Summary Of Jfk Inaugural Address

459 Words2 Pages

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 …show more content…

Mainly touching on justice and power, JFK’s call to action was missing information that many other addresses contained. Through his use of juxtaposition, phrases such as, “…Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life,” may have been understood too superficially and not as a stab at the skewed priorities throughout the Cold War. Kennedy also discusses God throughout the address, referring to religion through phrases such as “almighty God” and “God’s work must truly be our own,” there is a gray area revealed between his idea of the separation of church and state. Being the first Roman Catholic president, there was already and general speculation, and using spiritual vernacular, Kennedy indicated that religion would be a driving force behind his decision-making

Open Document