Victory Speech

Nov 4th 2008. Historic night for Obama and the US but also... "A very good night for the English language" writes James Wood, whose recent book - How Fiction Works - is on my to-read list.

A movement in American politics hostile to the possession and the possibility of words—it had repeatedly disparaged Barack Obama as “just a person of words” —was not only defeated but embarrassed by a victory speech eloquent in echo, allusion, and counterpoint. No doubt many of us would have watched in tears if President-elect Obama had only thanked his campaign staff and shuffled off to bed; but his midnight address was written in a language with roots, and stirred in his audience a correspondingly deep emotion.

Do read the entire piece. You'll read of allusions in Obama's speech that you, like me, may have missed.