Jfk Inaugural Speech Analysis

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JFK: The Man, The Myth, The Legend John F. Kennedy delivered an inaugural speech that can be described as the most famous inaugural speech that any president has ever given. Following a close presidential race, Kennedy uses this speech as a celebration of victory and unite his audience. During this cold and snowy day, Kennedy stepped to the podium, but he wasn't wearing a coat and tie. Standing in the bright winter light, he stood out against the backdrop of politicians and family. President Kennedy delivered some words of wisdom that have not been forgotten and have been nominated as one of the most inspiring speeches a president has ever given. From examining the physical breakdown, the deeper meaning, and the delivery of the speech, …show more content…

He uses a large amount of antithesis, and one of the most famous lines of this address is antithesis. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" is a good example of antithesis in this speech, but there are multiples throughout (Atkinson). Using antithesis in uniting the country is catchy and people remembered it. Kennedy also uses a hearty amount of alliteration throughout his speech. Using alliteration creates catchy phrases and sentences that people remember. A good example of alliteration that is used is the phrase "Let us go forth to lead the land we love."(Atkinson). This phrase can be easily remembered and flows well in a speech. Kennedy also uses juxtaposition when he says, “peaceful revolution,” and this adds gusto to the speech because of the contradiction of the two powerful …show more content…

With the use of television, radio, and this new speech construction, Kennedy effectively covered all the bases of the American lifestyle. He put his time in organizing the speech and it was worth it. The fact that so much of the speech is still remembered and discussed around the world 50 years after is an indicator of Kennedy's success in knowing exactly what he wanted to say to who, how to deliver it, and most important, to who he should say it

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