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Jfk Inaugural Address Rhetorical Devices

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In his inaugural speech on January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy steps forward to the podium and, in front of millions of people, delivers a very motivational, uplifting but, serious speech. After taking the oath to become the 35th president of the United States of America, Kennedy proceeds to talk to the citizens of America to let them know what his further actions will be and that he will do everything within his power to lead America as best as he can. With the use of many rhetorical devices and very simple language, John F. Kennedy was able to successfully deliver his message, not just to America, but to the whole world. After analyzing Kennedy’s speech, the first thing that really stands out is Kennedy’s use of rhetorical devices, but more specifically, his use of antithesis. You do not have to go far into the speech to find an example of this. In the matter of fact, he uses antithesis three times just within the first sentence when he says, “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change” (Kennedy 1). The reason Kennedy jumps straight into antithesis is because it helps bring attention to the main points that he wants to focus on. In other words, with the use of rhetorical …show more content…

This device is very simple, but very effective because it gives the speech a very poem-like feeling, and poetry is easy to remember. An example of this can be seen when Kennedy says, “Let both sides explore […] Let both sides formulate […] Let both sides seek […] Let both side unite” (Kennedy 15). In other words, this parallel structure really puts emphasis on what Kennedy was trying to say and because of the repeating lines, the message really stays in the heads of the audience. Kennedy mastered rhetoric, but it was the very simple language he used that really did the

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This creates a sense of connection, on a religious level, and it also shows that JFK is a god fearing man, as many were religious during this time. Another way that JFK took an ethical approach to his speech was through his use of juxtaposition. A juxtaposition is the combination of two contrasting items often done deliberately to highlight their differences. Kennedy writes, “we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace.”

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On January 20th, 1961, John F. Kennedy gave an assertive inaugural address to an audience of more than twenty thousand people about strengthening the American military, as well as providing a tough stance against the Soviet Union. Many rhetorical devices were used in his speech, but the main two devices that John used are repetition and metaphors to get the audience intrigued. One of the rhetorical devices John F. Kennedy used in his address was repetition. In paragraphs fifteen through eighteen, John constantly uses “Let both sides”. He uses this device to draw attention to a minor detail which is both nations coming together in peace.

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J.F Kennedy, the president of United States wanted to put the first Americans to the moon-America exploring the moon, so he directed his speech to the people of taxes and Rice University to promote his space exploration program that will help America to be the first country to explore the moon. He believes that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. Throughout J.F Kennedy's speech, the speaker makes effective use of evidence, reasoning, rhetorical elements, and rhetorical devices that together form his argument to gain people support for his space exploration program. J.F Kennedy was trying to prove his point of view by giving examples and using a lot of Rhetorical devices and appeals that would grab the reader's attention

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Now by this point, Kennedy had already won the election, this was just an additional reason to support his trustworthiness. Yet, he is aware that not everyone is a fan of his party, which is why is begins with, “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom.” Although that’s not the only area where ethos is use. In his speech he stated, “The belief that the right of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” This merely means that he was chosen by God and won fair and square.

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Another example of Kennedy’s use of antithesis occurs when he asserts “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate” (“Transcript”). In the speech Kennedy pauses after saying the first sentence. This pause serves to make the audience think about and give them time to understand Kennedy’s position. After Kennedy states the second sentence the audience applauds and screams in excitement (John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address).

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The Inaugural speech by John F. Kennedy is a landmark type of speech that was given to the American populace in order to inspire confidence and to provoke them to take immediate action. His speech made extensive use of rhetorical devices in order to successfully express his goals. His stylistic devices include antithesis, parallelism, and varying structure flows in order to attract attention and to show what his service will accomplish. Kennedy details “a new generation of Americans” by contrasting old and new with his antithesis. He states, “Symbolizes an end as well as a beginning” and “signifies renewal as well as change” in order to do so.

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