Kennedy's Inaugural Address

In John F Kennedy’s “Inaugural address”, he tries to bring the nation together by speaking confidently and powerful. Kennedy’s vigorous use of rhetorical devices including Antithesis, Reasoning, Emotional Appeal, Allusion, and Anaphora that contribute to the success of his speech. JFK uses these rhetorical devices to convey his ambitions and hopes for america as a nation in a whole. Also hoping for a pledge of peace; that we do not show weakness. In his hopes of coming together our acts individually would make us look and be stronger. Kennedy used his speech as a way to draw all of the audience in by pulling us together.

Powerful connections are made to the audience with figures of speech. These connections portray a dramatic effect, making the audience remember and trust his words. Short sentences help Kennedy to formally transition new ideas of progression. Along with his sentence structure, his word usage helps the audience to connect with new ideas. “United there is little we can’t do… Divided there is little we can do”, Kennedy uses parallelism to create a deeper meaning to his words by framing words with structural similarity. Throughout the speech, the use of bold beginnings like “let us” strongly show unification as a country when speaking of progression, making the audience feel more connected.

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 used a logical structure in his speech. He repeated what was important to the audience could easily find what was important in his speech. Moreover, Kennedy’s speech structure and fallacies were very successful. He did a great job of getting to his points and said what he wanted to say and yet, making the audience feel like they were an important part of his speech and that they could make a difference. Below is a mind map explaining and summarizing Kennedy’s

Without John F Kennedy’s outstanding use of rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, he would have had a much harder time attempting to successfully persuade his audience. By using these rhetorical devices, he connected with the audience, proved himself worthy to listen to, and tested their logic. These rhetorical devices allowed John F Kennedy to more easily persuade his audience and also create a respected impact on the world. Without the use of these rhetorical devices, Kennedy would not have been taken as seriously as he

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.

To begin, JFK’s use of rhetorical devices throughout his address had successfully captivate his audience by clarifying, persuading, and engaging his main points to his listeners. For instance, in his speech, JFK uses a plethora of rhetorical devices, all of which played a part in engaging his audience. Of the devices, Anaphora, Antithesis, and Reputation are the three most dominant devices which enthralled the audience. Through his use of rhetorical devices JFK, could create depth and character in his speech. In addition, he can engage the audience’s attention, allowing the audience to be engrossed to his ideas and insights, ultimately persuading them. Thus, through the literary nature and rhetoric devices present in his speech, JFK could seize and sustain the focus of his audience, creating for a persuasive and memorable speech.

JFK’s speech was very effective in carrying out its purpose due to the reason that he had the known qualities of an effective speech. For the structure of his speech, he had the great qualities of having a central goal for the speech, supported his main points with great examples and

During his presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy vowed to strengthen American military forces and promised a tough stance versus the Soviet Union and its communist satellites. In the 1960s, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union was increasing and a nuclear arms race had already begun. When the Soviets placed missiles in Cuba, the two superpowers nearly went to war, but this was avoided thanks to Kennedy’s ability to negotiate out of major crisis. The president’s speech refers to the effects of Cold War and the nuclear arms race like in paragraph thirteen: “both sides...rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror”(Kennedy). Again, he addresses the tension between the Communists and the free world, requesting “that both sides begin anew quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction”(Kennedy). Here he is asking rival

In American history, we have been tempered by wars, disease and infections, racism, poverty and freedom equality. However as a nation we have come together as one and prospered. In his Inaugural Address given on January 20th, 1961, John F. Kennedy’s central idea was for the citizens of the United States to become involved in overcoming any challenges and prospering.

His audience reached out to him as he seduced them with his use of language and bible references which lead to people to see him as a Christ like figure .He planned to both inspire the nation and to send a message abroad signaling the challenges of the cold war and his hope for peace in this nuclear time era. The finely crafted speech had been revised thoroughly by Kennedy and his close advisor Sorensen until he was satisfied. Kennedy’s speech was quite short with 1,300 words and it was made up of short phrases and words much like Lincoln’s famous speech.

Hook: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Text Intro: Perhaps one of the most repeated lines from a political speech, John F Kennedy’s inaugural address, where this notorious line was delivered, became etched into United States culture and policy from the time of it’s original delivery to present day. Topic Intro: Given during 1961 at the beginning of the ‘decade of discontent’ JFK’s inaugural address was in keeping with the dramatic social movements of the time. Relevancy: By emphasizing peaceful diplomatic negotiation as an alternative to warfare, these ideals, brought forward more than half a century ago, are still prominent in modern politics. Thesis: In his Inaugural address Kennedy uses Ethos,

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."- John F. Kennedy. When thinking about memorable Presidential inauguration speeches, there are many, but JFK’s is very memorable. But first I would like to give a little background on our 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Kennedy was in a tightly contested race with former Vice President, Richard Nixon, and narrowly defeated him. Kennedy was the first Catholic president and the youngest president elected. His inaugural address encompassed the major themes of his campaign and would define his presidency during a time of economic prosperity, emerging social changes, and challenges from diplomacy.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a wonderful president and an amazing influential speaker. He was born May 29, 1971 to a wealthy family in Brookline, Massachusetts. John E. Fitzgerald, his maternal grandfather, was a well-known politician and mayor of the city of Boston. According to Biography, he was the second oldest among nine siblings who have also left their mark on history. Joseph Kennedy Sr. pushed John and his siblings to be winners and also believed that they should be involved in current events. He was a bright young man and attended Princeton and then Harvard. It was the drive and determination instilled in him by his parents that made him such a power speaker.

Ceremonial speeches are given to mark ceremonial events and help a society move beyond their differences. John F. Kennedy gave a ceremonial speech, his inaugural address, on January 20th, 1961, marking one of the most historic speeches in time. In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address speech, that is being evaluated today, the author uses social cohesion as a call for the nation to give back to the country, as we should do of course, and to ask, and expect less from the government, but that we should all have equal rights. Social Cohesion is described as the words, values, goals, speeches, and ceremonies that glue a group or society together and serve to maintain social order. John F. Kennedy uses