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Rhetorical Analysis Of Jfk Inaugural Address

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In the early 1960s, America was faced with turmoil and controversy regarding many issues especially the battle against communism. In the wake of a new presidential election, the U.S.A needed a strong and reassuring leader to take the reigns of the nation and guide it to safety. With a very close margin, that responsibility fell upon the 35th president, John F. Kennedy, who was labeled as too young and not ready. In his Inaugural Speech as president, JFK uses many rhetorical strategies in order to to convey his purpose and persuade the audience. His sharp-witted use of diction such as abstract words, figures of speech, and archaic language, along with syntax made up of short passages with hortative and imperative sentences allow him to achieve …show more content…

JFK knew how important this speech is and chose his words very meticulously conducive to the current situation in the nation and world. His first concern was to reach out to his American citizens, and he did that using abstract words such as “freedom”, “loyalty”, “sacrifice”, etc. Not only are they easy to talk about, but abstract words are also easier to stay general than getting into specifics. They are more difficult for people to oppose and set a strong tone for the speech that Kennedy sets out for. JFK continues on laying out a strong persona with the figure of speech saying, “Bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe.” creating a pattern of connecting and bringing together to symbolize how he wants the citizens of America and other democratic nations to face the threat of communism joined together as a “beachhead of cooperation” to push back “the jungle of suspicion”. In conjunction with the other use of diction, Kennedy also uses archaic diction like “forbearers” to further initiate the effect of patriotism and nationalism pride in the citizens of America. He uses that to his advantage and continues on to start asking those same people take

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In a time where many countries of the world were unsettled and feared another atomic bomb explosion, President John F. Kennedy was sworn into office on January 20, 1961 on a cold winter afternoon. He then proceeded to give an inaugural address that would last through the ages and inspire people not only in America, but also people around the world to unite together and achieve peace. His speech was eloquent and smooth, because of his use of many rhetorical strategies. He uses diction, appeals, parallelism and other literary devices all throughout the speech. President Kennedy wise use of diction greatly helped him appeal to the audiences.

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Title In JFK’s Inaugural Speech he uses syntax to boost his credibility to the people and prove to them that they made the right choice in electing him. In the beginning of his speech, JFK says “This much we pledge--and more” (6). The sentence is short and memorable.

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In John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address Kennedy uses rhetorical strategies such as; diction, syntax, tone, and figurative language. Kennedys uses these elements to achieve the purpose in which was trying to be reached to the audience. The purpose of Kennedy's inaugural address was to inspire the citizens of America. Kennedy evoked a sense of security and a spirit of idealism which reassured Americans of their nation's strengths and inspired them to serve their country and the world.

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Final Essay Throughout his inaugural address, John Fitzgerald Kennedy uses juxtaposition, anaphora, and emotional appeals (pathos) to rally the american public against nations of the world with different ideologies, namely Communism. With a leader as charismatic as Kennedy, it is inevitable that a speech of his would utilize classic rhetorical devices to further his purpose as he sets the stage for his presidency. Kennedy’s use of antithesis through juxtaposition creates the illusion that you are either apart of his ideas or against them.

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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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In John F. Kennedy’s presidential inauguration speech, he declares himself a man to unite his country and his goals to let the world know peace. He announces his declaration with the use of simple diction, anti-thesis, alliteration, and a plethora of other rhetorical devices which helps him move his audience. Kennedy, much like other great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill, never used a ten dollar word when a

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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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However, he has proven his strength and resourcefulness especially in his usage of stylistic devices such as antithesis, parallelism, pathos, and ethos, and these are his stylistic devices of strength he possesses. He easily uses them to gain his advantage from the audience and he is capable of fully expressing his message in a patriotic fashion. One of the examples of this usage of antithesis is when Kennedy is referring to “a new generation of Americans” where he flat-out, vividly shows the separation between the old and the new breed of Americans through this technique. He utilizes antithesis once more when he uses the lines, “Symbolizes an end as well as a beginning…….”. As well as, “signifies renewal as well as change….”

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On January 20, 1961, forty-three-year-old John F, Kennedy delivered his inaugural address in Washington D.C after being sworn in as the thirty-fifth United States President. He memorably captured the attention of the entire nation with one of the finest speeches written to date, tugging on the heartstrings and logistically addressing the worries of many Americans. Making his point clear and comprehendible, Kennedy reached larger audiences than his predecessors, bringing a sense of calmness to the public during the height of the Cold War, national talk of communism, and the impending fear of nuclear attacks. He took austere consideration to the chaos erupting both internationally and nationally by instilling a sense of union amongst Americans in attempts to creating lasting peace. Utilizing a fearless rhythm of persuasiveness and motivational tactics, Kennedy connects to his audience through emotional

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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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Lastly Kennedy states, “ My fellow citizens of the world; ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” In this famous quote from Kennedy’s inaugural speech, he says that together, the people of America can do

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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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