Analysis Of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address

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There are several ways a speaker can develop a certain type of theme in their speech, but how does President Kennedy develop the themes of his “Race to Space Speech” or in his “Inaugural Address?” From inauguration to the Race To Space, President John F. Kennedy delivers two addresses in his signature style, but how do they compare? In both of his iconic speeches he conveys a sentiment of optimism and patriotism by using very specific words and phrases. The similarities between the two speeches is remarkable in many visible ways. President Kennedy has similar messages in both the “Race to Space'' speech and his Inaugural Address but at the same time there are very stout differences. In the “Race to Space” speech he has an optimistic and forward looking message that is conveyed through phrases and specific language, for example in paragraph 16 Kennedy states that “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” This delivers that sense of forward looking hope Kennedy has, not …show more content…

The language used is a reflection of how Kennedy in both speeches is trying to convey a sense of the benefits of being forward looking. For example in the “Race to Space” speech Kennedy states that, “Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there (31).” In this quote he uses language such as “climb it” and “hopes for knowledge” which leave the audience with a hope for what is to come. In contrast, Kennedy states in his “Inaugural Address” that, “let us go forth to lead the land we love (28).” This shows the audience that once again we must explore and lead with hope and prosperity, leaving the audience with a very similar feeling as they got from his “Race to Space”