John F kennedy was the 35th president to be sworn into office in the US. He did a number of wonderful things for our country throughout his presidency, but the first most memorable was when he lifted the spirits of millions of Americans with his Inaugural Address on January 20th, 1961. In order to fully understand why his speech is one of the best American speeches one must first know the reason behind his speech, secondly, the significance of his speech to the people of the US, and lastly how his speech impacted the people of the US. There are plenty of reasons why JFK gave his inaugural address. One of the most obvious was the tradition of every president to give a speech after they are sworn into office, but Kennedy had a specific purpose …show more content…
His election was one of the closest in American history running against Vice president Richard Nixon. JFK reassured the people by beginning his speech with “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning,”. By saying this he encouraged the people that his election was the beginning of something great to come. That we should not celebrate in the fact that his party one by a hair, but that they won freedom and justice. He also wanted to gain America’s trust in saying “For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.”. When he said this to the people it created trust in their hearts that they could trust him the same way they trusted their founding fathers. Another significance of JFK’s speech was not only to reassure the People of the US, but to reassure anyone else what his plan was to do, and that the US was not going to back down from defending freedom and being the best it can be! For example he states “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.”. This meant that he was going to do everything in his power to defend justice and freedom for all in its time of need, and that …show more content…
One of the ways he easily impacted people was his dynamics of speech. He makes sure that his speaking rate is slow and steady when needed, to guarantee people could follow and understand his objective. Being unique he still holds the record for being able to speak 350 words a minute, being clear and straightforward. Another dynamic JFK used was stressing words, for example when he says “ let us dare not forget” and “let every nation know”. Stressing words like dare and every draws the audience in with another dynamic he uses in his tone of voice. Another way he impacted the audience was his creative way of appealing to their ideal America. During those days the American people wanted peace, to be up-to-date with technological advances, and to stand by the hand of God. Kennedy appealed the people of america by saying things like “we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace”. Also saying “let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God 's work must truly be our own.”. Saying these things impacted the audience because it was the desperate need of many Americans to stand with God and to be at peace. Still, 50 years later JFK’s inaugural address is an inspiration to many who hear his words, and will impact anyone who hears
Two great men who stood their ground and fought for what they believed in gave two incredible speeches in the 1960s that may have changed America forever. These two men had no idea what this country would accomplish after these great addresses. John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther king’s speeches to the nation appeal to emotions, call action to different audiences, and have differing opinions on the nation that make them comparable but not completely different.
It was on January 20th 1961 that John F Kennedy gave his inaugural address after winning the presidential race and beating future president Richard Nixon. President, John F Kennedy in his speech, The Inaugural Address, he describes his plans for growth in America. Kennedy’s purpose is unite the people of the U.S. and bring everyone together for the good cause of promoting growth in the country. He creates a very inspirational tone in order to establish a connection with the U.S. people. In his speech Kennedy really used several rhetorical strategies of persuasion to motivate and persuade the U.S. people that they made the right choice in choosing him.
John F Kennedy delivered one of the finest speeches on January 20, 1961 after being sworn into office. His inauguration speech was so powerful that it captured the entire nations attention, and quotes from it are still remembered by people today. It is one of the finest speeches ever written. It provides a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos, and it is because of this that people who never heard the speech can quote lines from it.
Kennedy was elected president in the year of 1961. Which was during the time that the Cold War was in full swing. The Cold War being the tension filled era between the superpowers in the east and the superpowers in the west. Contrary to the other two presidents, JFK was not speaking to the American public at the time of the war 's conclusion but right near the middle of the 40 plus year issue. Regardless he was assuring the public. He stated, “...that the torch has been passed to a new generation of American-”. That optimism cannot be matched. Even at the darkest of times could he stand up there, the president of the United States, and tell the young people of America that their time is now. Not only that but he attempts to inspire Americans when he says “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”, which was definitely a knock at the Russians. JFK overall had this persona about him. This was the speech where muttered that historic and uplifting quote, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” His message of peace and coexisting really stand the test of
On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made his inaugural address to the nation. He stood in front of the podium to convince citizens that he is the best person to turn the country around. He used experiences from the past, such as war, poverty, and the need for peace to get the attention of those who wish to see change within the country as well as countries we work with. Kennedy spoke in a way to to persuade the american people, as well as the soviet union to come together. In this speech President John F. Kennedy used ethos, pathos, and logos as well as other rhetorical devices to convince his audience.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most important American speeches after being sworn in as president on January 20, 1961. His inauguration speech was so influential that it seized the nation’s attention, and quotes from it are still clearly remembered by people today. It is considered one of the best speeches ever written and ever delivered. It presents a strong appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos and accomplishes what any speaker strives for – it speaks straight to the heart of the audience and inspires people.
The structure of the speech enhances the ability for all people in the audience to connect. Beginning with an intimate remark and closing with a broad regard marks the address as both authentic and propelling. Nevertheless, what is most effective is Kennedy’s skill to access the atmosphere of the crowd and examine the circumstances of the juncture that is primarily the cause for the prosperity of this distinguished speech.
I found that the amount of success JFK has is more abundant than anyone else I can think of. It is because of this mass success within such a short period of time that I have decided to constrict my list of JFK’s accomplishments to five specific successes. The first accomplishment I found to be most important to JFK’s career, as a leader, was his success at becoming the first and only Catholic President of the U.S. During the time, anti-Catholic prejudices were not unusual and were actually a significant issue during Kennedy’s campaign for president.... ... middle of paper ...
Ethos, logos, and pathos were noticed in his calm tone as he spoke of equal rights. Kennedy was trusted by many, therefore, he made a great impact to the American people when he delivered this speech. He was a powerful speaker who was
John F Kennedy delivered one of the best speeches on January 20, 1961.His inauguration speech was very powerful and it gathered the attention of every single person in the nation. It uses a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos. Kennedy was the youngest president to be in office. He got his degree from Harvard and later on joined the navy. He wrote “ profiles in courage” which has received one of the most recognized awards, the Pulitzer Prize. This speech had a lot of positive sides to it, but one of the most important things was that it gave him a good look from the outside. The inaugural address was written to let the citizens of America know that they could change this country for the better. It assured all voters
On January 20th, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave a speech to the nation, which encompassed a new vision for the country with a new generation. That speech was JFK’s Inaugural Address. As the new 35th president, JFK was the youngest president to enter the oval office at the age of forty-three ("Inaugural Address."). The nation was still in in the process of healing after World War II. In the eyes of the masses, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a breath of fresh air for the American People. He was a youthful president, with his youthful image; he was able to rally the younger generations with a progressive vision. This speech was a message to the nation in which JFK outlines a new direction for The United States by securing it’s freedom, being a competitive nation in all aspects, and rallying the citizens behind the government.
Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States of America. His inaugural address showed his stance on freedom, and he said some controversial statements that fazed many during that era. He was very committed to the idea of freedom for everyone no matter what race, religion, status, etc they were. Kennedy made an extreme sacrifice when he was unfortunately assassinated because many learned about him and his beliefs. His inaugural address states, “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” (Kennedy). Similarly, he was earnestly passionate about freedom for all and that any sacrifice no matter how extreme, would be necessary to achieve freedom. Consequently, he was adamant about preserving liberty, and he was faced with issues at a public level. Kennedy expressed his feelings about helping less fortunate countries even though some people opposed his beliefs. He said, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich,” (Kennedy). Moreover, he stressed that Americans should be grateful that they lived in the U.S. Also, he was determined to preserve America’s freedom that was earned from hardships of the
In his prominent 1961 Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy extensively employs pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax to captivate millions of people, particularly to persuade them to stand together and attempt to further human rights for the “betterment” of the world. Kennedy’s effective use of various rhetorical styles succeeds in persuading his audience –the world and the U.S citizens—that his newly-seized position as the U.S. President will be worthwhile for all.
Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was an American president who is recognized universally for his phenomenal speeches. John F. Kennedy was proficient in all the departments that constitute a good speaker; physical expression, vocal expression, personality, and speech composition. Kennedy was very physically direct with his audience while giving speeches. Kennedy consistently made direct eye contact with his audience and used just enough gestures at the right moments to keep listeners interested.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America at noon on January 20th, 1961. He then delivered his inaugural speech in The National Center for Public Policy Research's Archive of Historical Documents. Kennedy’s speech, one that Thurston Clarke referred to as “...the speech that changed America.” may quite possibly have done just that. Kennedy’s speech sought to convey many messages to the American people. It, at the time, speaks of a world which is “very different now” and notes the importance and prevalence of change in American society and the rest of the world. The most important theme taken from Kennedy’s speech perhaps though is its call to arms of Americans to become active citizens and to fight not only the wrongs and injustices to freedom taking place throughout the world but also to advance the rights and freedoms experienced within the United States by turning inward and actively pursuing change for the betterment of American society.