Clinton's Inaugural Address

Questions

I am a little confused by Lanham's use of the term zeugma, as he defines it differently than I have learned it in the past. Lanham defines it as, "one verb serves for a series of objects." He then seems to apply it also to cases in which the same subject is assumed for a series of verbs. In John Drury's The Poetry Dictionary, what Lanham is referring to is more generally described by the term, "Syllepsis: word with different meanings in relation to two other words, for example a verb with two objects (as in 'I'll strike the first blow and a match'); called zeugma when one of those two 'yoked' elements is gramatically incompatible with the word that governs them, as in 'I struck the first blow, and may you too') (250). Perhaps this is a different usage of the term specifically for poetry, but I am still a little confused by exactly what type of sentences Lanham is naming by it. In my reading of Clinton's speech, I have employed the term zeugma as I believe it is used by Lanham.
In general, I feel pretty clear on the Lanham. I just feel like I need more practice using the terms.

Now, to the First Inaugural Address of Bill Clinton...

In his first inaugural speech, Bill Clinton pulls his audience in with an unexpected topic: spring. As he makes clear, spring is not on anyone's mind in "the depth of winter," but Clinton argues that it should be, in the figurative sense, as he calls every citizen to work to renew America.
The speech has a driving rhythm leading to its inspiring and climactic call to action. Contributing to this rhythm are many parallel constructions that allow the listener's thought processes to progress according to the logical pattern of the President's words. One of these is the refrain on the theme of renewal that runs throughout the speech, polysyndetically connecting its disparate topics, from domestic issues to foreign crises.
The refrain begins,
"Today we celebrate the mystery of American renewal."
It then continues in the infinitive form throughout the speech,
"To renew America, we must be bold.
To renew America, we must revitalize our democracy.
To renew America, we must meet challenges abroad as well as at home."
In contrast to the running sentences that make up the bulk of Clinton's expositions on these topics, the refrain sentences are short and clipped. They allow the listener to pause and reflect on what was just said, as well as to prepare himself for the topic introduced by the refrain. The refrain provides a simple skeleton for the listener to connect to, within the jungle of words that augment the inspirational anecdotes.
Clinton also begins several sentences "with what in the Renaissance was called a doublet" and pairs these doublets by alliteration, elevating his language to elegant musicality that, again, makes it easier for the listener to absorb (Lanham, 70).
"Communications and commerce are global
Profound and powerful forces are shaking and remaking our world
we pledge an end to the era of deadlock and drift"
In the second sentence, he even employs internal rhyme. These devices heighten the individual words and make the meaning stand out more.
As this address was in honor of Clinton's assuming the presidency, the name 'America' is especially pronounced. One way in which Clinton keeps the nation's name in the minds of his listeners is by beginning and ending sentences with it.
"Each generation of Americans must define what it means to be an American.
There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.
Today, we do more than celebrate America; we rededicate ourselves to the very idea of America.
These reflexive sentences emphasize Clinton's theme that, as American's, we have the resources of our renewal within ourselves.
Clinton's running style has an intricate chiasmus that pulls the listener forward to the speech's inspiring conclusion by creating a polysyndetic relationship between sentences.
"And so today, we pledge an end to the era of deadlock and drift--a new season of American renewal has begun.
To renew America, we must be bold"
Clinton picks up the subject of the former sentence, "American renewal" and begins the next sentence with the refrain, "to renew America," in verb form.
He does it again later.
"Now, we must do the work the season demands."
And a few lines later,
"I challenge a new generation of Americans to a season of service".
In this second example, Clinton transforms the sense of 'season.' In the first case, he refers to the figurative season of spring, but in the second, he invokes a period of work, of giving back.
Finally, one of the most effective rhetorical devices employed in this speech to facilitate the driving rhythm is zeugma.
"Our hopes, our hearts, our hands, are with those on every continent who are building democracy and freedom."
In this sentence, the verb 'are' is assumed for the three alliterated subjects, 'hopes,' 'hearts,' 'hands.' Again, the alliteration highlights the rhetorical device and emphasizes the extent of our involvement in these other continents.
The zeugma intensifies toward the end as the speech builds on the listener's emotions to the climactic call to action.
"we rededicate ourselves to the very idea of America
An idea born in revolution and renewed
An idea tempered by the knowledge
An idea ennobled by the faith"
An idea infused with the conviction"
America is the idea assumed by the following sentences. Layering these sentences with the same subject, the theme of America, Clinton has already built the "joyful mountaintop of celebration" from which he hears and makes the "call to service in the valley."

Works Cited
Drury, John. The Poetry Dictionary. Cincinatti: Writer's Digest Books, 2006.