Abstract:This thesis studies the stylistic features of Biden’s speech delivered in Sichuan University. Publish speeches, especially state leaders’ speeches, have powerful expressive and communicative functions. Many scholars have analyzed the stylistic features of U.S. Presidents’ speeches. However, few of them has analyzed Biden’s speech from stylistic aspect. So the thesis takes Biden’s speech delivered in Sichuan University on August 21, 2011 as corpus to do phonological analysis, graphological analysis, lexical analysis, syntactic analysis and semantic analysis. This study helps to master Biden’s speaking style and get insight into his attitudes toward the relationship between China and the United States. 

 

Keywords:  Joe Biden  Public Speech  Stylistic Analysis

 

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Public Speech-1

1.2 Joe Biden’s Speech-1

1.3 Reasons for the Study-1

1.4 Layout of the Thesis-2

Chapter Two Previous Studies on US Presidents’ Speeches-3

2.1 Phonological Analysis-3

2.2 Graphological Analysis-3

2.3 Lexical Analysis-3

2.4 Syntactic Analysis-4

2.5 Semantic Analysis-4

Chapter Three A Theoretical Framework: Stylistic Analysis-5

3.1 Definition of Style-5

3.2 Procedure of Stylistic Analysis-5

3.2.1 Phonological Analysis-5

3.2.2 Graphological Analysis-6

3.2.3 Lexical Analysis-6

3.2.4 Syntactic Analysis-6

3.2.5 Semantic Analysis-7

Chapter Four Stylistic Analysis of Joe Biden’s Speech-8

4.1 Phonological Analysis-8

4.1.1 Rate-8

4.1.2 Contraction-8

4.1.3 Alliteration-9

4.2 Graphological Analysis-9

4.2.1 Paragraphing-9

4.2.2 Punctuation-10

4.3 Lexical Analysis-10

4.3.1 Employment of Hard Words-10

4.3.2 Adaptation of Wording-11

4.3.3 Personal Pronouns-12

4.4 Syntactic Analysis-13

4.4.1 Sentence Type-13

4.4.2 Sentence Length-14

4.4.3 Verb Tenses-15

4.5 Semantic Analysis-16

4.5.1 Parallelism-16

4.5.2 Repetition-16

4.5.3 Antithesis-17

4.5.4 Metaphor-17

Chapter Five Conclusion-19

5.1 Major Findings-19

5.2 Limitations-19

References-20

Appendix-21