The Rhetorical Analysis Of John F. Kennedy's Speech

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.

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.

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.

Robert Kennedy Speech “Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.” (1968) explains that the death of Martin Luther King Jr, will affect their community but they must remain calm. Kennedy uses the motivational appeals of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos multiple times in his speech in order to get the message through his audience that went to support his conference campaign.

With the appropriate use of rhetoric, one can captivate the attention of millions, as well as uniting a divided country. This is evident in John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s inaugural address given on a cold January afternoon in 1961. Having to be the first Roman Catholic president, many were skeptical of Kennedy; however, he developed a form of credibility with his associations as a war hero in World War II, three terms in the House of Representatives, and less than two terms as the junior senator from Massachusetts (Nelson). To unite the United States and reassure Americans of his duty as the president, John F. Kennedy used the rhetorical strategies of allusion and alliteration.

Prior to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration was, of course, the election of 1960, in which Kennedy went face to face with Richard Nixon on issues such as, the Cold War, Kennedy’s religious beliefs, and the display of each’s competence. In Kennedy’s inaugural address, he not only alludes, but also addresses to the Cold War, and makes mention of his future plans and Roman Catholic religious beliefs; and, he does so through use of allusions and anaphoras. Through the use of allusions and anaphoras, Kennedy effectively achieves his purpose of fulfilling citizen’s expectations, addressing the Cold War, and stating the United States’s future plans to his audience, the United States of America and other nations, through emphasis and rhetorical appeals towards pathos and ethos.

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.

On January 20th of 1961 John F Kennedy gave his famous speech titled the “Inaugural Address”, which cemented his position as commander and chief of the United States. President Kennedy’s inaugural speech detailed promises he made to the American people, and also what he hopes to accomplish in office. Throughout the speech, Kennedy utilizes many rhetorical devices such as Ethos and Pathos in order to convince his audience, which is the American people, that change will come about. Kennedy’s legacy still remains influential as it was when the speech was given, due to his persuasive comments on world peace. The legacy Kennedy created in the speech hopes to achieve peace in the world. The legacy of peace Kennedy has created is presented to the reader through the utilization of ethos and pathos in order to persuade the reader that world peace is a possibility under his administration,

.Finally, Kennedy added liability to his concept by concluding his speech with the key to unity. He proposed that if citizens base their lives upon “ask not what America would do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”, they would successfully achieve unity. Continuing with his use of pathos, and the previously established ethos, Kennedy successfully created the last literary device: logos.

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

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.

A leader’s legacy is portrayed in a multitude of ways: from the goals and dreams he sought for, from stories and memories of the people he’s touched, and from snapshots of his accomplishments. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961, his most famous speech, “Inside Kennedy’s Inauguration, 50 Years On”, an article by Eleanor Clift that gives a detailed description of the president’s inauguration, and an image, “Inauguration of John F. Kennedy”, by the United States Army Corp, all convey the impact of John F. Kennedy in their own unique fashion. The legacy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is expressed through a variety of similar and contrasting styles appealing to the same rhetorical appeals but further differentiated by their syntax and

President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address speech, claims that America will unify and assert peace, in and out of the country with the help of citizens who fight for liberty and protect their country. Kennedy supports his claims by applying rhetorical devices to create a good sense of optimism and community. The author’s purpose is to encourage his listeners to stand up and help others so that America can become a better, stronger nation.

An analysis of John F. Kennedy reveals a myriad of ideas that he had for the people of America. This is despite the rhetoric that was present in his speech; three dominant themes emerged from his Inaugural address. These are freedom, leadership and the use of rhetoric in addressing multitudes.

The amount of pathos in Kennedy’s speech is quite significant. That is a given however, as an inaugural address’s objective is to garner support for the president’s administration, and playing to the tune of people’s emotions will ultimately win them over in most cases. That being said, Kennedy plays quite a tune in this speech, as he instill several emotions throughout his speech, ranging from pride to fear – in many cases in conjunction with each other. For the latter, Kennedy starts off his speech with a morbid thought, stating that “The world is very different now. For a man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life” (2). In essence, we as humans have advanced to the point in that we now hang on a balance between the greater good and the greater