Rhetorical Devices In Jfk Inaugural Address

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was elected on November 8, 1960. On January 20, 1961, Kennedy delivered a reassuring speech to display how he will run the country. The question of what direction the country was going to go in after his election worried many citizens. The speech is not only targeted towards American citizens; it is a message that JFK desires to be spread beyond the United States and throughout other countries. He wishes for every nation, including America, to acknowledge that the United States will give assistance to any country in need of help. Kennedy uses many rhetorical devices in his speech to help ease the citizen’s minds while maintaining a conversational tone a well as a clear and compelling structure. One example of a rhetorical device that JFK uses is anaphora. The purpose of his use of anaphora is to add significance to his message. He begins numerous paragraphs with the phrases “To those old allies…. To those new states…. To those

The reason that he uses this rhetorical device is to make his audience have to think about and analyze his words. One example of chiasmus that he states is “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Kennedy is hopeful that this phrase will cause his audience to reevaluate his or her thoughts and opinions on negotiating with other countries. He is stating that it is important to negotiate with other nations for the country’s growth, but negotiation caused by fear will not help the country at all. JFK uses another chiasmus to appeal emotionally to the audience: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." He is explaining that everybody has enough power to make a change, including citizens. JFK wants his citizens to know that they are the people who shaped America to be what it is, and that they can all contribute to helping start a new beginning and making a