Woodrow Wilson delivered “The Fourteen Points” speech concerning the creation of a new world where freedom and peace would prevail. Wilson organized the speech in a way that it could be comprehended easily. There is an introduction, where Wilson discussed the need for freedom and peace among the concerned nations. The introduction is followed by the suggestions that Wilson had on how peace would be improved. There is a conclusion summarizing the main points of the speech and showing how the recommended changes would benefit every nation involved. Wilson ends by calling into action all involved countries so that they can fight to remove chief provocations to war and establish world peace. There is a thesis statement indicating the program of achieving world peace, and it is followed by the steps that should be taken for peace to be achieved. The organizational pattern applied in this case is the problem-cause-solution pattern (Cross, 2018). Wilson had indicated war as the problem, need for power as the cause and provided fourteen points as the solution. The pattern is the most appropriate though categorical organizational pattern would still have applied. There are no transitions between the speech paragraphs. The main points are clear, and Wilson provided enough supporting materials for his points. The organization of the speech could be improved by adding more supporting materials to the provided fourteen points.
Wilson is not persuasive enough with his speech as he did not apply all the six principles of persuasion. Wilson applied deductive reasoning, where he has combined the fourteen points as a way of showing how peace will be achieved. The points are calling the involved countries to take action against the war chiefs such as Germany and ensure that war acts were finished and power taken from nations that may continue the war. Wilson, however, has incorporated some methods of persuasion. Logos are seen with the fourteen points, such as the absolute covenants of peace, which will bring the warring nations together and use diplomacy to come to agreements (Wilson, 1918). It is logic for nations to meet and discuss peace terms, and in that way, each will be in agreement. Pathos has not been used, and emotional appeal would have been effective in convincing the involved nations the importance of peace and how they could have benefited. Wilson has mot applied ethos in his argument, and lack of these methods show that the speech is not persuasive enough. Wilson could have considered emotional appeal such including the number of people who died in the war and the importance of avoiding such grievous mistake again.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The vocal aspects of the speech are clear. Wilson was a good speaker who recognized how to use his tone to create a better understanding of his speech. Wilson used punctuations properly when delivering his speech. When listening, one can tell where one point stops, the explanation, and where the next started. Wilson even numbered his fourteen points to make it clear which number he was talking about. The volume of voice was a bit high to ensure that the audience heard all the speech. The speed of delivery was medium, and that make earlier to keep up with the speech without getting bored or being left behind without understanding some important points. The tone was smooth, and a bit high, which emphasized on peace and the importance of taking action on the indicated factors. Correct intonation could be noted, where Wilson used a high volume when starting a sentence and a fall could be noted at the end of every point. It indicated the start and end of a sentence. Articulation was on point as Wilson was very clear with his speech. The way Wilson delivered the speech made it easier to understand his points and how taking action would help achieve world peace.
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. As a leader, he had mastered the art of making public speeches and talking to people without fear. Therefore, Wilson had mastered the art of kinesics. There is a proper use of kinesics during the delivery as seen with the posture, where Wilson stood without fear or facing the ground. The eye contact focused on the audience and those watching him give the speech (Wilson, 2006). The facial expressions could indicate that Wilson was looking to achieve world peace as seen with the firm eye contact and seriousness, showing how beneficial it would be for the nations to come to a peace agreement. The tone used was soft and firm to indicate how peace would have played an essential role after the war as well as emphasizing on action on the fourteen points as that would make the difference. Wilson could improve the physical aspects of delivery by improving his body movement. When explaining the points, it would be better to move around, and in that way, the audience will gain more concentration. Use of some gestures would also be encouraged as it would help emphasize the critical points, and the gestures also make the speech more interesting.
References
Cross, G. E. (2018). 'The World's Peace'-Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. Bulletin of the Western Front Association, (110).
Wilson, W. (1918, January 8). The Fourteen Points. Retrieved July 21, 2019, from https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wilsonfourteenpoints.htm
Wilson, W. (2006). Woodrow Wilson: Essential Writings and Speeches of the Scholar-President. NYU Press.
