1961 Inauguration Speech By John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most important American speeches after being sworn in as president on January 20, 1961. His inauguration speech was so influential that it seized the nation’s attention, and quotes from it are still clearly remembered by people today. It is considered one of the best speeches ever written and ever delivered. It presents a strong appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos and accomplishes what any speaker strives for – it speaks straight to the heart of the audience and inspires people.

Kennedy also brought the past into his speech. He spoke about Americas founding ideas and how the other countries did not support them. Kennedy wanted to change that. He hoped that every nation would put their differences aside and support each other’s views on freedoms.

John F Kennedy’s inaugural speech is widely considered one of the best speeches ever given. By the time Kennedy was elected, he had earned a degree from Harvard University, spent time in the Navy during the Second World War, and was already enjoying a successful political career serving in both houses of Congress. Kennedy delivered his eloquent inaugural speech to thousands of people on the steps of the Capitol building and millions more watching the broadcast on television which was the first to be shown in color. Something that I believe that he did better than other political speakers is that not only did he attempt to comfort his audience of the fear of the spread of communism, but he also successfully maintained the same tone throughout his speech; not only did that make his speech easier to comprehend and well received but it has continued to inspire generations since. Ultimately, the newly elected president delivered one of the most quoted and well known inaugural speeches to date.

To begin with, JFK was the 35th president of the United States of America. He was the youngest president, which meant he had to build trust. One of the main characteristics in Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” is his powerful use of imagery, when he describes “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans” (JFK paragraph 4). Kennedy talks about change and a future to look further to. His statement creates an idea of toughness, placing strength in each individual, but also in the President and government. Kennedy paints a desolate picture of the world which creates imagery. He describes the evolving world as “struggling to break the bonds of mass misery” (JFK paragraph 9), and nuclear weapons as “dark powers of destruction” that might “engulf all humanity” (JFK paragraph 11). He creates a dark mood and describes strong visuals to keep the audience’s interest in what Kennedy has to say about possible solutions to create peace. The imagery used is strong as it draws on images that are easily understood by everybody. He believes that all Americans should work together to create the peace they desire. He wanted America to reach its fullest potential. He felt it was important to use the past as an example but to look to the future and be prepared for anything to come.

John F. Kennedy Inauguration speech uses a different style to portray the president 's legacy. Here we get to hear a first person account of what he hopes for the nation and what his objectives ultimately are. The prominent method of persuasion used is ethos while there is also a presence of other key rhetorical terms throughout the speech. The readers are compelled to listen and take in all of the words given by John F. Kennedy since there is that sense of trust or credibility in his statements. He has now become arguably

By doing this, he was able to persuade his audience easily. “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man” (Kennedy). When Kennedy stated this, he caused his audience to reflect on what they are doing, which was at the time asking more from their country than what they were willing to do. “Kennedy’s famous closing words expressed the need for cooperation and sacrifice on the part of the American people” (History.com Staff). This then caused many people to begin to rally together for the greater good. The people gave wondrous thought into what Kennedy said, which is obvious from his still current standing of respect from Americans.

The Inauguration of President John F. Kennedy and the Farewell Address to the Nation by President Ronald Reagan share similar tones when addressing the American people. As one President enters the white house and the other leaves, both men share their admiration, strength, and compassion that the American people share when working together. The Farewell Address and the Inauguration were two of the most memorable speeches of all time. It is as though both men were speaking to the public as if they personally knew everyone in America.

President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address on January 1961, suggests that the United States must unify and act upon injustices in the country. He supports this claim by first calling out to countries around the world, then speaking to the citizens of America and asking them to take action, and finally by creating a sense of patriotism to help connect the people to their country. Because he is the youngest president, Kennedy adopts a tone of excitement and energy for his younger audience, but a tone of maturity and authority for his older audience members.

Kennedy’s speech, he has a central goal, which is the most important part. His central goal of the speech was to unify the Nation to deal with its upcoming challenges it would face in the future. In the speech, JFK states his central idea in the beginning third paragraph. He first unifies the Nation by saying, “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans,” and this statement unified the nation after a hard election by joining both sides of the political fence. Then, he proceeds to outline the second part of the central idea that the united Nation is enduring difficult times and must preserve its American values as he states, “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.” In this line, he

In John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech, his main point is to give a hope and comfort to the United States and assure his position as leader, since he was elected during the Cold War. Also, that this was the time to act and that we have to fight for our rights and liberty. During the speech, he wanted to let the world know that we all do bad thing an as a nation they were willing to accept any consequences just to assure the survival and the liberty of the States. To illustrate, here is what he said “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty” (Kennedy). Moreover, Kennedy wanted to let know America that the United States of America were willing to help the other countries in order to obtain liberty, and that the USA is not looking to conquer another country, this can be seen when he says “Let all our neighbors know that we

John F. Kennedy entered office with the sole purpose to unite American citizens. These American citizens felt a special bond created between the two parties and they fell in love with him. His inauguration address was one of the most beneficial speeches that we have had the chance of hearing and it was very helpful with Americans during that time period with all the chaos that was going on. In 1961, America was a very timid place. We were still having problems with racism and trying to learn how to be socially correct. This was happening while we were dealing with communism issues internationally, all as we were trying to protect our country. You can probably imagine, people were terrified and didn’t know what to do. The Cold War was peaking and we needed someone to turn this country around. John F. Kennedy, who was recently sworn in as our newest president had a sense of swagger and confidence that people bought into and loved and many people believed that he was going to be the one. His address was quite simple. He wanted the American people to be at peace. He was going to do everything

Since the foundation and establishment of the United States of America, Americans, either as a civilian or a politician, have sought after peace and unity. Leaders throughout our history have exploited manifold means to achieve this idealized notion, including diplomacy, appeasement, ransom, and, ironically, war. John F. Kennedy, a young, brilliant, and Catholic Democrat, delivered his inaugural speech on a frigid January 20, 1961. JFK’s inauguration became the first inaugural speech to ever be given on live television; therefore, Kennedy’s rhetorical skills and appearance played a large roll in the viewers’ initial impressions of their newly elected president. Televising JFK’s inaugural speech consequently magnified the audience directly receiving his speech, which now including almost all television-owning Americans. Like many other presidents, JFK delivered an extensive, yet general, outline of what his four next years in office will look like for Americans. However, unlike many other presidents, JFK won the presidential race by a very small margin, which required him to mitigate and mollify the opposing political party’s members. He was unable to introduce any cataclysmic changes that he intended to make because many Americans would be outraged. Due to the cold weather and uneasy tension about a close presidential race, JFK inevitably delivered a succinct message to celebrate his victory, appease the opposing party’s members, and give a guideline to show how the next

It is one of the shorter inaugural addresses with a mere 1,355 words. He wanted to address many issues throughout his speech, but he also wanted to keep it simple, yet impactful. The word choice Kennedy utilizes is formal and sophisticated. It is vital as the president to be presentable and charming and Kennedy is able to convey that through his diction. It is also apparent that he is able to maneuver his word choice in a manner that makes the listener or reader feel empowered. For example, he states, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” His diction along with his tone, is inspiring and poignant. Instead of mentioning conflicts he wants to address as a president, he mentions conflicts that we as a nation should work on. He makes the American people feel included and capable of making a difference. For instance, he mentions, “The energy, the faith, the devotion which we to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.” In the first part of the sentence, he compliments the great values that the American people have. It is also significant that the characteristics he uses are not ones that can be taught, but ones that have always been in us as individuals and are general enough to be applied to the entire nation. He goes on to say that these attributes coupled with our desire for change can make a difference in not only our

Ceremonial speeches are given to mark ceremonial events and help a society move beyond their differences. John F. Kennedy gave a ceremonial speech, his inaugural address, on January 20th, 1961, marking one of the most historic speeches in time. In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address speech, that is being evaluated today, the author uses social cohesion as a call for the nation to give back to the country, as we should do of course, and to ask, and expect less from the government, but that we should all have equal rights. Social Cohesion is described as the words, values, goals, speeches, and ceremonies that glue a group or society together and serve to maintain social order. John F. Kennedy uses

"Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country," is a well-known quote among Americans that has so much meaning behind it. John F. Kennedy was a president for the United States and loved among many American citizens. His speeches were always thought out and used many rhetoric devices to reel his audience in. Therefore, making his speeches brilliant and known the citizens of America. By going over the main points of rhetoric JFK used in his innagural speech like antithesis, pathos, and the theme one can realize how deep the speech actually is.