Rhetorical Devices In Jfk Inaugural Address

When John F. Kennedy delivered his Inaugural Speech in January of 1961, it had been a large accomplishment. His speech reached a worldwide audience. Kennedy sought to inspire the nation and to send a message to it, signaling the challenges of the old times, and his hope for a newfound peace. In order to display his purpose of coming together, Kennedy used many different rhetorical devices throughout his speech. Kennedy used anaphoras, chiasmus and metaphors to display his purpose in a conversational tone, yet also using a clear and compelling structure, that the country, as a whole, needed to emerge from its previous challenges and come together as one strong country. Throughout his speech, Kennedy used anaphoras to emphasize his point

Chiasmus is reversing the order of the words in the second of two parallel phrases. During his speech, Kennedy said “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what your country and do for you- ask what you can do for your country”. By saying this statement like this, Kennedy is expressing to the audience that they need to do what they should for their country. Using chiasmus in this sentence maximized the argument he was portraying and the crafting of the sentence displays a fervent need to help the country This emotion connected some of the audience to Kennedy’s words, and gave them emotional reasons to listen to Kennedy. By reversing the order of words in this statement, Kennedy is Another use of chiasmus in Kennedy’s speech is when he says “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate”. Kennedy is using his words to connect the reader in a more compelling way. By using chiasmus in this phrase, Kennedy is continuing his conversational tone with the audience, yet creating a strong argument for what his views were. Through chiasmus, Kennedy maintained a conversational, yet clear and compelling tone, that connected his people to the words he

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. When talking about how they need to come together, Kennedy said “ Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…”. The metaphor in this statement referred to the “torch” that had been passed down to them by their ancestors. He described how old generations had passed this “torch” to the newer generations, and these new generations should continue their fight for freedom. Kennedy also used a metaphor when he said “And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house”. By saying this, Kennedy related America to a hemisphere, and explained how America will continue to rule itself, being its own master. Another metaphor in Kennedy’s speech is “… half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery”. By this statement, Kennedy is telling them to come together in order to overcome the past. By using metaphors throughout his speech, Kennedy maintained emotion and a conversational tone to appeal to the audience. By relating the issues of America and what he hopes to overcome to things such as “bonds of misery” and “master of its own house”, the audience becomes captivated in his words. The use of