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Rhetorical Analysis Of Kennedy's Inaugural Address

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Newly elected president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, addresses the American people in his inauguration speech that aimed to unite the a nation divided by the recent presidential election. Kennedy’s fervid tone emphasizes his intentions on coalescing his constituents. The patriotic diction prevalent in the inauguration speech of 1961 advances Kennedy’s purpose by igniting a flame in the American spirit; words such as: “liberty,” “freedom,” “rights,” and “hope,” are all classic archetypes portrayed in American culture and was therefore subsidized on. The then President could have capitalized on more elaborate words, but did not due to his desire to reach the mass populace. The use of Kennedy’s patriotic diction once again pertains to his audience
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President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address uses many rhetorical techniques to persuade his audience that he is credible enough to fulfill the role of being the youngest president of the United States, and to prove to the world that his term would be of change and hope. The main arguments in this essay are a strong appeal to ethics not only his, but ours as a country bonded through common values, and emotional and logical arguments. Kennedy has a call to action that is shown throughout his address. This call to action has a plea to his ethics and morals and to the audiences as well. Furthermore, his use of a logical argument is used with powerful emotions throughout his address that allows this call to action to be effective in unifying the American people.

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As President Kennedy enters office he gives an speech on the celebration of freedom; symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning of a new nation. Kennedy rises for the opportunity for persuasion after his inauguration has been addressed and he scarcely beats nixon. President Kennedy uses his authority for persuasion to bring the american people together under his power. The president uses the experience of war,poverty,and the desire for peace to develop an emotional appeal between the U.S and the world population. In this speech Kennedy uses ethos,pathos,logos,as well as other rhetorical devices to convince the audience.

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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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