Rhetorical Devices In Jfk Inaugural Address

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 as he outlines the programs of the future, as well as arouses a sense of security and a spirit of idealism. With the use of many rhetorical devices, pathos 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,

Being that America was in a very tough situation at that moment, not just US citizens were watching him, but people from all over the world. This is when Kennedy’s use of easy language really became effective. Throughout his entire speech, Kennedy uses very understandable and simple language and not once, in the entire speech, does he use a term that could potentially confuse his average-level educated audience. An example of this can be observed when looking at the following paragraph, “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion, which we bring to this endeavor will light our country an all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” (Kennedy 24). After taking some time to carefully examine these lines, it becomes evident that out of the one hundred and eleven words that Kennedy used here, one hundred and two of those words were only two syllables. To put in other words, Kennedy was aware of the fact that people from all over the world were going to be watching him, and

Being that America was in a very uneasy spot during the cold war, Kennedy’s use of pathos was crucial to winning the trust and loyalty of his American audience. Examples of pathos can be seen when Kennedy uses words such as forebears, heirs of revolution, we, and when he refers to revolutionary beliefs. When he says words like “forebears” and “heirs of revolution”, he connects to his audience on an emotional level making them feel patriotic and an important part of their country. When he uses words like “we”, he also connects to his audience by making everybody feel included and unified. This emotional connection with the audience played a huge role in the speech as Kennedy illustrated himself as a father-like leading figure. Overall, this appeal to pathos only adds on to the success of Kennedy’s inaugural