Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates' Harvard 2013 commencement speeches analyzed

¶ … speech analysis of Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates' speeches delivered to the Harvard 2013 class uses the block arrangement template. The analysis first of all focuses on Oprah Winfrey Speech enumerating main ideas spelt out in the speech and the relevant supporting arguments. It finally focuses on main points elicited in Bill Gates speech and the supporting arguments.

Oprah Winfrey's "Was that okay?"

Troubles never last

Oprah avers that by the time she received a phone call from President Faust, she had problems with her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and was embarrassed that OWN was falling. She wondered what she could say to successful Harvard students at time she considered herself a failure. She was stuck in a hole. She used the Harvard opportunity to turn things around. It served as a motivation to her. In fact, Prof. Nagy pronouncement to her to walk decisively strengthened her resolve to succeed.

Telling a story

Oprah avers that in today's competitive world telling a story about what you want to be is not enough but telling a story of who you want to be. One should not just tell a story about what they want to accomplish but why they want to accomplish such missions. One must then know his true calling, his dharma, and his purpose in life. One should not be cheated into believing that clarity in life comes all at once. This is also true for purpose in life.

Making a difference in life

Oprah asks what should be done about those who cannot access healthy food and roofs over their heads and strong public education. She urges those who are passionate about addressing such issues to decide whether it is through working for government, launching television, or collecting change that healthy food, housing, and strong public education can be availed to those not capable of accessing them. She also underscores the need for understanding others.

Bill Gates' Dad I'll come back and get my degree

Lack of awareness of world awful inequities

Gates, by the time he was leaving Harvard, was not aware of the appalling disparities of health, wealth, and opportunity that condemn many to desperation especially among millions of young people who live in unspeakable poverty and disease in developing countries. This happened despite of his knowledge of economics and politics. He is assertive that highest human achievement lies in reducing inequity in public education and quality health care service delivery. He asks how in this age of accelerating technology these inequities can be solved. He avers that donations under one dollar can be used to save lives in poor countries.

Bill and Belinda Gates began their work by just asking how the world could let children whose mothers and fathers had no powers in the market and voice in the system in poor countries die. He in this end supports creative capitalism where more people can make profit or at least make a living, and serve people suffering from worst inequities.

Conclusion

Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey speeches to the Harvard class of 2013 both focus on how somebody can use his position in society to better the lives of those who cannot afford food, roofs over their heads, and medical care. Oprah Winfrey in this context uses the media platform to achieve this. Bill Gates on the other hand uses proceeds from his entrepreneurial engagements to afford children from poor backgrounds medical care.