The sixties was a time period marked by complex political and social issues in the U.S. and internationally. The U.S. was caught between 2 major international conflicts: the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Other countries and political systems threatened America’s stability as a world power when John F. Kennedy was elected into office by a narrow margin. As the youngest man elected into presidency, he had to prove to the people that his leadership was capable of motivating and uniting the Americans to work towards the progression of the nation. In his nationally televised inaugural speech, John F. Kennedy calls Americans into action through his impactful and contrasting language. Kennedy’s juxtaposition of opposing ideas clearly establishes …show more content…
He asks the rhetorical questions “Can we forge against these events...Will you join that historic effort?” By doing so, he speaks directly to the audience, and asks them if they would join him in abolishing “tyranny, poverty, disease, and war,” prevalent issues during the decade of his administration. These questions emphasize the role of the individual American in protecting democracy. Kennedy also calls his national audience into action through an antimetabole, telling them “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Kennedy empowers citizens of both political parties by implying that they have a role in choosing their own fate and can work with him to reach a common goal. This provides a reason for the Americans to unify to work together after the election, when the country was split in half due to opposing political parties and viewpoints, through …show more content…
He specifically addresses the doubtful and nervous Americans by taking a powerful stance against countries that seek to limit freedom, pledging that America is “unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed.” By passionately stating his position, he assertively defends the values of the country and reassures his people that they will not be compromised. Kennedy’s archaic diction in his phrases “solemn oath our forebears prescribed” and “revolutionary beliefs” emphasizes the past accomplishments of the country, encouraging patriotism from his people. By highlighting America’s past accomplishments and delivering a clear plan for the future, he elicits confidence and renewed hope and from his audience, giving them a reason to stand firm in the face of countries trying to undermine
Every president strives to remain positive in the public’s eye. Yes, a despised president can still hold office, but the country will always respond much more positively and remember the president better if he or she is viewed favorably. This is particularly true during times of great distress or crises, such as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, or Hurricane Sandy in 2012. On April 10, 1962, the United States’ largest steel companies raised steel prices by 3.5 percent. President John F. Kennedy had repeatedly called for stable prices and wages, as the country was already under economic strain from foreign affairs. Kennedy held a news conference on April 11, 1962 in order to address this sharp increase in steel prices. He was well aware of the fact that he had to maintain a positive image to
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.
This speech proves that Kennedy had a way with words and knew the best way to get a message across. He clearly expressed his feelings but did so without letting them take over. He didn’t scream or shout, but showed he could handle his anger while still letting it shine through. Kennedy used the three appeals, strong diction and syntax, and a well-organized structure of his ideas to convey his purpose; Raise anger in Americans and side with them, while making the steel companies feel guilty for their
His speech contained persuasive appeals such as logos and pathos. Kennedy says “This peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers...our neighbors know we shall join with them to oppose aggression anywhere…let every power know this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.” This strong quote corresponds with pathos, it pertains to the emotion of hope and courage that the U.S. needs to maintain its high ranking status among other countries. This shows that he wants us to be ready for anything
John F Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States and at 43 years old he was the youngest president to take office. Because of his youth, he stumbled upon much skepticism from his opposition and even a little from his supporters. Kennedy’s inauguration speech was so vital because he needed to make a quick and powerful first impression to America and to the entire world. The address was written to encourage American citizens to get involved with their country and with the issues of the time. This speech reassured the voters that they made the correct choice and informed the country that changes were on there way.
In the end, Kennedy urges American citizens to help out in any way they can. Even though Kennedy does use pathos and ethos more than logos, it is the combination of all three that make his argument that Americans should fight for freedom, help the poverty-stricken, and create peace with communist countries effective. Kennedy feels that the way to help free societies stay free is to help out the poor. When Kennedy is talking about helping out the poor, he states that we should do it “not because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes but because it is right” (Kennedy 1).
John emphasized if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. He felt Americans needed to use their freedoms to do great things, not just be thankful they have them. Pres. Kennedy’s heart longed for the nation of America to grab hold of the reigns of their freedom and take it to the extreme. The extreme would be to feed the hungry, help those in poverty fight their way out of it, and make peace in the world more often than war.
With famed verses like, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” Kennedy makes the spectators feel inclined to make an impact in the world they live in. Apart from infusing a sense of obligation in the crowd, Kennedy’s greatest element in his speech was the aptitude to arouse a feeling of esteem in the audience. Kennedy constantly uses phrases about freedom and sovereignty to remind the people they still are. “The heirs of that first revolution.” This dialect portrays America as a powerful and patriarchal republic that possesses greater philanthropy than all the other nations around the world.
By delivering his inaugural speech, President Kennedy mentioned not only the American people, but also people from over the world including new states, old allies, and the Soviet Union. He also sought to inspire the nation after a long, divided election; to alleviate the growing fearful of drawn-out cold war, and to bless the hope for peace in the nuclear age. By using the extensive use of rhetorical devices, President successfully completed and fulfilled the goals of his speech. Therefore, after reading his inaugural speech, I strongly want to choose this speech to analysis for my research paper. I will analysis John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech based on the idea of social cohesion about liberty, give evidence and number how this speech has influenced thousands of people based on its eloquence and persuasiveness.
In the passage, Kennedy uses significant type of diction such as asunder, foe, forebears, writ, and wrought. Many of the words used have a formal and mature connotation. Considering that Kennedy was so young, he was often critiqued for this. Therefore, instead of speaking in an informal tone, he spoke formally and respectfully to give the effect that he was wise with his knowledge. He uses many different forms of syntax to put emphasis on moving forward with the nation. “Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.” and “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” are examples of his expectations of how the future will bring new and improved innovations. In the speech there are many different situations where he tends to use opposites next to each other in comparison. “Symbolizing and end as well as a beginning” these quotes throughout the speech, imply that the tone has adjusted from the original course, wandering from the tradition it has always been. His tone was well understood, civil and defined by diction allowing all of the audience to be
During John F. Kennedy’s political campaign, there were many issues present that the candidate had to address: there was tension due to the communist threat, tension among American citizens due to the Civil Rights movement, and a recent recession that was very sluggish in recovering. Relating to these issues President Kennedy’s slogan was “getting America moving again”; these topics are addressed in a fast and effective manner in his minute-long television ad that was endorsed by the group: Citizens for Kennedy-Johnson. This ad was the best way to reinforce President Kennedy’s stance on the emergence of a new frontier. He was able to depict himself as a man of change and new beginnings due to his fresh perspective and young age which was a
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.
Hence, through various rhetorical strategies, Kennedy achieves his purpose of gaining the spectators’ favor through stressing major current events that concerned the American people. These significant concepts include American patriotism and American diplomacy, stressed when he begins four consequent paragraphs with the same recurring three words, “Let both sides.” Kennedy’s brilliant use of pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax successfully convey his ambitions and hopes for America, as it makes Kennedy’s speech a very memorable one in history.
The shots that rang out across Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963 were ones that would change America forever. The victim was one of the most controversial presidents in American history- John F. Kennedy. Born on May 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Kennedy was known by many as the youngest man ever elected president of the United States. His family, unsurprisingly, had had a long and distinguished history in politics. Kennedy’s maternal grandfather, John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, had been Boston’s Democratic mayor. His own father, Joseph P. Kennedy, served as ambassador to Great Britain under Franklin Roosevelt’s administration. With these achievements to represent his family, Kennedy grew up in an atmosphere of wealth and privilege. He served in the Pacific theater as a navy lieutenant during WWII, but decided to begin his political career soon after. He ran for the House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1946, and was reelected in 1948 and 1950 for the position. In 1960, he earned himself the title of President of the United States, defeating his opponent Richard Nixon by only a small margin of two-tenths of a percent of the popular vote. However, the years that were to follow during his presidency were ones that would have a lasting impact on America. His assassination, in particular, was a traumatizing event for many people. The social and political stress that the nation was experiencing during this time has proven to be linked with his death. From the Bay of Pigs Invasion to the Civil Rights movement, these controversies are a reflection of the President’s passing. As a result, the assassination of John F. Kennedy shows the increasing social and political tension of America during the 1960s.