This speech was John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech. It was given on January 20th, 1961 in Washington D.C., right before he was sworn in to office. In this speech, he addressed the audience that was hearing the speech live, citizens of the United States, and even people all over the whole world. At this point in history, the world was in turmoil and we needed a leader that could handle the office of Presidency. We found one in John F. Kennedy. He believed we should stop fighting one another, and instead come together to fight the problems we all face in our everyday lives. The context of this piece is Kennedy being elected to the office of President of the United States. At this point in history, countries all over the world were fighting …show more content…
one another. The cold war was heating up, and the arms race was taking everyone much farther than they wanted to go. During Kennedy’s presidency, the Cuban missile crisis took place, and also the Bay of Pigs invasion. The intent of the text is to call the world together, and to try to convince the nations of the world to stop fighting each other and unite for the good of the whole world. He said we should help each other, work together, and unite, opposed to constant fighting and wars. This speech affected nearly everyone. It made people start to consider how much better the world could be if citizens united and worked to make the world a better place. We could overcome so many things if we did not have such militant and aggressive minds. His language choices-pauses, examples from the common world, examples from history, an extended vocabulary-really help him make his point. These elements draw the audience in, and help Kennedy keep their attention. He draws on the pathos element when he refers to the Founding Fathers and the creation of our country. This makes the reader feel extremely patriotic and helps to make the reader listen to his points because the patriotism forces them to listen to their president. In paragraph four, he says that the U.S.
will pay any price to continue the legacy of liberty. He also calls the nations together in paragraph 6 where he says “divided there is little we can do.” This means that nations must unite to accomplish any good in the world. In paragraph eight, JFK vows to bring liberty to the most abstract places where liberty has never been. Also, in paragraph nine, Kennedy states he will fulfill the promises that had been made to South American countries, but never kept. In paragraph eleven, he tells our foes that he wants a new beginning, and if we do not come converge technology in new weaponry will destroy us and even destroy the whole world. In paragraph seventeen, he says we should use our technology for the good of all mankind, not for the destruction of some other group we do not agree with. Instead of constantly being in search of some new complicated weaponry, we should always be trying to develop an new medical technology such as the cure for cancer. In paragraph twenty one, Kennedy puts the burden of uniting the world on individual citizens, not huge governments or organizations. He asserts that only individuals can make a change, and if anything is to be done serious changes must be made. Kennedy’s famous quote, “ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country”, lies in paragraph 25. This holds true even today. We should not ask for things from others. We should always have the mindset of helping others,
and working for the benefit of the world. No one will help us if we do not first help ourselves, and also we can not help others before we are where we need to be. Finally, in paragraph 27, he showcases his religion by saying “here on Earth God’s work must truly be our own.” I have had quite a few personal experiences that connect with this speech. My father has told me about many of the same lessons that Kennedy uses in his speech. He tells me that you must help yourself before others will help you, like Kennedy says in his speech. Also, I have heard that if people stand alone, they can not do much, but if they unite, they can accomplish much, much more. The world is very comparable to a sports team. One player , even a very impressive athlete, can not play a game by him or her self and expect to do very well. However, you can take a group of not so impressive players and, if they come together and play as a unit, win games with hard work, determination, and perhaps most importantly, unity. Kennedy's quote, “ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”, also is one that has been pertinent in my family’s life. Both of my grandfathers served in the military, as did some of my great grandparents and great uncles. They all realized that military service is one of the most honorable things that can be done to help our country. I have asked some of them if they would do it over again, and i have never been told anything but “absolutely”. This speech held much truth. Americans should always be working to improve the world. Also, all the citizens of the world have to work together for this planet to survive. Americans, and people every where, absolutely have to challenge themselves every day if we want to continue to better our world and make it a better place to live. We can accomplish nothing if we stand alone, but if we come together and work together, many things can be accomplished that will be impossible if we do not.
It was on January 20th 1961 that John F Kennedy gave his inaugural address after winning the presidential race and beating future president Richard Nixon. President, John F Kennedy in his speech, The Inaugural Address, he describes his plans for growth in America. Kennedy’s purpose is unite the people of the U.S. and bring everyone together for the good cause of promoting growth in the country. He creates a very inspirational tone in order to establish a connection with the U.S. people. In his speech Kennedy really used several rhetorical strategies of persuasion to motivate and persuade the U.S. people that they made the right choice in choosing him.
On January 20th, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave a speech to the nation, which encompassed a new vision for the country with a new generation. That speech was JFK’s Inaugural Address. As the new 35th president, JFK was the youngest president to enter the oval office at the age of forty-three ("Inaugural Address."). The nation was still in in the process of healing after World War II. In the eyes of the masses, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a breath of fresh air for the American People. He was a youthful president, with his youthful image; he was able to rally the younger generations with a progressive vision. This speech was a message to the nation in which JFK outlines a new direction for The United States by securing it’s freedom, being a competitive nation in all aspects, and rallying the citizens behind the government.
John F Kennedy delivered one of the finest speeches on January 20, 1961 after being sworn into office. His inauguration speech was so powerful that it captured the entire nations attention, and quotes from it are still remembered by people today. It is one of the finest speeches ever written. It provides a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos, and it is because of this that people who never heard the speech can quote lines from it.
Kennedy was elected president in the year of 1961. Which was during the time that the Cold War was in full swing. The Cold War being the tension filled era between the superpowers in the east and the superpowers in the west. Contrary to the other two presidents, JFK was not speaking to the American public at the time of the war 's conclusion but right near the middle of the 40 plus year issue. Regardless he was assuring the public. He stated, “...that the torch has been passed to a new generation of American-”. That optimism cannot be matched. Even at the darkest of times could he stand up there, the president of the United States, and tell the young people of America that their time is now. Not only that but he attempts to inspire Americans when he says “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”, which was definitely a knock at the Russians. JFK overall had this persona about him. This was the speech where muttered that historic and uplifting quote, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” His message of peace and coexisting really stand the test of
Hence, through various rhetorical strategies, Kennedy achieves his purpose of gaining the spectators’ favor through stressing major current events that concerned the American people. These significant concepts include American patriotism and American diplomacy, stressed when he begins four consequent paragraphs with the same recurring three words, “Let both sides.” Kennedy’s brilliant use of pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax successfully convey his ambitions and hopes for America, as it makes Kennedy’s speech a very memorable one in history.
On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made his inaugural address to the nation. He stood in front of the podium to convince citizens that he is the best person to turn the country around. He used experiences from the past, such as war, poverty, and the need for peace to get the attention of those who wish to see change within the country as well as countries we work with. Kennedy spoke in a way to to persuade the american people, as well as the soviet union to come together. In this speech President John F. Kennedy used ethos, pathos, and logos as well as other rhetorical devices to convince his audience.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most important American speeches after being sworn in as president on January 20, 1961. His inauguration speech was so influential that it seized the nation’s attention, and quotes from it are still clearly remembered by people today. It is considered one of the best speeches ever written and ever delivered. It presents a strong appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos and accomplishes what any speaker strives for – it speaks straight to the heart of the audience and inspires people.
He does this for the reason that he wants to reiterate that American virtues are at the foundations of the people and not the government. Furthermore he creates his earnest tone through parallelism, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” This is earnest on the grounds that he not only shows what they need to do, but shows them what they have been doing wrong. His tone was also contemplative in the fact that Kennedy reflects on the issue of nuclear war and the consequences that it entails. The mention of a nuclear crisis intentionally unites everyone, both Republicans and Democrats, in a common goal to defeat a tangible enemy.
After narrowly winning the popular vote over former vice President and Republican Candidate Richard Nixon by only two tenths, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected as the 35th President of the United States of America. President John F. Kennedy delivered his Inaugural Address in the cold on January 20, 1961 with roughly 8 inches of snow on the ground. Before the inauguration could take place, Army flamethrowers had to clear the snow from Pennsylvania Avenue so fellow Americans could make their way to the swearing in. The newly sworn in President began his address by letting his fellow Americans know that he was willing to work with everyone, to make not only the United States, but each country a greater place for everyone to live, rather than cause issues between the countries.
In terms of logos, John F. Kennedy understood America’s fight for future stability, so his speech addressed how two separate ideologies could world together under a new goal, of peace. During this period in American history, the civil rights movement was in full effect, which was a national embarrassment. It is important to note, that Kennedy failed to side with the civil rights movement, up to this point, so by addressing the world citizens, he could ignore U.S. problems and generalize America’s freedom. Thus, his speech was a logical way of downplaying America’s problems, and concentrate on our world problems. “My fellow citizens of the world,” was his plea to work together to create a free country, however, not all people in America were
John F. Kennedy’s central argument in his inaugural speech is that America needs to act. During this time the Cold War was occurring, causing both America and the Soviet Union to compete in an arms race to see who could make the most nuclear weapons. Kennedy states that America needs to fight for freedom while also negotiating peace with communist countries, especially the Soviet Union. Kennedy does not want a nuclear war to occur, so he wants peace before another world war happens. Kennedy also talks about helping the poor people in other countries.
John F Kennedy delivered one of the best speeches on January 20, 1961.His inauguration speech was very powerful and it gathered the attention of every single person in the nation. It uses a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos. Kennedy was the youngest president to be in office. He got his degree from Harvard and later on joined the navy. He wrote “ profiles in courage” which has received one of the most recognized awards, the Pulitzer Prize. This speech had a lot of positive sides to it, but one of the most important things was that it gave him a good look from the outside. The inaugural address was written to let the citizens of America know that they could change this country for the better. It assured all voters
John F. Kennedy was elected president on November 8, 1960. This was a particularly rough time in the world. The United states along with several nations were being threatened by poverty, tyranny, disease, communism, and war and weapons. During this time John F. Kennedy, our 35th elected president, gave one of the top four historical speeches of all time. The use of ethos, pathos, and logos where fair and showed how knowledgeable he was about his topic, and makes a clear claim about his topic that the people of The United states and its fellow nations needed to step up to make this world a better place. His intention was to show despite he was the youngest president ever elected, he would be a great leader, and that he will bring change as long as the people were there to help. He wanted to exhort the American people and the world that there is hope.
As emblematic representatives of their country, U.S. Presidents exercise their beliefs and concepts regularly through the use of eloquence. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected president of the United States in 1960. Kennedy became president during times of great danger and fear for the nation of America, and others around the globe. With Communism being further more popular, and large weapon’s being frequently produced all around the world, the people of America needed a new premier commander. As the youngest elected official to ever govern the White House, Kennedy wanted to show his genuineness as a ruler, and verify that his presidency would lead to great hope and future. The president’s inaugural address allows the president to lay out his
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America at noon on January 20th, 1961. He then delivered his inaugural speech in The National Center for Public Policy Research's Archive of Historical Documents. Kennedy’s speech, one that Thurston Clarke referred to as “...the speech that changed America.” may quite possibly have done just that. Kennedy’s speech sought to convey many messages to the American people. It, at the time, speaks of a world which is “very different now” and notes the importance and prevalence of change in American society and the rest of the world. The most important theme taken from Kennedy’s speech perhaps though is its call to arms of Americans to become active citizens and to fight not only the wrongs and injustices to freedom taking place throughout the world but also to advance the rights and freedoms experienced within the United States by turning inward and actively pursuing change for the betterment of American society.