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Ronald Reagan Allusions

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In his speech given at an event for the Kennedy Library Foundation, President Ronald Regan shows his admonition for former President John F. Kennedy and his accomplishments. He employs various rhetorical techniques including alluding to several historical figures, repeating sentences starting with “he” followed by a verb, and using imagery to create an honorable memory of JFK. Reagan delivered this speech to his audience of people attending the event with an admirable tone. His overall goal was to encourage people to donate to the Kennedy Library Foundation while also honoring the memory of President Kennedy. Reagan used numerous allusions throughout his speech in order to place JFK on a pedestal. In the first paragraph, President Reagan alludes to Stephen Vincent Benet, a soldier of General Lee’s army, saying that JFK could quote him on the spot. By including this in his speech, Reagan is nonchalantly pointing out President Kennedy’s profound memory. Further into Ronald Reagan’s speech, he states, “He was a writer who could expound with ease on the moral forces that shaped John Calhoun’s political philosophy,” (Reagan par. 1). Reagan’s purpose in mentioning John Calhoun is to ultimately compare Kennedy to an impactful human being. By using allusions throughout the speech, President Reagan is able to boost the morale of JFK. …show more content…

In almost the entire third paragraph of the speech, President Reagan starts every sentence with “He understood…He knew…He tried…,”. By doing so, President Reagan is able to continuously highlight JFK and all of his greatest qualities. This also can further persuade the audience to donate to the Kennedy Library Foundation, which connects back to the main goal of Reagan’s entire speech. John F Kennedy and all of his greatness is able to be expressed throughout the speech by the use of

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