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Kenzie Wilson

Mr. Hurt

English 10H-Period 3

27 April 2019

Pursuing Passions

Philanthropist, TV show producer, actress, and talk show host, Oprah Winfrey in her

acceptance speech of the Cecil B. DeMille Award delivers a motivating and inspiring speech that

reflects her views towards the perseverance of humanity. Winfrey’s purpose is to spark an

interest within the audience to follow their dreams and that nothing is impossible. She adopts

an inspirational tone in order to impact the younger generation of people to believe in their

dreams by employing powerful imagery, polysyndeton, and repetition.

Winfrey utilizes powerful imagery to evoke a strong sense of emotion from the

audience. Within the first paragraph she goes on to describe how when she was a child, Sidney

Poitier became the first black man she knew of to win an Oscar at the Academy Awards. She

uses imagery in Poitier’s appearance as she recalls that his “tie was white, and of course his skin

was black” (1). The contrasting colors within the imagery reflects society because this is the first

time she witnesses a black man winning the award and its contrasts with societal norms. This

powerful imagery helps appeal to the emotions of the audience by reflecting how these

unprecedented situations can occur, and indeed do occur, in real life; thus inspiring them to

believe in their dreams. She then goes back to applying more vivid imagery near the end of the

speech as she talks about hope as a “brighter morning” and without it comes the “darkest

night” (7). She concludes by stating how “a new day is on the horizon,” (7). All these examples
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of imagery add to how Winfrey is evoking trust and emotion and motivates her audience to

pursue their dreams.

In conjunction with her powerful imagery, she uses polysyndonten to convey her

message. Her utilization of polysyndeton is shown as she talks about the press, along with

establishing her own credibility. She goes to rebuke the attacks on the press that claim that the

press is filled with “tyrants and victims and secrets and lies” (3). This establishes how she values

the validity of the press and wants the truth. By stating her own truths, she forms her credibility.

Polysyndeton adds a rhythm to her speech enhancing its flow; furthermore, creating a powerful

build up of her words after each conjunction. This power is employed to enhance the purpose

of her whole speech and encourage her audience to follow their dreams.

Through the final sections of her speech, her main focus changes in accordance with her

use of repetition. She talks about how Recy Taylor had been assaulted and abused and never

received justice, and Winfrey is trying to supply her with it. She goes on to inspire the audience

by claiming that, they too can stand up like she is now. She masterfully employs repetition as

she announces that “time is up”(5) and that this is a time for hope. By announcing that their

time is up, it allows the audience to know that nothing is stopping them, and the time of giving

up is over. She also repeats the phrase “how we” (7) to show all the different things people are

going to experience and ends with how the people will overcome all of this. This repetition

empowers the audience to stand up and teaches them that they can go after their goals.

Winfrey’s speech comprises of powerful imagery, polysyndeton, and repetition, which

allow her to become a source of inspiration for the younger generation, as this shows them that
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nothing is impossible. She amongst other people will fight hard to ensure that nobody has to

say “me too” again, thus encouraging hope within people.