Mario Cuomo

Mario Cuomo 's Keynote Address to the Democratic National Convention

In most speeches it would be difficult to get through to the audience without drawing their interest first and making them sit up a listen Exceptions to that will be the likes of John F . Kennedy and Martin Luther King , Jr . who were both charismatic personalities whose reputation and causes preceded them . If either of them walked into a roomful of people they will have everyone spellbound and expectant of every word they will utter . When he addressed the delegates of the

national convention of the Democratic Party , Mario Cuomo used language and stylistic devices to woo his audience and get his point across

On July 16 , 1984 Mario Cuomo was tasked to speak to the Democrats on the day the party officially proclaimed their standard bearers . Cuomo needed to get his party mates to listen , interest them to what he had to say and most importantly make them embrace his thoughts as their own Basically , what he laid out before them was the contrast between the policies of the Republicans and the Democrats . Cuomo emphasized the windows of opportunities for the Democrats in those areas where the Republicans had missed out on . It was some kind of pep talk that appealed to the intellect and emotions of his audience . Instead of plainly referring to the country as America ' he borrowed Reagan 's Metaphor shining city on a hill ' only to throw it back , smack in the face of the president , with an Anti-Thesis of America as the Tale of Two Cities ' He pointed to the realities on one side which the glimmer could not reach . There was no mistaking in the effect he wanted to make about the inappropriate label and blaming such on its author Towards the end of his speech he did not elaborate on the poverty that was visible to everyone . Cuomo found it sufficient with the Parallelism , I saw it and I lived it ' In his address Cuomo used statistical figures sparingly but its entirety was replete with figures of speech . Cuomo 's use of language helped the audience along in the reception of the message of his speech . It was easier for the audience to understand , relate to and accept the realities of the times that Cuomo wanted to impart to them through the use of effective language instead of just the bland and unappealing statements that lacked the necessary impact and interest to affect them

He used plenty of stylistic devices to bolster his arguments . The most frequently used was the Anaphora . He distinguished the Democrats policy of Inclusion of members from every color , every creed the the neglected and poverty-stricken side of affluent America , and the conviction of the Democrats in those they hold as fundamental and in what they say We believe in ' Cuomo used Allusion to remind them of valuable lessons in transparent politics with if July brings back Ann Gorsuch Burford ' and to warn that the longer it took...