Jfk Inaugural Address Analysis

It’s January 20, 1961. Inauguration day for president Kennedy. Entering his first term as president of the United States, he has to give the “Inaugural Address.” As president of the United States he needs to address his voters and the american people in person or through a television broadcast about his future goals and aspirations. During the transfer of power the US is going on there 14th year of the Cold War. The american people are fearful of a nuclear war and the other half wants to go to war. JFK wants diplomatic negotiations towards peace. JFK uses rhetorical devices in his “Inaugural Address” to influence the american people

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 to November 1963. JFK (John Fitzgerald Kennedy) took office in 1961 while the Cold War was at its peak. Times were tough from America, with Cuba and Russia on the edge of warfare... JFK had just won the 1960 Presidential Race with only a miniscule margin of votes, thus making individuals question his ability to lead the nation into a good direction. However, at his inaugural address, John F. Kennedy utilizes rhetorical strategy, word usage, and emotion to obtain the American People’s trust.

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.

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.

John F Kennedy, 35th president of the United States Of America, in his inaugural speech, vocalizes his ideas for the country and its future through the use of many rhetorical devices such as diction, metaphors, ethos and rhetorical question to convince the people he is fit for the job of president. During the height of the cold war, John F. Kennedy was given the burden of solving the obstacle of the U.S.S.R. The gap between the presidential candidates was microscopic with John F Kennedy getting 49.72% of the votes and Nixon 49.55% of the votes. Most people believed that The now democratic president would get eaten alive in Russian negotiations and was unfit for the presidency. These factors made the speech that much more intense because he had to assure and calm the people who were in high doubt that JFK was the right person for the job. This is why he used these subtle but successful tactics to win the favor of the people and convince them to not only support him, but become active participants in their democracy.

“The test of leadership is not to put the greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there” (Buchanan). On a cold morning on January 20,1961, John F. Kennedy had just pronounced his solemn oaths to the nation in front of thousands in the audience and the millions listening in on his broadcast. Standing at the nation's capital, he was ready to deliver his inaugural speech. Being a leader of an enormous country and a leading figure in the free world you must know how to deliver and craft a speech. John F. Kennedy knew this well and in knowing that he wrote this speech to specifically invigorate the american people and send shockwaves across the globe. In a time of crisis where the cold war grew increasingly tense and total annihilation was imminent, a leader needed to show the american people hope in the coming dangers. In this analysis I will explore the aspects on how Kennedy makes a powerful and encouraging speech by knowing his purpose,audience, and addressing the situation america is in and also using rhetorical appeals such as logos, pathos, and ethos . Kennedy in this speech has many goals of what he wants to do with his country but he also wants to send a message to every other country out there.

Kennedy begins his speech expressing how “the world is very different” from what it used to be. He uses multiple rhetorical strategies that express and describe how he is going to lead their “very different” country by providing his audience with a sense of community. For example, Kennedy applies juxtaposition to his phrase, “United there is little we cannot do… Divided there is little we can do…” to compare what America can and can’t do when everyone is united. During the time when Kennedy was elected president, the Cold War was at peak of its period. He bravely announced 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,” using the rhetorical strategy asyndeton. He uses this particular mechanism to attract his audience and give emphasis to the ideas he wants to communicate. He starts the phrase off with “we,” as he wishes to convey to his listeners that we are going to pay any price, that we are going to bear any burden, that

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

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.

Kennedy utilizes an appeal to religion to connect with Americans. Kennedy alludes to God, “ let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own” to let Americans know that humans now hold the power and God is the helping hand. Kennedy is asking for “strength and sacrifice” of the people in order to make change in the world. JFK uses a quote from the Bible, “Isaiah--to ‘undo the heavy burdens…(and) let the oppressed go free’” to illustrate that by having unity we need to get rid of tyranny.

As a President of the United States, one should be expected to hold a level of charisma and eloquence that can sway a nation for the better in trying times. The inaugural address of the 35th President John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961 is no such exception; orchestrating a symphony of emotion in words that would prove to be effective among the millions watching him. Such a crisis that the Cold War with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) had elicited left the U.S. as well as the rest of the world in fear of possible nuclear warfare and the extermination of whole countries. Kennedy’s inaugural address would be a rhetorical hallmark in history, skillfully weaving a high intensity of pathos and logos throughout his speech, as

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.

One of the most influential presidents in United States history, John F. Kennedy was a brilliant politician and public speaker. In his inaugural address, he sparked hope around the world by discussing the hardships faced by all of society in the present time and then leaving them with a message of freedom, power, and hope. This measure of impact is not achieved easily; Kennedy masterfully utilized the art of rhetoric to emphasize his message and win the hearts of his people. In the middle of the speech, he discusses the dangers of the modern world and his drive toward international peace and cooperation. These messages are stressed through his use of charismatic language to signify his vision of a new and better world.

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