Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech Analysis

Steve Job’s commencement speech in 2005 at Stanford University, which is one of the best university in our country was very memorable and inspiring for Stanford graduates and also for audience listening to speech. In his speech, Jobs inspires students and audience to pursue their dreams and always to follow their heart no matter what even though things don’t always go according to plan and never give up. Steve Job is mainly known for his contributions in the technological world but along with that he is also recognized for his world-renowned presentations. Jobs’ simplicity in delivery and extensive use of rhetoric makes his speech effective and comparable to speeches of famous narrators. In this commencement speech, Jobs uses simplicity in the structure of his speech along with the use of rhetoric such as ethos and pathos besides usage of personal stories to make this speech effective in inspiring his audience and making it memorable.

A. Attention Getter: How many people in this room own or have owned an IPod, IPhone, or IPad? Isn’t astounding how one man’s vision and innovation gave us all devices that have made the world today more connected than it’s ever been? Devices we NOW can’t imagine leaving behind when we walk out the front door in the morning. Whether it’s listening to music in your bedroom, reading the news on the train ride to work, checking your email at home or even sitting in a waiting room watching Netflix. It’s hard to deny the influence and impact that Steve Jobs has had on modern culture.

I consider Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 to be one of the most effective speeches. He uses mechanics of speech to craft a well-rounded speech that is crowned by his use of rhetorical devices. Jobs gives relevant and fundamental knowledge of his life and experiences with his rhetorical approach. In his speech to the Stanford’s graduation class, he tells different stories of love, loss, discovery and difficulty he faced in his life to encourage new graduates as they continue to mature in life. He encourages students to pursue their dreams and not be discouraged by failures they might experience in life.

Given the task of conceptualizing a man who truly changed the realm of technology as we know it today, my mind secludes one person. That person is Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer, now known simply as Apple. For this rhetorical analysis, I will be using three biographies/profiles about Jobs including “The Real Genius of Steve Jobs” by Malcolm Gladwell with The New Yorker (June 19, 2017), “Jobs’ Biography; Thoughts on Life, Death, and Apple” from NPR (October 25, 2011), and “Steve Jobs” from Biography.com (April 28, 2017). Precise attention to the audience, purpose, and tone, allows all three of these profiles to vividly explain and represent Jobs as the truly exceptionally minded man that he was.

“And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle” (Jobs). At Stanford University’s 2005 graduation ceremony, Steve Jobs was invited to give a speech that would serve an impact on those beginning their lives. Throughout the speech, Jobs elaborated on the background story of his life, successes, and failures, which all pertained to the true purpose of his speech. His stories and lessons had the ability to grasp the audience due to his consistent use of pathos, repetition, antitheton, and logos, all of which were enveloped into a short and simple structure that supported his statements regarding how individuals should live their own lives. Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech contains rhetorical devices that all contribute to his exertion of life-changing advice that could benefit all individuals of society striving for success.

A commencement speech as powerful as Steve Jobs sticks in your head and ruminates for a long time. His advice touches home and leaves you thinking about the decisions that you make in your life and whether those decisions will connect to your future. As we make decisions in our lives, we should all remember to follow Steve’s advice do what you love, don’t give

Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, addressed a speech at the Commencement at Stanford University. “You’ve got to find what you love,” he said to point out the main reason for his speech. Jobs was addressing to the students at Stanford, but he is really addressing to students at every colleges and universities. He point out three different stories to engage the listeners/readers. The three stories are the major points of his life. He was addressing them to show his listeners/readers that there is a way for anything even if you are struggling. It is effective, because as a reader; I find Jobs’ speech incredibly inspiring. Jobs uses three different stories that have a huge impact in his life. These three stories point out the strategies that he used to gain the listener/reader’s attention.

At age 50, Steve Jobs gave the 2005 Commencement address to the graduating class of Stanford. Throughout his speech, he references both his real world examples of rhetoric, and allowed the class to question their own path in life. His speech was both on his path towards failure and success, and his story on how he transformed from a college dropout to the CEO of Apple Computers and Pixar Animation. By utilizing all techniques of rhetoric, including logos, pathos, and ethos, he allows the students to be experience to his story and allows them to go down a blank path in life.

A variety of tactics are employed when delivering a speech and the speaker’s purpose is accommodated by their method. The emotion and inflection in Steve Jobs’ voice as he relays his past experiences provokes an argument about the future and the past. By passing on his anecdotes and previous experiences, the speaker solidifies his credibility as a representative of what is achievable with effort and determination.

Steve jobs demonstrated to the world just how fundamental technology is in our developing environment. He exemplified a successful and innovative leader, especially in the face of failure. One could argue that although Steve Jobs was an extremely influential businessman of his time, he had numerous tragic flaws. Egotistic is a word that describes this illustrious worker. Credit for ideas were never given to the instrumental “behind the scenes” intellectuals, and without the them, he may never have been so successful. While he was working for Apple, people would always struggle with the individualistic approach he had and would often times complain about his boastful nature. He exhibited qualities that made his dislikable, however without Steve Jobs the iPhone, a

A Rhetorical Analysis of Steve Jobs Commencement Speech for Stanford University's Graduating Class of 2005: Jobs titled his speech "You've got to find what you love." Steve Jobs is best known as an American entrepreneur, inventor and industrial designer. He was the cofounder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. and founder, CEO and chairman of Pixar Animation Studios. Jobs and cofounder of Apple Inc. Steve Wozniak are wildly recognized as pioneers of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.

On his commencement speech to Stanford students on June 12, 2005, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple computers and PIXAR animations, used carefully crafted inspirational anecdotes and rhetorical devices like ethos and pathos to move his audience to explore, follow their dream and do what they love no matter the odds.

Steve Jobs, the creator of Apple, Pixar, and NeXT says, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do” during the June 12, 2005, Stanford University commencement address. Jobs gives a speech about his life and the hardships he experienced to further motivate the college graduates to reach their dreams by doing what they love and to succeed even as they get knocked down. Jobs tells the audience. “Your time is limited,” meaning that, when doing something they love, they must keep at it because time is of the essence, and life is too short to hate doing whatever they do or are going to do every day. Taking the audience through the events of his life, Jobs speaks with a humorous and hopeful tone. Steve Jobs successfully

Jobs early years, prior to Apple influenced his view of life. Concerning human nature, Jobs believed that human being were spiritual beings. It is ones responsibility to find the inner spirit, be enlightened to attain inner peace this enhanced personal growth. He believed that unless one did this, they would be controlled by their circumstances, the situation in which they found themselves. One is able to take control of their thought process and view of life. He realized "that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis," (Issacson, 2011, p. 37). His trip to India magnified this perception as he realized that people in Indian countryside did not use their intellect as those in the America, instead they used their intuition. He considered intuition as more powerful than intellect.

With the recent passing of Steve Jobs, there has been an intense spotlight focused on both the man and the company he built. Most of the attention has rightfully been focused on Jobs’ passion and creativity, as well as the remarkable period of innovation he preside. As a symbolic leader, the man not only once saving the company from bankruptcy but also building up a well-known brand that had integrate with our daily life – Apple.