The Effective Use of Persuasion in Kennedy’s Inaugural Address The twentieth century was a tense and stressful time period for the United States. Towards the middle of it, the time most commonly known as “The Cold War” began. This marked the beginning of the arms race between this country and the Soviet Union. Just as the turmoil continued to evolve, John F. Kennedy was elected as the 35th president of the United States. Kennedy was very aware of what was happening around the world at the time, so he made his purpose to unite the people with his inaugural address. This was no easy task; he had to appeal to a whole nation with only a few words. Thanks to his use of emotionally-packed diction, audience-engaging syntax and persuasive tone, Kennedy successfully reassured his vision of unity and stirred the hearts of his audience, making them want to be part of something bigger. …show more content…
He uses artful diction such as metaphors, saying that “those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside” (Kennedy 7), and zeugma: “For a man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of poverty and life” (Kennedy 2). The metaphor reminds the audience of the growing power of the USSR and how dangerous it can be. The zeugma talks about how citizens can change society by working together to abolish poverty versus the power of a nuclear bomb and its ability to destroy life. With his metaphor, he makes the listener feel concern and with the zeugma, he gives the audience a reason to unite, to prevent the threat of a nuclear war. His use of syntax, on the other hand, is used to
The first speech made by the President of the United States is like the first pitch to start off a World Series. Like the first pitch at the World Series, the Inaugural Address sets the tone and has the ability to make an immediate substantial impact. In this case, the newly elected Commander-in-Chief’s first speech to kick off the upcoming four-year term of election gives the President an important opportunity to make a good first impression. John F. Kennedy delivered what is widely considered as one of the greatest speeches of all time on January 20, 1961. Throughout the legendary speech, Kennedy effectively utilizes pathos, logos and ethos which ignited the spark of a presidency that can only be described as historically memorable.
A president, being an influential person for an entire nation must be able to relate to his audience. Kennedy demonstrates different strategies that allow his audience to identify with him as a speaker. He asks Rhetorical questions to incorporate the audience during his speech. For example, Kennedy says “Can we forge against these enemies a grand global alliance… that can assure a more fruitful life for mankind? Will you join in the historic effort?”
In his speech, Kennedy highlighted that his goal was to bring change as a leader, and addressing the USSR, did not want to continue in the Cold War. As an inauguration speech, Kennedy’s goal was to inform the country, as well as the world, of his intentions as a leader. The first instance of Kennedy using rhetoric to meet this goal is through his use of ethos, pathos and logos. Using these Aristotelian proofs allowed him to evoke the intended response, from the immediate audience. Kennedy’s use of ethos and pathos makes the audience feel a strong bond to him, as they are all of a new generation, which implies that they can bring change.
America wasn’t in its finest condition by 1961, as the Cold War continued to worsen, as USSR began building the Berlin Wall to separate the East and West of Berlin. Americans and Russians were in no position to be friends, and Americans lived in a confused and fear based mindset that led many Americans built backyard fallout shelters in case of nuclear war. They were in need of a strong inspiring leader. John F. Kennedy resembled the image of the kind of leader America needed, he was the leader they had hoped for. He was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States after the reassurance he gave the nation with his inaugural statement.
To begin, Kennedy uses diction to set the tone and allow the readers to comprehend the ideas within the speech as well. Along with diction comes figurative language which creates the speech to be more emotional and interacting. For example the personification “sister republics” creates an emotional appeal from the audience because many people have or have had the experience of having a sister. This quote also helps the reader to fully comprehend that if “we” as a nation work together “we” can make a difference in America.
John F. Kennedy, the United States 35th President, delivered his famous inaugural speech on January 20, 1961. He developed his idea by using metaphor and emotion-arousing words to inspired citizens to fight against enemies and warned the foes not to challenge America any more. JFK’s purpose was to encourage citizens not to give in to the enemies and admonished the country’s communist opponents for their frequent defiance. By using metaphor and emotion-arousing words, JFK expressed his passionate tone successfully in order to convey his idea to USA, USSR and others.
President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address is most effective at persuading the audience because of his use of rhetorical devices. President John F. Kennedy values the rhetorical devices of pathos, repetition, and allusions. Pathos is found multiple times in John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address because John F. Kennedy convinces America to be the best country in the world. For instance, in the the inaugural address John F. Kennedy states, “ Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce”. This quotation describes that John F. Kennedy arouses excitement and hopes for the future of the country.
On January 20, 1961, forty-three-year-old John F, Kennedy delivered his inaugural address in Washington D.C after being sworn in as the thirty-fifth United States President. He memorably captured the attention of the entire nation with one of the finest speeches written to date, tugging on the heartstrings and logistically addressing the worries of many Americans. Making his point clear and comprehendible, Kennedy reached larger audiences than his predecessors, bringing a sense of calmness to the public during the height of the Cold War, national talk of communism, and the impending fear of nuclear attacks. He took austere consideration to the chaos erupting both internationally and nationally by instilling a sense of union amongst Americans in attempts to creating lasting peace. Utilizing a fearless rhythm of persuasiveness and motivational tactics, Kennedy connects to his audience through emotional
Freedom Is Ringing We are inspired by great speeches because of the way they are rhetorically crafted to make us feel. The best speeches are not the ones that are informational, it’s the ones that tug at our heartstrings. John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, Martin L. King ’s I Have a Dream Speech, and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms State of the Union Address use a variety of literary devices in their speech to motivate and cajole their audiences to defend our liberties.
The power of persuasion is one that has proved its influence all throughout the history of humanity, convincing the masses to think as one body. This talent is not without practice or order however, even those talented with influence must be organized and eloquently sew their words together to prove a point. Only arguments that can appeal to all are able to be successful. In President John F. Kennedy’s Speech “Peace Speech”, examples of Aristotle's Modes of Persuasion are used. Kennedy uses the appeal of his credibility (Ethos), emotion (Pathos), and logic (Logos) to support his argument against war.
John F. Kennedy in his speech, the Inaugural Address, explains his dreams and plans for the United States as he attempts to unite the citizens. Kennedy supports his ideas on the future of the country and conveys his message by using rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos and logos, good structure and figurative language. Kennedy’s purpose in this speech is to persuade and inspire citizens to unite and strive to keep America a peaceful and stable place to be. While the speech’s respectful eloquence is appropriate for the occasion of an inauguration, its youthful energy and look to future make it distinctly John F. Kennedy’s.
Today I sit and ponder on what kind of America are my children growing up in and what kind of America are we going to see for our grandchildren and future generations. Let’s be honest, we have neighborhoods and cities terrorized by home grown gangs and gangs that have moved in from other countries. Just a month ago a nine year old boy was brutally executed by a gang in Chicago and now to complicate our concerns, we are constantly wondering when the “sleeper cells” of Islamic terrorist in America are going to awaken, if not already, and are we going to be a nation like Israel who constantly lives under some form of attack on a daily scale. Please understand, I am not attacking Muslims; however, I am speaking about Muslim extremist.
“For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.” This quote from the 35th president of the United States set a precedent of greatness for our country. The man who set such a precedent was John F. Kennedy. A very persuasive and well-read man, when he gave his inaugural address, our nation and the world knew we were in good hands. JFK not only was well-read, he gave moving speeches.
Tom Peters once said “True leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” In the “Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy”, Kennedy uses many rhetorical devices throughout the speech to clarify his message. Kennedy’s message is for people should unite together and become peaceful with each other and other nations. In the speech, Kennedy uses alliteration, anaphora, allusion, and antithesis. The use of these rhetorical devices helps to awaken the audience to let them know that we can all get along with each other, without fighting with one another.
Kennedy made sure to properly address his audience, he also maintained a professional attitude throughout the speech since it is a formal occasion. Kennedy also made sure to include the usage of “we” throughout the speech to make his audience feel as though he was talking with them, not at them. Kennedy really worked hard to instill the belief that as a nation, we can accomplish great things and that by working together, we can accomplish the goal of landing a man on the moon. However, the former president also made sure to