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Aphorisms In John F Kennedy's Inaugural Address

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In 1961, the United States of America was struggling to fight communism internationally and protect its people from negative outside forces. Along with these complications, there were struggles with racial and social inequalities. The country was on the brink of its breaking point, needing a resilient and reassuring leader; President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural speech, offered the people of the United States the reassurance they desired. A hortatory tone was used by the president to deliver and convey a sense of inspiration to a country whose people needed it greatly. Kennedy applied interpersonal diction and the meticulous use of aphorisms to unceasingly inspire the citizens of America to unite and serve their country, and the world, …show more content…

Mentioned previously, America was struggling with social inequalities. Kennedy referred to this by suggesting that “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich”. He emphasized that, to be a “free society”, all social classes must work to help each other in an effort to better themselves and their country. America, as referred to earlier, was falling apart; Its citizens falling into madness as a result of being dependent on a nation they thought would protect them. Kennedy addressed this problem with the aphorism, “Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country”. He was able to encourage the people of his country by giving them purpose and responsibility. In conclusion, Kennedy’s use of aphorisms helped to communicate the image of a nation of which he had long been dreaming. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy delivered his inaugural speech in front of the United States of America and the world. He brought forth reassurance to a nation who desired it. Using interpersonal diction to establish a sense of unity and aphorisms to carry out the perception of wisdom, he was able to develop his hortatory tone and inspire the citizens of his nation to unite in a cause that will make, not only themselves, but also their nation ineffable to the whole

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In his speech Kennedy uses different rhetorical devices to unify the citizens of both the United States and the world. Kennedy was giving this speech after winning by a very small margin of votes so he was trying to unite the people of the United States and show he was the correct choice for the president. This speech was given during the Cold War so he was trying to connect the people around the whole world and establish peace. Kennedy was able to unify the people and try to establish peace while at the same time making himself seem like a very competent leader. In his speech Kennedy tries to build his credibility as a personable leader by creating ethos.

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Top 100 Rhetorical Speeches: John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address In 1945, World War Two ended with the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire. In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed by ten European nations, the United States of America, and Canada in order to organize a united front against the Soviet threat. In 1955, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union signed the Warsaw Pact as a communist counter to the capitalist NATO. In 1961, in the midst of a heated cold war, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) stood in front of the nation and delivered his inaugural address as the 35th president of the United States of America (USA).

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John F. Kennedy will always be remembered for two things― how his presidency started and how it ended. After winning a tight presidential race against Richard Nixon, Kennedy delivered his inaugural address on January 20, 1961. He addressed issues both the United States and world abroad were facing at the time due to rising tensions between nations amongst the Cold War. In the middle portion of his speech, Kennedy suggested what should be done to bring countries together, rather than divide them. He intended to reach citizens of the United States and individuals around the globe to spread a message of strength and hope.

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Leaders like Kennedy are born from their wish to lead the country in the right place. He has done good while he was in office. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961 harbored his greatest speech. “Inside Kennedy’s Inauguration, 50 Years On”, an article by Eleanor Clift, gives us a description of the inauguration, this along with the image “Inauguration of John F. Kennedy”, by the United States Army Corp, shows us the impact of John F. Kennedy had. John F. Kennedy’s speech was powerful to be able to show us his goals and beliefs.

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Oziel Rios S. Nambiar English 1302. SP3 12 February 2018 Kennedy Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis On Friday, January of 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered a speech to the citizens of the United States of America and the world. Kennedy made a speech that he knew would be remembered for many years to come even after his presidential term.

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Kennedy wants us to realize that we need to give ourselves to our country. By trying to reach this point he used one of the most famous quotes ever, saying “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” This means that in the past, Americans have been very reliant, but we must work for our earnings. We also must acknowledge other countries as well. “Can we forge against the enemies a grand and global alliance?”, which means if countries ally and unite, we will not have to worry about war and the world will be at

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JFK Inaugural Speech: Rhetoric John F. Kennedy was marginally voted in as President in 1961, a moment in history when there was nothing but silence, yet one miscalculated move could result in the destruction of man. This was in the midst of the Cold War, in which there was tons of tension in the air, which is clearly observable in Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech. Winning by a slim majority it’s necessary for him to convince the American citizens that he was the right choice and is trustworthy. Along with this he addresses the current situation in which Russia was becoming increasingly perilous and the need for peace and unity before a catastrophe occurs.

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On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was in Indianapolis for a campaign stop, when he received news that Martin Luther King was killed, causing Kennedy to write and deliver a speech regarding the assassination. This speech was succinct but not only was it about the assassination, it was also to tell the people there is still wisdom and hope in this time of turmoil. To reach this purpose, he first builds up his ethos, uses pathos to add mood and hope, and unifies the people. The combination of these elements makes it a very powerful and memorable speech. Robert F. Kennedy builds his credibility by relating his personal experience and knowledge of what the audience is feeling to the current events.

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On a frigid January morning in 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered an inaugural speech to the world that promised new beginnings with optimism and urgency to change. Kennedy uses anaphora and metaphors to encourage Americans to actively start a movement to a better future. Kennedy's speech is a call to action that was meant for the world to hear. Before 1961 many unfortunate events such as poverty, loss of peace, and risk to liberty that left people with hopeless and pessimistic thoughts about the world they live in, Kennedy wants to end this cycle.

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John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address which he delivered with power on the 20th of January, 1961 was famous and quoted extensively in our country’s history. Kennedy delivered this speech when the country entered a new age filled with uncertainty. America was dealing with social movements and domestic challenges. Poverty, racial social reforms, and the economy all had their problems. Then there was the Cold War with its ongoing communist issue that was affecting the country.

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John F. Kennedy discusses and analyzes on how the nation differs from the past and present day in that time period. Kennedy narrators on the division and war in the the world to appeal to the audience patriotism by using pathos and logos. In this speech President Kennedy states “to thoses who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request; that both sides begin the quest for peace, before the dark power of destruction unleashed.” He uses this quote to obtain a logical appeal to the appeal to the people. Kennedy uses logos to show that he wants the nation to come together and be humble together in one peace.

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John F. Kennedy uses literary devices to capture the attention of the audience, sets himself equal to his audience getting their attention and support, and uses the christian religion to strike the emotions and gain the support of his audience. Kennedy uses many literary devices to catch the attention of his audience. One of these devices is repetition. One example of repetition that Kennedy uses is, “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.

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His diction is very inclusive; he commences his speech with several uses of the words ‘we’ and ‘our’, which makes way for inclusivity. JFK is blurring the distinction between citizen and superior governor by including the people in his proclamation. While describing the hardships and challenges that the country is facing, Kennedy mentions how imperative the occasion is on a global level; in the midst of the Cold War, he reminds his audience of the importance of uniting. Through the use of the lexical field of danger — words such as: ‘defiance’, ‘serious’, ‘risk’, and ‘sacrifice’ — he creates a feeling of tension and urgency, and engages his audience to the concern. To conclude his speech, the President mentions self-guilt on the part of the country on how they had not displayed the “sense of business responsibility” that they should have, a rhetorical strategy that approximates the audience to the government.

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John F. Kennedy was known for his charming, charismatic, and relatable personality which significantly attributed to him winning the presidency in 1960. These admirable characteristics of his were easily seen in his speeches as U.S. senator and as president, in which it was apparent he not only had the charm, but also incorporated his personal values into his administration as a public servent. One speech in particular which highlights this fact is his “City Upon a Hill” speech. John F. Kennedy’s “City Upon a Hill” speech was given on Jan. 9th 1961 as his final speech prior to being sworn in as president, which he delivered to the general court of Massachusetts. In this speech, Kennedy compared the impending challenges of his presidency to the troubles facing the first Puritan settlers of Massachusetts in the 1600's in John Winthrop’s original “city upon a hill” speech.

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