Rhetorical Analysis Of Jfk Speech

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Sydney Stephan English 1301- 1 09.26.17 To The Citizens Of The World John F Kennedy’s speech is one that will be remembered for generations to come. His speech inspired our nation and the world by reaching out and addressing the changes we are going to endure. In his speech, President Kennedy uses strategic language and verbiage to convey his purpose. He used words like freedom, renewal, faith, liberty, peace, and loyalty to evoke emotion not only from fellow Americans, but also nations around the world. JFK’s presidency began after World War II and during the Vietnam war when America desperately needed to hear these words most. His presidency fell right in the middle of pressing social injustices and the middle of the Cold War. President Kennedy mentioned several times that the work that our forefathers fought for is …show more content…

In addition to inserting direct biblical quotes, he uses references like, “… The rights of man… come from the hand of God.” And, “ For I have sworn before you and Almighty God…” (Kennedy). This appealed to many people because it showed his moral compass and his willingness defend our country. It also acts as a reminder that he is not only our president but also a citizen himself. He states, “ I do not shrink from fear- I welcome it” (Kennedy). This shows his loyalty to America and its people, even as just a citizen himself. JFK uses several forms of repetition to solidify his message. The beginning of paragraphs seven through 10, he starts off with “To”. This is when he is addressing his audiences. Once again he also repeats the word “pledge”to promise to fulfill the ideas he lists in those specific paragraphs. Lastly, he repeats the words “let both sides” to, again, unite the audience, opposing or agreeing.This is his main idea throughout his entire speech. This is the one idea that remains present in all aspects of his

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