Personal Statement : John F. Kennedy

John F Kennedy was the one of the most memorable presidents to have been a leader of our country. He wrote his inaugural address not only to make a statement to the American people, but to the world, a world in a barrage of chaos, war and hardships. An a American nation ready for a change.

"The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been” (Henry). This quote from Henry Kissinger is a representation of the Kennedy term in office. President Kennedy took the world to a whole new level; he succeeded in many tasks in his short time as president. John F. Kennedy was great president because of his involvements in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Peace Corps.

In John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech, he utilizes numerous complex sentences. These are sentences that contain both a dependent and independent clause. Unlike a simple or compound sentence, many of the complex sentences contain a rhetorical device, and adds depth to make the speech more resound and interesting. It can also be used to apply emphasis to a certain topic. Near the beginning of the speech, Kennedy states, “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as chance” (Kennedy). Instead of splitting this complex sentence into individual sentences, Kennedy applies depth to his words. If he splits the sentences into separate, independent clauses,

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 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

John Fitzgerald Kennedy represented the United States' pride, courage, perseverance, patriotism, and honor. He was able to incase the true persona of every proud American. Overall, the people loved President Kennedy. He represented a new generation of thought in the United States' society and world relationships. He exuded personal elegance in his decisions. The advantage of his oratory provided a voice of poise to the American nation. Lacking in Kennedy's life was only length. John F. Kennedy's legacy cannot be explained within one sentence or paragraph. Only in his own captivating words can his persona be explained. His style of writing captivated the nation. By using various rhetorical devices he enabled the public to feel emotional connected

In order to get ahead of Russia and land a man on the moon, America needed the financial support of its citizens. Through his speech, President Kennedy sought to gain the support of an entire nation, and he accomplished this by masterfully combining ethos, logos, and pathos in order to connect with his audience. In his “To the Moon” speech, John F. Kennedy uses logos several times to connect with his listeners and persuade them that his argument was sound.

John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” is a rhetorical masterpiece, which painted a vivid picture of America’s upcoming role as being a world leader in space exploration. The 1962 “Moon speech” was delivered by John F. Kennedy at the Rice University stadium in the midst of the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Kennedy’s ultimate goal with the “Moon Speech” was to get the Nation on board to support the NASA space program and ultimately beat the soviets to get a man on the moon. John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech successfully persuaded the American public to support the space program. Much of the speech’s success lay in its thoughtful use of Kairos and style. John F. Kennedy’s use of Kairos in the “Moon Speech” lay a nations mind at ease in the midst of a time of tension between the U.S and the Soviet Union, while his use of style kept his audience’s attention and made curtail points that sunk into the minds of his audience.

The U.S. President is an emblematic leader of our country and to the world, he uses rhetoric in his everyday life to efficiently convey his logic and plans to the public and congress. One of the crucial events in history took place the day John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. Although the world was in turmoil with communism spreading throughout the world’s powerful nations and weapons of mass destruction being created by the world powers. John F. Kennedy was a leader of the American citizens and symbolized an order of peace. John F. Kennedy was a young leader that brought reassurance to the world and addressed the nation that his term as president would be one of great change and ambition. John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy very prosperous leader was his speeches that he gave to the american people and to the world trying to make the world a much higher quality place to live. He also asked the american people “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

John F. Kennedy was one of the greatest presidents of the twentieth century. He united almost the entire nation under a common goal; the Moon. His charisma could turn skeptics into believers, and strengthen the bond between himself and his supporters. He had so much charisma because he used many rhetorical devices in his speeches, the same rhetorical devices that have been wooing crowds of people since the time of Rome. One of his most memorable speeches he gave was at Rice University in 1962. In order to rally the support of the space program by the average United States citizen, Kennedy employs rhetorical devices, rhetorical appeals, and argument structure.

“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 is remembered for following through on promises made during his campaign. One of Kennedy’s memorable feats in domestic affairs was the advancement of our space program (Armstrong, Lovell, Cernan). In a 1961 address to Congress he said,

His plan was for an American astronaut to be the first to walk on the moon. His dream became a reality in July 1969 when "tens of thousands of spectators gathered at Cape Kennedy to witness the launching of Apollo 11, the first manned spaceflight to the moon" (Davidson, 2005). Day's later astronaut's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the surface of the moon. This was witnessed by Americans all over the country; the worlds largest TV audience to date (Archer, 2007). Americans for the first time in years had something good to talk about, something that gave them hope for a better future. Although President Kennedy did not see his dream come to reality because of his assassination, it was his inspiration that gave all Americans hope, hope for a better future.

On the morning of November 22, 1963, despite the rain pouring from the sky, President John F. Kennedy came out of his hotel room in Fort Worth to address the thousands of people waiting to see him. The dreary weather didn’t stop him as he met with a sea of smiling faces. The audience responded warmly when he mentioned the nation’s achievements in defense and space exploration. As we waited for his wife to join his side, he greeted the swarm of people; he shook their hands and held conversations with them. After the brief encounter, he and his wife made their way to Dallas.