General Dwight D Eisenhower Speech Rhetorical Analysis

Lyndon B. Johnson orchestrated a strong, strategic speech on the day of March 15,1965. His speech was striving to persuade the nation to pass a bill which would give African- Americans additional rights to vote. Throughout his speech, Lyndon B. Johnson demonstrates all men are equal and should have equal rights through his utilization of repetition, pathos, and rhetorical questions.

President Kennedy always wanted above average and never wanted to settle for good, but for greatness. His inaugural address was his first step into greatness. He was a firm believer in unity and being together as one in this country. Throughout his short, but successful presidency, he shows how important togetherness is to make the country strong. January 1961, John F. Kennedy became the 35th president of the states and was giving his inaugural address. John F. Kennedy’s pathos, logos, and repetition in the speech allow the American people to be eager for his presidency and allow them to see the changes he foresees for the country during his term.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation. In response to this Vice President Gerald Ford spoke of his opinion on the situation. Nixon’s letter of resignation is a direct effect of the Watergate scandal, The purpose of these speeches is to make Ford look more trustworthy.

President John F. Kennedy uses a wide range of rhetorical devices, and punctuation to make his tone clear, compelling, and friendly. Such rhetorical devices are: anaphoras, allusions, and metonymy. JFK uses these devices in his speech to establish a connection with the American people, and other international leaders.

In John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech, he worked on persuading audience or listeners for the idea which is American should do anything that should be done to assure the survival and the success of liberty. In his mind, American should hold their liberty forever, further guarantee other country freedom. Kennedy really used a lot of rhetorical strategies in his speech. Of course, he used those strategies successfully. One of the rhetorical devices he used was antithesis. Another rhetorical device that I found out was metaphor which is a good way to create a good image, further, make audience believed in his mind.

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech is certainly one to remember. It’s memorable not for its length, but for the effective content that it beholds. He entices readers by the use of strong rhetoric techniques. His inaugural analyzes style of writing, such as diction, tropes, schemes, and syntax, and applies the concept of it effectively throughout the speech. A reader performs rhetorical analysis to examine how authors attempt to persuade their audiences by looking at the various components that make up the art of persuasion. Moreover, it is most essential to be able to understand the relationship among the speaker, subject, and audience, which President Kennedy adequately exploits in his speech.

Richard Nixon was one of our most infamous presidents. He is now notoriously known for numerous scandals, one being the Watergate scandal, and consequentially his resignation. But during his time as president, he would influence one aspect of domestic affairs that would inevitably criminalize most minorities and is counterintuitive to its cause. Drugs. Nixon had persuaded the nation that drugs were our greatest enemy. He formally declared war on drugs in a press conference speech. The reason behind this declaration and the speech itself are important when evaluating Nixon’s performance as a public speaker because they show the strategies he used to sway his people into the anti-drugs mindset that is still held by many today.

It is amazing to know how a person’s reputation is important! It is interesting to know how many important people can easily lose their reputation. Senator Richard Nixon did something unique after being accused of stealing money from a campaign fund. This accusation was heard everywhere and General Dwight Eisenhower was about to make a decision in dropping Nixon from his choice for Vice President. Richard Nixon then delivered a thirty minute speech instead of trying to clear his name in going to interviewers and journalists; the speech Richard Nixon gave, saved his career and it also took him beyond congress. It is good to hear that his speech worked and making his speech the top sixth speeches of the 20th century. Probably Richard Nixon and his family went through hard and difficult times throughout the accusation but Richard Nixon and his family was very strong to overcome it.

Rhetorical Analysis of President Reagan’s Address to the Nation about the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger

On January 11, 1989, President Ronald Reagan sat at his desk in the Oval Office to address his nation for the final time. This rhetorical moment was not the first of its kind. Rather, the Farewell Address is a Presidential tradition, started by George Washington, that every president takes part in before leaving office. As a sort of “goodbye” to the nation, the President discusses the accomplishments of his administration while offering pieces of advice for the future. Washington warned against a government with an “unmoderated” political party system (Spalding 75), Ronald Reagan warned of the effects of an America devoid of patriotism.

The Farewell Address embodied Washington’s political principles and hopes for the United States, a newly developed nation, to grow strong and remain independent. He stressed the importance of national unity. Despite the confidence Washington had for his country to continue to thrive without his leadership, he felt obligated to forewarn the American people and future generations the greatest dangers, or threats, to the United States. Washington believed threats such as political parties, and associations with foreign alliances could weaken the nation. Today, it is believed that the Farewell Address is a prophetic warning for contemporary politics.

In his farewell address to the American people, President Dwight David Eisenhower enumerated his fears for the country. More than this, he told the American people that it was their responsibility to be vigilant, to ensure that the government acted for the betterment of the American people and not for the politicians who held office. During this address, President Eisenhower gave a warning to both the citizens of the United States and to the leaders of the nation. It is all too easy to fall into patterns and to allow for others to acquire power beyond the parameters of what is either fair or just. The only means of fighting the potential challengers of freedom and justice both within and without the United States is vigilance and dedication to independence and personal freedoms.

Ronald Reagan, in his speech, (“Berlin Wall”, 1987), the former governor and President of the United States and at the time of the Cold War, “ the most magnetic public figure in the nation”(encyclopedia.com) elucidates to his audience the consequences of residing under the influence of the Soviet Union. Reagan supports his assertion through the use of various rhetorical devices to generate logos, ethos, and pathos. His purpose is to incite a feeling of an injustice done to the people of Berlin and Soviet Allies and to bring down the Berlin Wall as “the most visible symbol of the decades-long Cold War”(History.com) between the Americans and the Soviets during the Cold War. Reagan writes in perfervid tone generated toward the people of Berlin and other Soviet allies in hopes of bringing the Cold War to an end and it is reported by CBS News that he successfully “bolstered the morale of the pro-democracy movement in East Germany”(Brinkley).

President Reagan read his speech in public with so much care for the people and their families. Some examples that shows that he cares is that in the first paragraph he says “We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country”. This part of speech says a lot because he is referring to that the deaths of the astronauts has not been hard on the families but also on the country. President Reagan wants the audience and the crowd watching to feel the pain and also the astronauts were brave enough to go up in mission without caring about the consequences.

Due to the rapidly changing America, in his farewell address, Ronald Reagan expresses the need for unification of America, and America’s culture. In Reagan’s address, he uses many rhetorical devices to advance his purpose of unifying America, for instance, Reagan utilizes tone, syntax, and pathos to portray his pride, hopefulness, and patriotism for America. He uses these devices to show Americans of the unification America needs.