Ap Language In Jfk Inaugural Address

Addie Yarrow
Ms. Sanson
AP Language and Composition
17 February 2023
Title
In his 1961 Inaugural Address, former President John F. Kennedy famously beckoned for the American people to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It was with these words that Kennedy, the historically young, Massachusetts-born, democrat sparked a sense of unity within a fear-stricken nation. In his speech, Kennedy addresses the nation so as to lay out his administration’s values, but more importantly, he calls to action both Americans and nations of the world in order to fight for and preserve the “freedom of man.” By illustrating his plans for the country, the former president asserts his beliefs that not only could America

He recalls past tribulations and victories of America as a nation and swiftly grabs his audience’s attention. By noting that his generation of Americans were “the heirs of that first revolution,” as well as through similarly democratic diction such as “freedom,” “peace,” and “liberty,” JFK appeals to the patriotic commonplace that his vast audience shares. This word choice allows his, specifically American, audience to connect with him, regardless of party or prior vote. It also sets the stage for the goals of his administration of securing and keeping democracy around the globe. Furthermore, Kennedy swiftly captures the audience’s attention through frequent alliteration. The device is alluring to the listener and gives Kennedy’s writing a certain lyricism: “pay any price,” “bear any burden,” “faithful friends.” These phrases do well in unconsciously hooking the audience’s focus, almost as Reverend Martin Luther King’s similarly poetic speeches were able to do. Alliteration also aids the formality of his writing, which is already quite striking; the academic quality of the Inaugural Address was plausibly due to, in part, a desire for Kennedy to prove his worth as such an instrumental political figure. His young age likely predisposed him to false judgements about the validity of his run for presidency; therefore,

Through anaphoric repetition, rhetorical questions, bright diction, and famous chiasmic phrases, Kennedy inspires his audience, regardless of nationality or background, and advocates for a better, “fruitful life for all mankind.” Following the intensity of his notation of global conflict, Kennedy utilizes anaphora to build a different, positive intensity for the remainder of the speech. The repetition of variations of “Let both sides…” allows conflict, for a moment, to seem to come to a close. Instead, Kennedy replaces it with ideas of peace and prosperity. This shift accounts for a magnetic positivity that the audience hasn’t seen yet to enter Kennedy’s speaking. Such repetition also increases the urgency surrounding the change, making his vehement following points have improved importance. Moreover, with uplifting, luminescent words, such as “energy,” “faith,” devotion,” and “glow,’ once again, Kennedy’s speech feels like poetry. While word choices not only sound interesting and hooking, they also stick optimism into the audience's mind through connotation alone. The very mood that such distinct, playful diction elicits works to ease the audience’s mind from prior, intense discussions of fear and destruction. As a result, this new tone prepares their readiness for Kennedy’s true request from his Inaugural address: a call to the