the bullets. In speaking, you need to replace the bullets with phrases, the same words introducing each item. The words at the beginning of each item tell the listener that the item is part of the list, that it belongs with the others. Moreover, these words can restate to the listener your basic idea or feeling tone. Beginning a sequence of paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases with the same words is called "anaphora."

The speeches at the national conventions give many examples of the use of anaphora.

John McCain: ... I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you.

John McCain: We lost -- we lost the trust of the American people when when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger./ We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil... We lost their trust when we valued our power over our principles.

John McCain: I know how the military works,.../ I know how to work with leaders.../ I know how to secure the peace.

John McCain: I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency, .../ I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea,...

John McCain: Fight for what's right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people./ Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Obama: A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud autoworkers... Tell that to the military families...

Barack Obama: What is that American promise?/ It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom.../ It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation.../ Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems,.../ That's the promise of America.../ That's the promise we need to keep.

Barack Obama: America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend.

Hillary Clinton: No way. No how. No McCain.

Hillary Clinton: But we don't need four more years of the last eight years./ More economic stagnation.../ More high gas prices.../ More jobs getting shipped overseas...

Hillary Clinton did violate the rule to replace bullet points by anaphora in her speech: "I ran for president to renew the promise of America.../ To promote a clean energy economy.../ To create a health care system.../ To fight for.../ To make America once again.../ To restore fiscal sanity.../ To restore America's standing..." The "to" of the infinitives barely counts as anaphora. I'll bet in her script these had bullet points. In the CNN transcript, they were translated into paragraphs of sentence fragments.

Anaphora is one of the easiest and most widely used techniques in public speaking. It is particularly common in political speeches where the oratory is more formal.

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