Only once did david foster wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at kenyon college. There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at. Instead wallace emphasizes the real value of a liberal arts education, which is learning how to think. Everlasting speech along middle path kenyon college. In 2005, david foster wallace delivered the this is water commencement speech at kenyon college.
In his commencement address to the graduating class of kenyon college in 2005, david foster wallace suggests a liberal arts education allows an individual to start to choose what they want to think about and how they want to interpret situations. David foster wallace, this is water commencement speech at kenyon college. David foster wallace was born in 1962 and lived for 46 years. David foster wallace was wearing his trademark bandanna and a white shirt with a nehru collar when christopher bench 05 and meredith farmer 05 met him. Famed american author david foster wallace gave a commencement speech to kenyon colleges graduating class of 2005. This speech, written by david foster wallace, was delivered to the graduating class of 2005 at kenyon college. A speech by the late david foster wallace books the. David foster wallace is giving a commencement speech to the 2005 graduates of kenyon college. A transcript of the speech circulated around the internet as early as june. There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older. He explains why in his beautiful 2005 kenyon college commencement speech this is water. David foster wallace gave the commencement speech at kenyon college in 2005.
This is water pdf summary is the title of david foster wallace s 2005 kenyon address, widely considered one of the best commencement speeches ever delivered. Commencement speeches are one of the great collegiate traditions and the last lesson students get before entering the real world. In 2005, david foster wallace addressed the graduating class at kenyon college with a speech that is now one of his most read pieces. Because of the length, it can be hard to read through the speech. This is water full versiondavid foster wallace commencement. In a speech, published here for the first time, he reflects on the difficulties of daily life. Rhetorical analysis of this is water paige carmichael. Kenyon commencement speech david foster wallace brings a completely different approach to commencement speeches in his kenyon commencement speech. And everybodys heard of his famous 2005 commencement address at kenyon college. In 2005 novelist david foster wallace gave the commencement address to the 2005 graduating class of kenyon college in gambier, ohio. In david foster wallace s kenyon commencement speech he discusses the reality of life of a postgraduate after college. Below is a summary of and commentary on david foster wallace s 1962 2008 famous commencement speech.
Greetings parents and congratulations to kenyon s graduating class of 2005. Below is the full transcript edited version of the commencement address this is water delivered by david foster wallace at 2005 commencement ceremony at kenyon college on may 21, 2005. The message is that paying attention and being mindful of others is essential. Essay 1 summary and response rob vitellis english 15 blog. This is water pdf summary david foster wallace 12min blog. There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, morning, boys, hows the water. One of the examples wallace uses in his speech is about two young fish who are swimming along and an older fish swimming by nods. In his commencement speech to the kenyon college graduating class of 2005, david foster wallace asks. Commencement speech to kenyon college class of 2005 written by david foster wallace. Revised summary of transcription of the 2005 kenyon. In fact im gonna mumbles while pulling up his gown and taking out a handkerchief from his pocket.
Transcription of the 2005 kenyon commencement address may 21, 2005 written and delivered by david foster wallace if anybody feels like perspiring cough, id advise you to go ahead, because im sure going to. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in this is water. A reflection on this is water by david foster wallace. This is water is the title of a commencement address written and delivered by david foster wallace to kenyon s graduating class of 2005. Transcription of the 2005 kenyon commencement address. Ever since this speech has been given it has become well known. In this address, wallace brings the issues of interpretation, gratification and culture to light.
Wallace s speech also talked about decision making and the power of choice. This is water is often praised as being the best commencement speech of all time. In it, he argues, gorgeously, against unconsciousness, the. David foster wallaces 2005 commencement speech to kenyon. The text originates from a commencement speech given by wallace at kenyon college on may 21, 2005. David foster wallaces famous commencement speech almost. Top 3 lessons from this is water by david foster wallace sloww. David foster wallace wanted to know who had thought bringing him to kenyon college to deliver its commencement address was a good idea. David foster wallace kenyon commencement speech 2005 this speech was originally transcribed and posted at until recently though it is still available elsewhere in order to help keep this speech that was free, and can still be found here, here is the originally transcribed version. Some thoughts, delivered on a significant occasion, about living a compassionate life is an essay by david foster wallace, first published in book form by little, brown and company in 2009. This is water david foster wallace 2005 commencement speech to kenyon transcript.
This is water david foster wallace kenyon college speech. Most commencement speeches focus on graduates accomplishments as well as give general life advice. He strays away from the typical commencement speech topics on extraordinary wealth, comfort, or personal freedom 208. Kenyon commencement speech example essay 1091 words. Wallace is widely known for his 1996 novel infinite jest, which time magazine cited as one of the 100 best englishlanguage novels from 1923 to 2005. Its themes include solipsism, loneliness, monotony, education, and the importance of sympathy and conscious awareness. Adapted from a commencement speech given by david foster wallace to the 2005 graduating class at kenyon college. David foster wallacekenyon commencement speech 2005. The wall street journal was kind enough to reprint the watershed commencement address given in 2005 at kenyon college by late authormbird hero david foster wallace, now collected in the slim this is water. Rob vitelli essay 1 summary and response engl 015 womack september 5, 20 summary and response david foster wallace s kenyon commencement speech on june, 20, the seniors of interboro high school gathered in the neumann university gymnasium to accept their diplomas, and to usher in the beginning of the next chapter of their lives. Home commencement speech david foster wallace at kenyon college 2005 david foster wallace at kenyon college 2005 september 4, 2019 won commencement speech 0. University of texas at austin 2014 commencement address admiral william h.
Through the use of rhetoric, wallace appeals to the audiences emotions, gains their trust and is persuasive. Some thoughts, delivered on a significant occasion, about living a compassionate life. Gary hannabargercorbis photographed in his hometown of bloomington, ill. David foster wallace s 2005 commencement speech for kenyon college, referenced here from the text they say i say, differed from the cheery and laudatory reassurances that typically mark graduations. David foster wallace interview with terry gross on nprs fresh air 031997. Graduation guidance david foster wallace, kenyon, 2005. How the best commencement speech of all time was bad for. Summary of david foster wallace s transcription of the 2005 kenyon commencement address may 21, 2005 wallace starts his speech off with a unique metaphor to make his audience think and realize the topic of his speech. Wallace discusses the real importance to having a degree that it is more than just a material payoff. Response to david foster wallaces commencement speech. Last month, on the occasion of the authors 50th birthday, we posted a large collection of free essays and stories by david foster wallace. He also tells the students that a liberal arts education is all about. David foster wallaces 2005 commencement speech to the graduating class at kenyon college, is a timeless trove of wisdom right up there with hunter.
David foster wallace s commencement speech this is water posted on march 15, 2016 march 15, 2016 by zerophilmister david foster wallace is well known for his 1996 novel infinite jest which, according to time magazine, is one of the 100 best englishlanguage novels from 1923 to 2005. Discussion questions 2005 kenyon commencement address. Meredith farmer, an english and philosophy double major in the class of 2005, nervously claimed responsibility. David foster wallacekenyon commencement speech 2005 this speech was originally transcribed and posted at until recently though it is still available elsewhere in order to help keep this speech that was free. Under a microscope initial responses what the essay made us think target audience gave us perspective to be welladjusted wouldnt want to hear on graduation difficult to understand different type of commencement speech. We started the week expecting to publish one david foster wallace post.
David foster wallace february 21, 1962 september 12, 2008 was an american author of novels, short stories and essays, as well as a university professor of english and creative writing. And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over. This speech was originally delivered by david foster wallace as the 2005 commencement address at kenyon college. Rhetorical analysis of the 2005 kenyon commencement adress. Summary of david foster wallaces commencement speech at.
David foster wallace, kenyon, 2005 top 10 commencement. David foster wallace, 19622008 excerpts from the 2005 kenyon commencement address. Lets take a moment to remember that david foster wallace once. A textual essay version of wallace s speech was published in 2009, with the added subtitle some thoughts, delivered on a significant occasion, about living a compassionate life. What is less plausible is that the best commencement speech of all time, and so the best entry in a necessarily humiliating category, has been consecrated as actual wisdom by wallace s casual and diehard readers alike. Here is a revised summary of david wallaces commencement. With touches of the macabre, the speech rang true, if not for graduates on the cusp of shiny new lives, then certainly for their parents. This was a commencement speech delivered at kenyon college in 2005 by american author, david foster wallace. David foster wallace, this is water commencement speech at. David foster wallace, author of infinite jest, delivered a timeless commencement address at kenyon college in 2005. The glossary recently turned wallace s commencement address into a stimulating video with hopes of reaching a much larger audience as graduation nears. This is water by david foster wallace full transcript and audio. Rather he used his speech to impart the more momentous advice that by living intentionally one can escape the rat race that consumes and. Some thoughts, delivered on a significant occasion, about living a compassionate life volume.
David foster wallace s 2005 commencement speech to the graduating class at kenyon college, is a timeless trove of wisdom right up there with hunter thompson on finding your purpose and living a meaningful life the speech was made into a thin book titled this is water. Then, because of the 50th birthday celebration, it turned into two. Truthful, funny and unflaggingly warm, the address was obviously the work of a wise and very kind man. David foster wallace broke my heart christianity today. This is water by david foster wallace full transcript and. Three years later, wallace tragically died, and only then did the speech become widely known. David foster wallaces speech with an anecdote about fish. So when i tripped over a quote from that commencement address in the national post this morning, it really struck me. The speech delivered the reality of how a adulting goes. The text originates from a commencement speech given by wallace at kenyon college on may 21.
192 720 1057 1606 684 1375 1133 964 607 290 1549 1494 922 1442 1642 163 1605 694 977 267 1093 1275 564 843 818 625 206 543