John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was elected on November 8, 1960. On January 20, 1961, Kennedy delivered a reassuring speech to display how he will run the country. The question of what direction the country was going to go in after his election worried many citizens. The speech is not only targeted towards American citizens; it is a message that JFK desires to be spread beyond the United States and throughout other countries. He wishes for every nation, including America, to acknowledge that the United States will give assistance to any country in need of help. Kennedy uses many rhetorical devices in his speech to help ease the citizen’s minds while maintaining a conversational tone a well as a clear and compelling structure. One example of a rhetorical device that JFK uses is anaphora. The purpose of his use of anaphora is to add significance to his message. He begins numerous paragraphs with the phrases “To those old allies…. To those new states…. To those …show more content…
The reason that he uses this rhetorical device is to make his audience have to think about and analyze his words. One example of chiasmus that he states is “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Kennedy is hopeful that this phrase will cause his audience to reevaluate his or her thoughts and opinions on negotiating with other countries. He is stating that it is important to negotiate with other nations for the country’s growth, but negotiation caused by fear will not help the country at all. JFK uses another chiasmus to appeal emotionally to the audience: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." He is explaining that everybody has enough power to make a change, including citizens. JFK wants his citizens to know that they are the people who shaped America to be what it is, and that they can all contribute to helping start a new beginning and making a
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?”
John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address Rhetorical Strategies Essay On the 20 of January 1961, newly elected President John F. Kennedy delivered his inaugural speech in front of the white house to his fellow Americans. While the speech’s respectful eloquence is appropriate for the occasion of an inauguration, its youthful energy and look to the future make it distinctly John F. Kennedy’s. Kennedy’s establishment of an optimistic tone enables him to satisfy his purpose by persuading the American people that he will undoubtedly become the triumphant leader that the nation is anticipating. He attains this goal of assuring the citizens of America that he is going to be successful in his aims to improve the country through the use of several rhetorical strategies predominantly, parallelism, anaphora, and syntax.
When Abraham Lincoln took t the stand for his second inaugural speech, people were surprised by the short but effective speech that was given. Abraham Lincoln talked about some of the motives each side had and their reasons. Lincoln used some rhetorical devices to not only persuade his audience, but to show them that things could get better. He uses it very efficiently to provide solutions and to see past their problems. One of the rhetorical devices used was ethos or his credibility.
The use of various rhetorical techniques also helps John F. Kennedy to consolidate the audience through the use of syntax and diction. In one of the most popular lines of the speech, Kennedy implements antimetabole to appeal to the audience in a way that they can relate to. To illustrate, “Ask not what…for your country,” (Kennedy 26). The antimetabole reverses the words in order to change the meaning for the audience to assess in a different context than how they were originally interpreting it. The first half of the sentence is the part that the audience relates to, by mentioning that the people were asking how the country was going to benefit them.
One of the most famous JFK quotes, “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” comes from this inaugural address. It left an impact on American history in the way it is phrased by repeating the same concepts in reverse order. By contrasting both asking for change from the country and being the one to instill change, Kennedy challenges everyone listening to take the future into their own hands and asks them to be part of his vision. He creates the subtext that there is potential for progress with the willing help of everyone. A similarly effective sentence structure is used when he articulates, “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.”
Top 100 Rhetorical Speeches: John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address In 1945, World War Two ended with the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire. In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed by ten European nations, the United States of America, and Canada in order to organize a united front against the Soviet threat. In 1955, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union signed the Warsaw Pact as a communist counter to the capitalist NATO. In 1961, in the midst of a heated cold war, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) stood in front of the nation and delivered his inaugural address as the 35th president of the United States of America (USA).
He uses the repetition of “peace” as well as several of its synonyms to emphasize his main goal. Kennedy uses many chiasmi such as “ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country” (Kennedy), and “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate” (Kennedy). This use of literary devices makes people really ponder his words, and persuades them to agree with him. The use of literary devices also makes the speech sound more poetic and inspiring. Kennedy also writes the speech in a style that makes citizens feel responsible for the future of their country, as well as the world.
One rhetorical device that Kennedy uses to achieve his purpose is rhetorical questions. For example in paragraph 25 he says “And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” and then he follows this quote again saying “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” When Kennedy
On January 20, 1961 John F. Kennedy delivers his most important speech to the American Citizens after being sworn in as the new president of the United States. His speech is so influential to the American People as he speaks straight to the hearts of every single person with such passion and drive to make a difference in creating a better world. Kennedy uses many rhetorical devices throughout the speech creating the structure precise and clear, and even making it straight to the point allowing full comprehension of each word. John F. Kennedy uses the rhetorical devices, polysyndeton and asyndeton in his speech. These specific devices creates the feeling of rhythm during the speech, making it hard to stop listening.
However, he has proven his strength and resourcefulness especially in his usage of stylistic devices such as antithesis, parallelism, pathos, and ethos, and these are his stylistic devices of strength he possesses. He easily uses them to gain his advantage from the audience and he is capable of fully expressing his message in a patriotic fashion. One of the examples of this usage of antithesis is when Kennedy is referring to “a new generation of Americans” where he flat-out, vividly shows the separation between the old and the new breed of Americans through this technique. He utilizes antithesis once more when he uses the lines, “Symbolizes an end as well as a beginning…….”. As well as, “signifies renewal as well as change….”
Kennedy tells Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” which would imply that if you are not a loyal patriot giving for the United States, than you are the problem. Chiasmus, the technical name for Kennedy’s literary device in the previous example, is often used to create the sense of opposition that is present throughout his address. Kennedy wants you to know that you can do something because “the Communist may be doing it” or you can do what “is right.” You can help “the success of liberty” or you can oppose “the hand of God.” You can stand with America and “abolish all forms of human poverty [or] all forms of human
As President Kennedy enters office he gives an speech on the celebration of freedom; symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning of a new nation. Kennedy rises for the opportunity for persuasion after his inauguration has been addressed and he scarcely beats nixon. President Kennedy uses his authority for persuasion to bring the american people together under his power. The president uses the experience of war,poverty,and the desire for peace to develop an emotional appeal between the U.S and the world population. In this speech Kennedy uses ethos,pathos,logos,as well as other rhetorical devices to convince the audience.
But let us never fear to negotiate.” President Kennedy wanted to insure the people of our country that by being a unified whole we can be stronger and use that strength to help others. By using anaphora in this section of the speech, he creates a sense of unity amongst not only Americans, however, between
Lastly Kennedy states, “ My fellow citizens of the world; ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” In this famous quote from Kennedy’s inaugural speech, he says that together, the people of America can do
Oziel Rios S. Nambiar English 1302. SP3 12 February 2018 Kennedy Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis On Friday, January of 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered a speech to the citizens of the United States of America and the world. Kennedy made a speech that he knew would be remembered for many years to come even after his presidential term.