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Jfk inaugural address rhetorical device essay
Jfk inaugural address rhetorical device essay
Jfk inauguration analysis
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We go through presidents almost as fast as we go through underwear. The shortest presidential term is 31 days and the longest presidential term is 4,422 days served by William Henry Harrison and Franklin D. Roosevelt, respectively. After election, every president in US history has presented an inaugural address. On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy made his inaugural address to a group of people in the freezing cold. Kennedy’s speech served to unite the people against poverty, tyranny, and disease and to gain support for world peace. In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address he achieved his purpose through the use of parallel structure, antithesis, and balance. In Kennedy's speech it is arguable that there is parallel structure in every sentence. The parallelism that will be the focus today are repetition and anaphora. Repetition and anaphora are two very similar things but instead of just a repetition of words or phrases, an anaphora is specifically repetition in the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines. A large portion of this speech is the anaphora "To." At first he says "To those" multiple times and then there is a change to "To our" and "To that." The phrase "To those" was used to address people who the US was giving something to, either that something be loyalty or aid. Then Kennedy uses "To our" and "To that" to address the people we wanted something from or specifically to offer a "special pledge". Usually the repetition of a word or phrase is used to emphasize the word itself, but this repetition was used to emphasize the change from "those" to "our." This change allowed a comparison of two extremes and created a better connotation on "our" which accentuated a sense of togetherness in the people. This repeti... ... middle of paper ... ...whether or not we do something everyone would live virtually meaningless lives. Fear is one of the most effective pathos emotions and in this line it shows pathos at its finest hour. Furthermore, Kennedy instills even more fear into the people in the balance, "For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed." Even though this line is so scary it also, at the same time, pans out the truth; the line makes a person stop and really ponder the idea that we can only be safe if we can defend ourselves. Kennedy's Inaugural Speech is an unforgettable one. At the end of this speech most people would've taken action against poverty if they weren't so appalled and/or completely frozen. Nevertheless, Kennedy was able to warm the hearts of the people through the use of parallel structure, antithesis, and balance.
First of all, Robert F. Kennedy was able to use repetition in his speech. The U.S. at the time was in a contradicting state to the degree that racism and prejudism was normal. In stanza 3, line 1 it states,”In this difficult day, in these difficult times for the United States, it is perhaps well to ask what kind of nation we are and what direction we want to move in.” This means that after MLK Jr. got assasinated, many people feared what sort of society we live on. Robert F. Kennedy makes this an important topic by using repetition because he goes straight to the point. Robert F. Kennedy was able to inspire people in Indianapolis to prolong peace and to be open minded on times of grief.
He used a very selective vocabulary, purposely using emotionally charged words such as: “wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible defiance” (lines 4-5), “ruthless disregard” (line 82), and “restraint and sacrifice” (lines 14-15). By using words with strong connotation, he powers the emotions of his audience once again directing support for himself and appearing as the calm figurehead amongst the emotional chaos. He also makes his speech very personal by mentioning individual American families, literally using the phrase “every American family” (line 25). He appeals to the strong sense of patriotism in the American public by mentioning the four servicemen who died in Vietnam. Despite the fact that they are almost completely unrelated to the rise in steel prices and, if they were alive, would be unaffected by the rise in price, either. And yet, Kennedy mentions the servicemen to make the situation appear that much more dire. By mentioning the tragic deaths of these men, Kennedy aims to trigger a strong emotional response in his audience that would turn into support for
Parallelism and pathos within Kennedy’s speech structure is evident in multiple locations. He uses parallelism o show how much the nation was already doing to pull itself out of the economic recession and to stress how raising prices could have a negative effect on the economy. He uses the phrase, “When we are confronted… when we are devoting… when we are asking…,” to show that the nation was dedicating their entire beings to help the nation, but that the rise
The inaugural speech was structured so that it flowed. There is a lot of comparison and contrast in the first paragraph of the speech. For example “We observe today not a victory of a party but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end as well as a beginning—signifying a renewal as well as change.”(Kennedy, 1961) There is also some cause and effect in the paper. I think that this is to be expected because of all the discussions on war. He made it sound like because it was our moral responisibility we should go to war. These are the only two main structures that are used through the entire speech but they are used so well that it is not lacking substance with the lacking of structures.
To begin, Kennedy gave the exigence and explained what the current situation was in America. He gives his thesis to let the audience know what his feelings are, and what the main point of the speech is going to be. The first sentence discusses the steel companies raising their prices which, “constitutes a wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible defiance of the public interest” (2-3). This sentence sets up the rest of the speech and what can be expected to follow. After giving the exigence and thesis, Kennedy expands on the issue in the paragraphs that proceed. His ideas flow right from one to the next. Beginning with the issues in America, the steel companies raised prices, national security, and finally how it affects Americans.
The inaugural speech was arranged so that it flowed easily from start to finish. The first paragraph contains many uses of comparison and contrast. For example, “We observe today not a victory of a party but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end as well as a beginning—signifying a renewal as well as change”(Kennedy par 1). There are also examples of cause and effect in the speech. I believe that this is to be expected because of all the deliberations over war. Kennedy used these techniques to make it sound like it was our moral responsibility we should go to war. These are the two basic s...
John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address is a puissant speech that conveys a mighty theme. The steady use of fervent dialect stimulates in the crowd a sense of esteem and obligation, which makes the speech even more impressive. The structure of the diction enhances the ability for all people of 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
The late president John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said, “Sure it's a big job; but I don't know anyone who can do it better than I can” (“John F. Kennedy” BrainyQuote.com). Kennedy was a young and fresh political figure at the time of his election in 1960. The thirty-fifth president of the United States was born May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the youngest president ever, as well as the first and only Roman Catholic president (Bass, et al.). His presidency was shortened by an assassin on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy preceded his presidency with a term in the U.S. House of Representatives (1947-1953) and a term in the U.S. Senate (1953-1961) (“John F. Kennedy” History.com). Kennedy, a charismatic and energetic leader, was loved by the American people. He had many plans for his time in office, some of which he was able to personally achieve, while others were left to his vice-president, Lyndon B. Johnson. Although his life was tragically cut short, John F. Kennedy left an indelible mark on the United States of America in and out of the oval office.
... Americans are so happy in this country. Freedom is was what this country was founded on and he wanted to spread it to the world. Ethos is quite simple in his speech. John F. Kennedy is obviously a smart, brilliant man that became president. He wouldn’t be where he was if he wasn’t those things, there American people would not have elected him to office.
But the point is we need to keep reminding each other and never forget about it. We need to repeat this so much that when we hear it again we have it memorized and we have no doubt about it. Kennedy used this to support his claim and put the nation as a whole to do things together and never be in doubt of their goals and have the common knowledge set in mind. So when you look over to the inaugural speech there is no doubt that the usage of ethos was on point. His morals about religion and doing stuff that led to the right way became very keen. “ With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth and to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.” (Kennedy, 1961) Kennedy always saw the belief the people had in him. Everyone looked up on the family to see what they were doing and tried to do whatever they were doing. He acknowledged all the things he had to do and made it pretty clear that he received good respect from his voters. He gave power to the people. When people looked up on him they saw how much he cared. When the Vietnam War was heating up he tried his very best to keep his words very straightforward and honest. He used pathos in his speech through the usage of the phrases, “ a celebration of freedom,” and, “ forge against these enemies.” By using these phrases, instead of making the war a task for the people, he made it out as saving the country for the people and for their kids. It wasn’t just a "go and fight," but more of a "go, win, and when you come back enjoy what you have accomplished." “ Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.” (Kennedy, 1961) This quote by itself has showed up in textbooks, general literature, and other writings probably more than any of the
Kennedy used anaphoras to emphasize the important sections of his inaugural address, such as when he first described the world as very different now and that “man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life” (6).
Those words were, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country” ("Inaugural Address."). In order to achieve all these feats, JFK need a nation united. JFK pulled on the nations heartstrings by reminding the nation of it’s core values, which it was founded on. He appeals to that “tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage” side of the American public ("Inaugural Address."). He later goes on to say that change will not happen overnight, but rather change is a continuous process that is always evolving and
Kennedy’s brilliant use of pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax successfully conveys his ambitions and hopes for America, as it makes Kennedy’s speech a very memorable one in history.
Kennedy uses refrences from past events in history to emphasize his point of taking a risk and trying something new, and inspiring his audience. An event from 1630 is used in JFK’s speech as an allusion to make the reader feel a sense of , “William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage” (Kennedy 2). He is proving that after all the hard work, it is succesful and worth it. William Bradford created a colony by the devotion and hard work. Kennedy is relating himself and the country to Bradford, showing the audience that it is possible. Using an example from history makes the audience more committed to landing on the moon when they think the probability for success is high. It gives off the encouraging thought of, “if they did it, we can do it”, which is exactly what JFK was trying to succeed. Kennedy also uses an allusion to exaggerate to sudden change in tecchnology and show how advanced this country...
President John F. Kennedy brings about a new way of thinking in his inaugural speech. He brings in a sense of selflessness and relentlessness for the country. He uses literary devices such as, antithesis, repetition, and rhetorical questions to bring about that sense in the audience. He begins by putting himself to the people and allowing the audience to feel welcomed. The use of literary devices in his speech allows the audience to recognize his goal, which is moving forward and bringing change to the country.