John F Kennedy Rhetorical Devices

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President John F. Kennedy, in his conference to the American people and steel industries regarding the spike in steel prices, empathizes with average Americans in hopes to stabilize the steel prices and portray that he is willing to fight for the lower class, helping American industry. America’s economy was recovering from enough strain following the Vietnam and Cold War. Through his utilization of alliteration and diligent tone, Kennedy manages to empower his audience and approach the steel companies appropriately. John F. Kennedy emphasizes the drastic change made by the steel industry's choice to raise their price by 3.5%. He indicates his frustration through his strong choice of diction by calling the situation a “crisis” or “irresponsible defiance”. This makes it difficult for the audience to side against the facts stated by Kennedy. This use of diction corresponds to the diligence and indignance of Kennedy’s tone. He emotionally connects to the audience by reaching towards those families hurt by the Vietnam War “servicemen to risk their lives-and four were killed in the last two days”. By not only bringing …show more content…

Kennedy incorporated alliteration to not only emphasize his thoughts, but to capture the audience’s attention. This allowed them to understand that he was addressing all, emphasizing that everyone struggling was important. Kennedy repeated phrases such as “it would” and “when we are” to not only address the struggles America was facing at the time, but to include detail behind his address to the steel companies. The main use of alliteration and repetitive words throughout this speech was to gain and keep hold of the audience’s attention. Again, this goes back to how Kennedy is as a person. By addressing all those across the nation in detail, it is easier for Americans to related and agree with the topics he speaks