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JFK Inaugural Speech

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John F. Kennedy delivers one of the most passionate and cogent speeches ever given in American history on January 20, 1961. With the trepidation of nuclear war and communism, leaving Americans restless, JFK conveys a calming wave as he delivers his Inaugural speech as the 35th president of the US. Although; JFK’s speech was one of the shortest and simple, it manages to win countless hearts of various people around the world due to an exceptional use of rhetorical and persuasive strategies.
Using the position of a president, Kennedy reaches his high-strung audience and illustrates that he will ensure the welfare of the nation as an American citizen like themselves. JFK distinctly uses his platform to emphasize that he will not shrink away from his responsibilities, In Fact; he will welcome it. He demonstrates this when he proudly accepts the apprehensive fact that only a few generations,including his, are granted the role of defending freedom at its maximum danger. As an immensely religious person, JFK uses many examples from the Bible to connect with his chiefly Christian audience. For …show more content…

This being said it's apparent that Kennedy wishes to make peace with threatening nations. His use of the metaphor “the chains of poverty” signifies that poverty is solvable if nations work together. To inspire the people to make the world a safer place, Kennedy uses emotion-arousing words. For example, he reminds Americans of their forefathers and appeals to their patriotism to enhance their way of thinking to match this generation. In fact; he used terms like ‘liberty’ and ‘freedom’. With no doubt, Kennedy obtains the hearts of those who lost their loved ones, furthermore, inspiring them to generate a safer

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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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We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.” This statement not only embodied the message that JFK advocates for in his inaugural address but this statement is also an example of an aphorism. Throughout his address, JFK utilizes rhetorical devices for various micro-purposes but for the macro-purpose of strengthening his position and furthering the endless mission of mankind: global equality and prosperity.

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John F Kennedy was a level headed, determined and well accomplished person. During his short-lived presidency, he had to take on challenges like no other and did it with sophistication and grace. From conflicts involving other countries, like Vietnam, to the Civil Rights Movement that directly affected our own country, Kennedy continued to take each problem day by day until there was an overall improvement or resolution. It would be safe to say that he is one of the more progressive presidents our country has ever seen. David Burner’s John F. Kennedy and a New Generation was written with the sole purpose of giving an insight into Kennedys upbringing and presidency in an entirely unbiased approach.

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Kennedy wisely sticks to using pathos throughout his entire speech, rather than relying on his then-minimal ethos or allowing his stirring speech to become bogged down by logos represented by the dull facts and figures of statistics. As a very young President just starting his first term, Kennedy lacks the reputation and reliability that an older, more experienced politician might have available. While it is true that most of the nation had seen him on television during the Nixon-Kennedy Presidential debates, those debates were the near-total of the people’s exposure to the dashing young President, and a pretty face does not a solid political reputation make! However, no matter how dashing and heroic he might have appeared to be in those

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He explains why it is our duty to promote peace ,“[...] to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans” (Kennedy). This is an emotional appeal that calls on the obligations and patriotism of the people. They are duty bound to continue the peace that their forefathers brought before them, which separates the U.S. from others. He also gives reason for why this quest is of such need now, “The quest for peace before the dark powers of destruction” (Kennedy). This logical appeal shows that the looming doom is something that even enemies can agree upon, despite opposition.

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For my speaker and speech analysis assignment, I chose JFK’s inaugural address speech. I chose this speech because I think he has an interesting story and with this speech, he inspired a great amount of optimism and patriotism in America. It is often considered one of our country’s most important speeches. In my analysis, I will be focusing on JFKs background, and many aspects of his speech including his delivery, organizational, persuasive and rhetorical techniques.

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Also, he is stating to never be afraid and figure out ways to face them. By doing this, Kennedy left a greater impact on people by making his speech more

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Kennedy talks about how the country needs to avoid division and come closer together through the terrible death of Martin Luther King Jr. When Kennedy said this, it made people feel like if they don't learn to love everyone it could cause a divide. This makes the audience feel fear because they don’t want out country to go to ruin. Also, when he talks about violence it could cause people to feel anxious and worried about what could happen if we don’t learn to have compassion for each other. Kennedy is also appealing to their inner sense of love by discussing how America should feel justice towards those that suffer.

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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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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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“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our despair, against our will comes wisdom through the awful grace of God”(24-30). RFK used this quote to say people may want to stay angry and bitter, but anger will eventually be replaced with wisdom and understanding no matter how much they try to fight it. Kennedy recognizes his audience as Americans, but especially

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Delivering the speech, Kennedy expressed compassionate and hopeful words to his audience. His view of freedom is something that makes its way through peace and negotiation. Kennedy states, “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us” (16). This is a perfect example of Kennedy’s meaning towards freedom. He wants all nations to look at the things that join them together and can relate to rather than the things that guide them away from each other.

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“For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.” This quote from the 35th president of the United States set a precedent of greatness for our country. The man who set such a precedent was John F. Kennedy. A very persuasive and well-read man, when he gave his inaugural address, our nation and the world knew we were in good hands. JFK not only was well-read, he gave moving speeches.

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