Analysis Of Lyndon B Johnson's Inaugural Address

Lyndon B. Johnson’s Voting Rights Act Address

“Superior ability is not exclusive possession of any one race or any one class provided that men are given the right opportunities,” Henry A. Wallace. President, Lyndon B. Johnson, in his speech asserts that all American citizens are created equal and deserve the right to vote. He supports this claim by first using parallelism and alliteration, then loaded diction and allusion, then quotes, and finally ties it all together by using ethos and pathos. Johnson’s purpose is to get the audience to understand that all men and women are created equal in order to get all American citizens to go vote. Johnson begins his assertive speech to relate that all American citizens have a problem with accepting

Lyndon B. Johnson effectively uses loaded diction, pathos, allusion, and quotes to relate this message to his citizens. He states, “The great phrases of that purpose still sound in every American heart.” In this statement, the former president uses loaded diction by alluding that the statement sounds in someone’s heart. Also, he uses pathos by referring to something by heart therefore making it both meaningful and emotional. Johnson perfectly marries the use of loaded diction and pathos in this sentence. Later, he alludes to the Constitution by using quotes. For instance, “‘All men are created equal’ – ‘Government by consent of the governed’ – ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’” Because he uses phrases from the Constitution itself, he explains his point, that America was made for the right of freedom and equality, in a well-done

He begins this section by using parallelism, loaded diction, and pathos. Johnson first uses parallelism by stating, “Who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome...--poverty, disease, and ignorance—we shall overcome.” Lyndon B. Johnson emphasizes this phrase to get the audience to understand that if all American citizens join as a united front, there is no hoop they cannot jump through. Later, he uses loaded diction such as “This great, rich, restless country can offer opportunity and education and hope to all.” The loaded diction used in the sentence explains how the United States became this “great, rich, and restless country.” He describes America as restless because it always keeps on fighting for what they believe in and will continue to do so for decades to come. This gives an insight to Johnson’s proposition as to the country fighting for equality while the citizens do not care to accept the dramatic change. Furthermore, Johnson ties his perfectly written message together in his final portion of his speech by using pathos. He wrote these final statements as empowering messages in order for the audience to do something about the equality and voting issue that this country is facing. He wanted a change of point