Speech

on the 11th of November 1993 by the Australian prime minister of the time Paul Keating, Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier is about those that gave their lives for Australia and its people during World War One, the sacrifice made by the unknown soldier and all those like him. The speech was presented on Armistice day at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, it honoured the unkown soldier but also praised the courage shown by all that had a part in the war. During the speech Keating talks about the lessons learnt from the war, that even though it was a mad unecassery waste of life the human spirit was able to rise above, and out of it all could see the courage and strength shown by those that fought. The many techniques found in Funeral Service of the Unkown Australian Soldier help to highten its impact, Keating begins the speech using anaphora in the repition of the phrase “we do not know”, this immediately makes the audience consider the possibility that the unkown soldier is not very different from themselves. Through the use of this technique Keating succeds in bringing the speech closer to the audience whilst creating empathy for the unknown soldier. The speech also employs the use of plural pronouns like “we” and “us”, the effect of such inclusive language makes the listener feel as if they are part of the story being told, other techniques used in the speech include statistics, polysyndeton and symbolism in the way of the unkown soldier being represented as a symbol of all those that gave their lives during the war. Considering the topic of the speech it is important that Keating connect with the view of the audience, he does so by stating that much has changed and war is no longer seen as a simple act of patriotism, if Keating had taken a pro war view that connection with the audience would have been immediately lost. The artistic quality of Funeral Service of the Unkown Australian Soldier lies in its ability to connect with the audience on a personal level, Keating does not show prejudice or bias but simply states the facts and feelings of the topic. The intellectual qualities of the speech lie in its use of language and technique, the speech does not force opinion upon the listener but instead guides them to a feeling of empathy for the soldier but also a sense of pride in their country.