Jfk Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay

John F. Kennedy will always be remembered for two things; his triumphant inauguration and his tragic assassination. After being sworn in, Kennedy gave the traditional inaugural speech. He addressed America, as well as the rest of the world, to inform them what his intentions were during his presidency. By referencing current events such as the Cold War, he was able to identify dilemmas in need of a remedy. Kennedy's overall message was meant to inspire his nation and convey strength and hope to the world abroad. At the beginning of his speech, Kennedy condensed his message. He stated the problems in need of fixing during his presidency while also proposing solutions for them. By doing this, Kennedy was able to evoke confidence from Americans that he will follow through with his claims. Kennedy used anaphora, allusions, and emotional appeal to create an effective argument in the first half of his inaugural speech.

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.

The Kennedy family was very popular and had well-known moral standards, so it is no surprise that in John F Kennedy’s inaugural speech there were constant examples of ethos, in which he appealed to the audience through moral values. His moral standpoint became apparent as he mentions God and doing the right thing.

JFK uses anaphoras all throughout the speech as a way to establish a connection with the common people. This intelligent approach works because anaphoras base themselves off of repetition of a beginning phrase such as we; therefore JFK's use of the repeated words we, fellow, our, and both sides causes any person listening to feel connected with the president. This only adds to JFK's purpose of trying to unite America towards a singular positive goal because the people feel as though the new president is one of them; and the new president will have their best interest at hand. Moreover, JFK proves this with his statement, "...we dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution." This not only unites the people but creates a call for action to unite like the founding fathers. This furthers the sense of equality created through anaphoras because it establishes that everyone shares a connection through their ancestors. By connecting to the founding fathers, and to people themselves, JFK keeps a

Kennedy rarely implements statistics or numbers to build ethos. Instead, he uses his fame and affirming words to build credibility. Having been elected into office, it is a safe assumption that he was already widely accepted as a credible source. He also establishes ethos in the way he portrays himself. Ethos is not built from only a title, but from the verbiage that JFK used admirably. He was well aware of the fact that not everyone supported him or the party he was associated with, and by opening his speech with “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom…”(JFK Library), JFK is able to discard any hostility toward his political opponents, appealing ethically to the opposing viewers. He then goes on to address these opponents by stating, “We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them

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.

President Kennedy conveys to the audience about the subject of unity through the rhetorical device known as Ethos. An author that is credible or well-known is likely to persuade an audience into believing his argument, as this is what ethos essentially is. Throughout the speech Kennedy addresses numerous topics and goals he has in mind during his time in the oval office. The result of this speech leads to Kennedy’s legacy being world peace due to the countless mentions of peacetime within the speech. Kennedy mentions the topic of peace in hopes of gaining the support of Americans due to the extreme

For instance, parallelism such as the statement, “whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, hear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe,” gives flavor to the speech by pointing out opposite words within a single sentence but still making it work. A few antimetaboles are used in the speech, such as “let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate” and “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” make the speech more effective by twisting around the order of the words, or syntax, to get people to realize a point. Additionally, what makes Kennedy’s speech so effective is that he can transition from a simple sentence to a more complex, meaningful one in a matter of lines of the speech. In accordance to the diction, the words in his speech (freedom, poverty, devotion, and loyalty) are considered abstract. This is because they all convey a tone of desire and significant qualities held by friends. They strengthen and add more feeling to the speech as well. However, the archaic words, such as writ and forebears, are used in a manner to bring in the old language as well as the new, therefore there is sophistication as well as understanding. Kennedy also uses juxtaposition when he says, “peaceful revolution,” and this adds spice to the speech because of the contradiction of the two powerful words. Yet

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, arguably one of our greater presidents in our nation’s history, was assassinated on a Friday in the early stages of winter in 1963; however, he had accomplished much more than a man with lesser courage could have in his services to our country. One of President Kennedy’s most memorable actions while in office, actually took place very early on in his presidency; his Inaugural Speech in January of 1961. When attempting to motivate our citizens, Kennedy speaks of our citizens being “tempered by war,” and “proud of our ancient heritage,” he very successfully appeals to the emotions of his audience. Furthermore, his use of ethos quite effective when he speaks of

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

Syntax helped Kennedy achieve his purpose as well. He used short paragraphs to get his point across. For example “And, so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” Think of how famous this quote has become! The short sentences make more of an impression. They express more emotion. Complex sentences are also used in this speech. They allow feelings to be built up in sentences. He uses opposites in this speech a lot. For instance, “Never let us negotiate out of fear. But let us ever fear to negotiate.” This shows he has considered all counterarguments and knows exactly what he wants to achieve while in office and that he is as qualified as any other politician to be the next president of the United States.

One of JFK most famous quote from his inaugural address is , “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.” Through the use of diction and anaphora JFK is able to hype up the audience improving his approval to 85%, the highest of any president. JFK used a series of anaphora to recap his plans for the future and inspire Americans to contribute to their country to make America great again. Not only does this pertain to Americans, he also encourages the world to come together to work towards achieve peace and freedom. Through his whole speech he provide hope and light in a time of dark disparity that is it possible to achieve world

Politicians often use language to both persuade and imperceptibly control the opinions/decisions of their audience: whether it is to gain their support, to present their point, or implant their principles. It is of utmost importance to them to do this subtly, in order to not come across as too aggressive, intimidating or manipulative. As a result, the politician has to use language that is relatable, informative and understandable but also persuasive and strong.

Kennedy’s use of anaphora emphasises the idea of coming together and moving forward. Anaphora is shown

In the first part of his speech, JFK pledges to the world how the U.S will help them to achieve peace and freedom, he makes his purpose effective by establishing his credibility. Then, he continues on to further appeal to emotions with a tone of strength and inspiration, using imagery and repetition. Beginning his speech, Kennedy first establishes his credibility to the audience by alluding to the Declaration of Independence. First, Kennedy mentions that he will continue to follow the oath that his ancestors took “ a century and three quarters ago”. By applying this allusion to the Declaration of Independence, J.F.K. assures the audience that his point will be well researched.