JFK Inaugural Address

John F. Kennedy delivered his Inaugural Address in 1961 to the entire nation. He establishes a conversational tone through the use of rhetorical devices. His use of metonymy and asyndeton elicits a feeling of solidarity and unity in the masses who listened to their new President. JFK’s catchy usage of chiasmus institutes compelling structure and an open, friendly attitude. These aspects of his speech were necessary for seeming like an approachable figure instead of the formal, far-away airs that are associated with the title President. Metonymy, asyndeton, and chiasmus were essential actions towards Kennedy’s goal of reaching his audience in a compelling and conversational way.

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.

For JFK to have an effective inaugural speech, he needed to say things that would unite the country against the Soviet Union. One way he did this is by his use of ethos, a rhetoric device showing the credibility of the author or speaker. In the time period he gave this speech, T.V. had just come out. His speech was the first televised speech ever shown on television. Because of this, he made sure he looked smart, calm, confident, and poise going into it.

John F. Kennedy was our 35th president and was elected in 1960. The words he chose in his inaugural address were very patriotic and inspiring then and now. Many things in his address leads to patriotic points and comparisons.His words are very inspiring and makes a person want to help their country out. H gives examples of ways we can approve the lifestyle of all americans.

Language plays a crucial role in the development of power. Famous personalities in the United States use rhetorical devices to emphasize a specific point and make it clear to the audience. President Thomas Jefferson is a Democratic-Republican and won the election of 1800. In 1801 he presented his inauguration speech and was significant because it was the first time in the history when the power shifted from one party to the other. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as an American minister and played an active role in the civil rights movement. John F. Kennedy delivered his speech during his inauguration in order to develop relations with the Soviet Union and end Cold War. All the speeches were delivered by most known personalities and made use of rhetorical devices such as allusion and repetition to make their message memorable in the hearts of the citizens of America.

Kennedy was a major influence in the US during the Space Race. He gave several speeches in order to raise awareness about the Space Race and triggered a small wave of nationalism. One of his famous quotes was, “ "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” - President John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961” (John F. Kennedy- Space Race). Another famous quote was, “We set sail to this new sea because there is new rights to be won and they must be won and used for the progress of all people.” (Walter). Although some people doubted President Kennedy, his inspiring speeches persuaded Americans to ultimately support the Space Race. As you can see, Kennedy made many inspirational speeches to raise awareness and help bring support for the Space

President John F. Kennedy is the 35th president of the United States. On January 20, 1961, he delivered a powerful speech to the US nation and to the countries around the world. The entire nation attention was captured by his persuasive speech. The President John Kennedy used pathos, ethos, and logos to justify his point of view.

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.

Language plays a crucial role in the development of power. Presidents in the United States use rhetorical devices to emphasize a specific point and to make it clear to the audience. President Thomas Jefferson is a democratic republican and he won the election of 1800; there he presented his inauguration speech, this speech had significance because it was first time in the history when the power shifted from one party to the other. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as an American minister and played an active role in the civil rights movement. To further increase his liability in the civil rights movement, he presented “I have a dream” speech that improved his position in the movement by mentioning equality rights that all men deserve. John F. Kennedy delivered his speech during his inauguration tried to develop relations with Soviet Union and end Cold War. All the speeches delivered by most known personalities used rhetorical devices such as allusion and repetition to make their message memorable in the hearts of the citizens of America.

Because of the seriousness of the time period, the address was written to be incredibly formal. Words similar to “candor”, “impel” and “preeminently” describe the type of language used. He was supposed to to sound exceedingly professional and stately while giving his speech. He states his thesis in his first paragraph. This thesis is that the nation will be able to revive and prosper. Continuing with support for his claim, he states that he expects the American people to have confidence in his leadership, so that he can work with Congress to make improvements. He refutes a belief among the people that they can flourish on their own. The people have interdependence upon one another.

The Cold War was viewed as a frightening time in American history. After the second World War, the major allied powers were splitting territory up to control and keep “safe”. The Soviet Union created the Berlin Wall and decided to attempt and spread Communism among European countries. The United States decided to combat this as an act of protecting democracy for all. When labeled as super powers of the world, the US and USSR had the most worldly influence in this time period. The decision was either you were helping fight Communism or help spread it, sort of like a competition. The Space Race had becoming the big concern along with nuclear warfare in this time. People of the country knew that Sputnik had been launched by the Soviet Union as a satellite, creating panic and distress among the western society. The government basically reassured the public that the skies above the Earth will not be used for weaponry and war but for science and learning. Within the speech, President Kennedy uses

Finally, President Kennedy was considered to be an effective president because of his policies on environment. In his speech on environment he said “Automation does not have to be enemy, machines can make life easier for men” (“JFK on environment”). Kennedy was pointing out that machines can be ecological and help make lives easier. At the meeting he said “let us not be blind to our differences –but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved.” (“JFK on environment”). Kennedy pointed out that people are not enemies, but humans living in the same world.

In conclusion, strong appeals to morals and emotions are important aspects of Kennedy’s inaugural speech, which was aimed at uniting the people of the world as one by referencing their commonalities− such as shared backgrounds, cultures, and values. Kennedy creates connections between the different societies and groups of people in the world to emphasize his powerful call to duty, which serves to further unite the audience together with a common goal to ensure that we can all live in a world of peace and stability, where basic human rights are protected for

Kennedy’s speech was one of inspiration and hope. He wanted to win the confidence of his citizens by delivering a short speech filled with noble ideals (Matheson 11). President Kennedy starts his inaugural address by exclaiming his understanding that America was very different from that of the nation’s predecessors. The President also wanted to send out a warning to all other nations by letting them know that with him as commander-in-chief, America would “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and success of liberty”(Kennedy 609). Basically he was stating that he would not think twice about using all possible forces in order to preserve peace and prosperity for the United States. He further goes on to offer his support to developing countries by pledging to help them help themselves but with a special stipulation. He warned these nations to not lean on America’s success but to form their own freedom when he stated, “remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought to find power by riding on the tiger’s back inevitably ended up inside” (Kennedy 609). Of all the very remarkable things that this president stated the thing that resonated with me was his backing of the United Nations which would have ultimately dissolved had we not given our support. As stated earlier, our nation was in an atomic war with the Soviet Union and the citizens of the United States were

On Friday, January 20, 1961, in the midst of physical cold and mental Cold War fears, John F. Kennedy gave his inaugural address to the citizens of America and the world, assuring his audience that peace will prevail, and that America, as a unified superpower, will lead the world once again into a new era of peace. His speech, infused with rhetorical appeals, has an anxious and discontent tone, calling for change and the implementation of his vision. To express his vision, Kennedy used various tools such as anaphoras, diction, and antithesis to form rhetorical appeals that effectively communicate his vision of peace.