Rhetorical Analysis Of John F Kennedy's Inaugural Address

On a cold January day America’s newly appointed president John F. Kennedy delivered his inauguration address that was incredibly important to America’s success during the Cold War. Kennedy uses his speech as a call to arms, but not only to America but the World and our allies as a whole. He uses his strong powerful voice to appeal to the ethics of the country in the beginning of his speech telling America about the promise we made when we were founded and that we must uphold it still today, telling America we must make a difference. Kennedy also uses ethics to explain that we the people are united no matter what your background or where you are from, he refers to the Americas as one place, because he wants for us to feel unified not divided. Furthermore Kennedy’s use of powerful imagery, logic and pathos allows for him to effectively call the people of the World together during this terrible time.

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 of America, serving from 1961 until he was assassinated in 1963. He was the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize. During the Cold War, hope amongst Americans was shaken in fear of nuclear warfare. Kennedy wanted to raise hope in America and wanted Americans to have faith in him as president. John F. Kennedy successfully uses the rhetorical devices ethos, logos, pathos, and Kairos in his inaugural address to bring out patriotism amongst the American people during the peak of the Cold War.

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.

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.

This previous knowledge and image of JFK builds up his ethos before the address was even given. The speech has many quotes that are still well remembered and hold a deep impact in many American lives today. Most notably was the qoute, “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”(JFK Library). This quote is a prime example of how JFK bridges appeals, pathos and logos, it creates a middle ground and commonality between JFK and the citizens. Also the sense of patriotism brought from this quote is a great example of pathos.

“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.

     John F. Kennedy may me most memorable for with eloquent speeches. He was a good spokesperson, proving himself right off the bat with his inaugural address in 1961. These speeches instilled support and confidence in the hearts of those who listened. One can see how these feelings might come about in this quote by the President in 1963. "What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not a peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope to build a better life for their children-not merely peace for Americans, but peace for all men and women: not merely peace in our time, but peace for all time."

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

The distinctive voices, inherent in any text, are intended to have an impact on the audience. Significant voices are influenced by the values and beliefs of the composer, as well as cultural, political and historical content. Composers use a range of language tools and features to successfully covey messages to their audience. John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s Address to the Plenary Session, Earth Summit and Charlie Chaplin’s Let us all unite, all provide excellent examples of a distinctive voice. Each of these distinctive voices is formed through the use of emotive language, tone, repetition and rhetorical devices.

We need to solve the problems the world has peacefully. That’s what president Kennedy said in his inaugural address, he claims that everyone needs to come together and solve world issues together peacefully. In his speech, Kennedy says uses rhetoric to make his speech seem more powerful. In his speech president Kennedy claims that everyone needs to come together and solve the world problems peacefully, he uses emotional appeal, strong word choice, and ethical appeal to support his claim.

Peace is a state of mind that is pleasing to everyone. When John F. Kennedy gave his inaugural speech, his main focus was bettering the lives of all. He wanted everyone to be peaceful with one another so that the world can be filled with altruism. Kennedy uses rhetorics, which is the art of well-developed speech, in his inaugural address. In “JFK’s Inaugural Speech,” Kennedy claims that peace needs to be achieved worldwide using logical appeal, ethical appeal, and word choice.

On January 20, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered a speech to the citizens of America and the world. After the end of a close, cutthroat election, he used this speech not to celebrate his victory as president, but to unite the audience. He addresses the audience with a speech that would be remembered for years to come, as its call to duty is a powerful one. A strong appeal to ethics─ not only his ethics, but our ethics as a country united through common values─ and powerful emotional and logical arguments are used to convince the audience to take a stand and make a difference. Additionally, he appeals to the rest of the world by referring to different areas and countries of the globe while also connecting all human beings together as one population. In this inaugural address, Kennedy connects Americans together as one country and humans together as one population with a call to duty that relies on a heavy appeal to the ethics and morals of himself and the audience. Additionally, the use of a structurally and logically sound argument with powerful imagery and emotions used throughout the speech allows this call to action to be so effective in uniting Americans and the human race together.

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.