Robert King
ENG W131
9/14/15
The Inspirational tools of an Inspiration Leader
Intro
On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy was sworn into office and delivered one of the most famous and remembered inaugural addresses in U.S. history. Kennedy was motivated to calm fears about the rise of Soviet power during the 1950`s. With his elaborated speech he called upon American citizens to act in support of their government. The motivation for American citizens to defend freedom and democracy introduced a challenge and an opportunity for Kennedy with his tactics for presidency. In his Inaugural Address, Kennedy builds up his fellow Americans’ pride with calls to the nation to support their country in many ways.
Body Paragraphs
It was at the beginning of his speech that Kennedy knew he needed to lay the foundation needed to captivate the world, and entice it to accept him with faith and assurance of him as the next global leader. His stage is set by describing his victory as “symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning -- signifying renewal, as well as change.” Kennedy also uses the appeal of pathos with his audience by instigating several very effective distinctions of diction. As he is describing the authorities passed on to the new breed of Americans, he gives on nationalistic feelings to the listening citizens. He continues this by indicating the resiliency of the United States’ history. Calling on the need for the American citizenship to continue to support the ideals of
While the speech’s respectful eloquence is appropriate for the occasion of an inauguration, its youthful energy and look to the future make it distinctly John F. Kennedy’s. , The people of the United States desperately needed a boost in morale with ongoing tension of races, inequalities, the fight against communism and the cold war. The people were convinced that this war would be never ending, and believed in another inevitable war. From the beginning to the end of JFK’s speech, he uses a plethora of rhetorical devices to comfort the people and fill them with confidence.
On snowy, freezing cold January morning in 1961, five hundred thousand people lined Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The temperature was only twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit and eight inches of snow blanketed the ground in the American capitol that morning, causing even more traffic than usual, but that didn’t stop these hundreds of thousands of people from attending John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s inauguration ceremony. Little did they know, they would be hearing one of the most famous and memorable speeches of all time. Out of all forty five presidents, the inaugural address that American citizens would remember more than all the rest was that of John F. Kennedy. But what made it so memorable? After all, each president has given at least one, sometimes even two or more, inaugural address. Kennedy’s speech was neither the most elaborate nor the longest; it had one thousand three hundred and sixty four words and took thirteen minutes and fifty five seconds to read and it used relatively simple language. The importance of the address laid not in the length or the intricacy, but in the theme and the rhetoric. With figurative language, themes of unity and freedom, and appeal to Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, Kennedy’s address became not only one of the most memorable inaugural addresses, but one of the most memorable speeches of all time.
In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, he speaks to the citizens of the United States and other nations around the globe. His purpose is to not only establish his own credibility as the new President of the United States, but also to motivate his audience to change for the better and listen to his words. Kennedy uses a confident and energetic tone for the citizens of the U.S. and those who want to find out who the new American President is. He emphasizes his main ideas using anaphora, chiasmus, alliteration, and abstract words, and it invokes a desire to come together as a nation and make a difference in the world.
The commencement and succession on Inauguration Day of the great commitment exchanged from one existence to another as the President of the United States initiates a time when honor, commitment, and loyalty is expressed through the words spoken forth by the newly appointed Chief Executive of the United States of America. The inauguration of the former John F. Kennedy on Friday, January 20, 1961, in an openly structured portico in the United States Capitol represents a public vow to the entire nation. Meanwhile, as the first televised president in history, the country as a whole was all vigilantly watching and attentively listening on this day in 1961. It was on this day, in Washington D.C. that John F. Kennedy establishes his ethos, pathos, and logos in his infamous, well-articulated speech to the nation before him while delivering one of the most memorable inaugural speeches to the United States. This speech is a paradigm of rhetorical devices working together to form a powerful statement.
John F. Kennedy, one of the most respected presidents in history, gave his inaugural address on January 20, 1961. The presidential election showed that he received a 75% approval rating from the American public the following day. This an indication of how powerful his words were and how the public was motivated by the advanced rhetoric he used. Kennedy also appealed to the public’s pathos, ethos, and logos by using different diction in his sentences, which made him relatable to the average US citizen.
On January 20th John F. Kennedy delivered his inaugural address hoping not only to reach American citizens, but people outside the walls of the United States. Kennedy uses his speech to celebrate his victory, but to also unite the audience. With American pride and unity, the country can conquer any problem they are faced, with no matter who it comes from. Kennedy works on addressing the nation to band together to fight war, poverty, and discrimination and to develop a bright future. Kennedy’s extensive use of repe, antithesis, and diction helps emphasize the need for the country to come together in his speech.
During the Cold War era, communism and Soviet Russia created widespread panic internationally, especially for the American people. America during this period became desperate for a new leader who could bring effective leadership and hope to the country. While the Cold War was at its height, a young new president was elected into office. His name was John F. Kennedy. Shortly after his election on November 8th of 1960, Kennedy delivered his inaugural address, in which he presented his purpose as the new leader of America. Kennedy’s speech was cleverly delivered, as he used ethos, pathos, and logos to appeal to the American people and convince them to stick by his side.
In contrast, President Kennedy's inauguration speech exudes confidence and optimism as he articulates his vision for a brighter future. Employing the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos, Kennedy establishes credibility, appeals to emotions, and presents logical arguments to rally support for his agenda. He famously declares, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." (Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 1961) Through powerful imagery and inclusive language, he calls upon Americans to embrace their responsibilities as citizens and strive for unity in the face of
The date read January 20, 1961 on the front page of the Washington Times. As I tossed my newspaper onto my bureau and stood in the mirror, I shifted my tie back and forth, repeating; “the world is very different now” (“Inaugural Address” 1). These were the words I would present in my inaugural address just hours away. I have ideas-- principles that will change lives, views that will transform a nation, and philosophies that will evoke peace in today’s modern world. I will strive for my fellow Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you--but what you can do for your country” (1). I am John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a Harvard graduate, a Navy man, a former Congressman, a Senator, and now the 35th United States President. I will drive
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, has become one of the most famous presidents in the nation's history due to his oratory skills and eloquence (Biane,2011). In this paper, we present an analysis the inaugural speech that he delivered in January 1961. Even though his Inaugural speech lasted less than fifteen minutes, the message that he saliently delivered was one that has continued to resonate in the very hearts of American citizens.
On January 20, 1961, the newly elected president at the time, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, delivered his iconic inaugural address not only to American citizens, but to people listening around the world. In a time when the globe was in a heap of conflict and drama, America and the world were in need of leadership, inspiration, and clear direction. In order to motivate his people towards a better future under his presidency, Kennedy gave a powerful speech formally introducing himself to the world, outlining his plans for the next four years, and especially encouraging the American people to work and be optimistic for the coming years. He employed lots of rhetorical appeals while making many promises and plans about the future to inspire and encourage
“The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy is considered one of the greatest speeches in twentieth-century American public address,” says Sara Ann Mehltretter from Penn State University. The 1960s was an important time period during American history. The speech was said to motivate Americans and unite them to successfully create a powerful government. In a time of desperation, the actions that the United States government would take to help come out successful was very important for the countries future. In John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration Address, he used ethos, pathos and logos, to grab the audience’s full attention about the worries of communism and nuclear warfare.
January 20, 1961 will forever be a day that marks a special moment in time in which President John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable speeches in American History. His Inaugural address is one in which many famous quotes come from and one that is emulated in present speeches. In order to understand the importance of this inoculation one must understand the atmosphere of our nation at that time and what President Kennedy was trying to get across to his constituents. In this essay I will give you background information pertaining to the state our union in 1961; discuss the tone of the speech; and finally examine the impact that President Kennedy’s term played on our nation.
In the early 1960’s, the United States of America was endeavoring major racial complications and tension, while fighting communism overseas and protecting the nation from nuclear war and weapons. Fear and doubt overwhelmed the majority of the American people and were desperate for a strong, courageous leader. Kennedy performed many powerful speeches during his presidency, however, his most influential speech was his presidential inaugural address on January 20, 1961. John F. Kennedy provided substantial reassurance when he addressed the nation shortly after being sworn into office. When attempting to inspire and motivate our citizens, Kennedy proposed that our citizens were being “tempted by war,” and successfully appealed to the emotions of his audience. He used this speech to not only celebrate his victory, but to correspondingly unite the American people. His inaugural speech to the world on that day imposed a sense of tranquility and confidence in their new leader that was much needed at the time. It presents a strong presence of ethos, pathos, and logos to effectively accomplish his goal of speaking to the heart of the audience. My goal in this paper is to successfully evaluate and examine the passionate speech that President Kennedy performed because he invoked a sense of unity in order to accomplish lasting harmony.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy addressed the United States during his inauguration to become the president. He inherited the issues from his predecessor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, including the Cold War, the possibility of nuclear warfare and the fear of communism. As president, JFK reassured Americans of the strength of their country and that there would soon be peace, justice and freedom around the world, not destruction and war. He assured that everyone in the United States was safe from the evil that was spreading through other parts of the world. He spent time motivating Americans to come together as a nation and be patriots of the United States of America to make changes. JFK wanted the new generation to know that it was their time to show what they could contribute towards the change that America needed. In his short and sweet inaugural address, personification, allusions and persuasive techniques helped appeal to the emotions of not only the citizens of the United States but also people around the world to achieve his goal of promoting peace and unity.