When I read the passage written by John F. Kennedy, or JFK, I didn’t have the same feelings as he did when he wrote it. When I read JFK’s speech I was not as enthused as JFK was when he talked about space travel. JFK was very interested in space travel and wanting people to agree, but now that space travel has already happened, it is not a very exciting text to read. JFK was very concerned about not getting to space, so he worked hard to get everyone on board with space travel. When I read JFK’s speech, versus watching it, you couldn’t tell the difference in his emotions and how much he was interested in space travel. I could tell he was trying to persuade people to learn about space travel. This passage is both a persuasive and informational text. When it’s read now, it doesn’t have much of a persuasive tone, because space travel has happened and is continuing to happen. …show more content…
The changes in meaning, from reading to watching the speech, occurred because you get to see his emotions.
You don’t have to wonder what he may or may not have been feeling, you get to see it. When I read JFK’s speech I read to learn, but it doesn’t tingle my soul. When I saw JFK’s speech I gained a better understanding of why he wrote the speech. When you watch President, JFK talk about space travel you can really feel his passion and desire for others to learn about space travel too. He shows how he feels, how it helps, and that it is very important to him. When you listen to him talking about space travel you learn how space travel will keep the U.S. on top. Watching JFK’s speech was much more entertaining than reading it. It really brought his speech to life. When you read his speech, you might not understand it the same way as when he said it. His claim is to get people to think that space travel will help us and make the nation
better. I understood space travel better when I saw JFK talk about it. I feel this way because I heard what he said, and his wording was not complex. He looked professional, he sounded passionate, and his tone was inviting. He had emotion and that helped me understand what he said from his perspective. When I read JFK’s speech I didn’t see it in his eyes, like when I watched him. I’d much rather watch his speech than read it. When reading, I gained more knowledge, but when I watched him speak I could see the persuasive tone, and the need to continue to explore space travel. When seeing how he feels you get why it is important and how it will help our nation. This is why seeing JFK’s speech gives me a better understanding than reading the text.
Kennedy uses an analogy in the fifth and sixth paragraphs; he compares the entire history of man to a single half century “the 50,000 years of man¹s recorded history in a time span of but a half-century.” This analogy creates a sense of urgency and need for the space program, if the world is moving forwards so fast, if America doesn’t reach the moon first someone else will. This sentiment is highlighted by the quote “The exploration of space will go on ahead, whether we join in it or not.” Kennedy constantly piqued the curiosity of the crowd, using the appeal of the unknown. Referring to “the vast stretches of the unknown”. Kennedy also links the moon goal to the fabric of the nation, continually stating “This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space.” And suggesting that failure would be betraying the founding fathers of the nation. Kennedy also uses humour at key stages, to break up the seriousness of the speech. The lines “Why does Rice play Texas” and “I'm the one who is doing all the work, so we just want you to stay cool for a minute.” In the first statement Kennedy is referring to a rival university’s football team, relating the crowd to Kennedy and his goals. The other example of humour is where he was talking about the high temperatures of the sun and only a sentence later tells the audience that they should stay
“Born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage.” (Miss, Daly, Pg.). This show the U.S. people that he really loves this country and really cares about what’s going on and what happens to it in the future. Another way he brings pathos into his speech is by the language/words he uses in his speech. When he is talking he uses a lot of words like “we”, “us”. This makes the U.S. people feel very connected to him and makes the feel like they are a part of it to, it is like they made the decision to vote him president and now they get to help him make his decisions about the future of America. In his address he says “In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.” (Miss, Daly, Pg.). which again he connects to the people by making them feel involved and by basically saying the future of America is even more in our hands then in his and it really depends on us in how we want America to turn out, and again makes the U.S people feel very patriotic and proud of their country. Overall John F Kennedy was very successful in persuading the U.S. people about their choice by using pathos and by just talking to
Those words were, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country” ("Inaugural Address."). In order to achieve all these feats, JFK need a nation united. JFK pulled on the nations heartstrings by reminding the nation of it’s core values, which it was founded on. He appeals to that “tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage” side of the American public ("Inaugural Address."). He later goes on to say that change will not happen overnight, but rather change is a continuous process that is always evolving and
The speech I am mentioning is often referred to as the “We Choose To Go To The Moon” speech. It was roughly 20 minutes long and was delivered in Houston, Texas, at Rice University to students and faculty. He starts his speech by providing the audience with facts about man’s inventions and discoveries, mentioning all the way back to cave men and how they used animal skin as clothing. From there John F. Kennedy moved on in history chronologically to discuss how we learned to write, use a cart with wheels, study religion, create the printing press, and develop the steam engine. He also mentioned television, airplanes, nuclear power, and telephones. He says that we need to move forward, and talks about how space will be the means of the progression of the United States. Kennedy explains that the race to space will go on whether the United States takes part in it or not, and a nation that wants to be a world leader needs to come first in the race, and not be behind. He says that we, as a country, have vowed to fill outer space with instruments of knowledge and understanding, not weapons of mass destruction. He explains how he wishes to e...
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.
To begin, Kennedy gave the exigence and explained what the current situation was in America. He gives his thesis to let the audience know what his feelings are, and what the main point of the speech is going to be. The first sentence discusses the steel companies raising their prices which, “constitutes a wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible defiance of the public interest” (2-3). This sentence sets up the rest of the speech and what can be expected to follow. After giving the exigence and thesis, Kennedy expands on the issue in the paragraphs that proceed. His ideas flow right from one to the next. Beginning with the issues in America, the steel companies raised prices, national security, and finally how it affects Americans.
Evident throughout his entire address, Kennedy employs a cogent pathos appeal to keep his audience intrigued. This can be demonstrated when Kennedy initially proclaims: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…” who he urges to be “unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of…human rights to which this nation has always been committed…” (Kennedy). Kennedy’s usage of “we” rather than “I” gives the audience a sense that they exist as part of something big, perhaps a family, while portraying Kennedy as a people’s president who desires to be a “person in the crowd.” Throughout his address, Kennedy establishes pathos mainly by appealing to American patriotism, a significant concept during the Cold War period in which Americans needed a jingoistic spirit to succeed. By reminding his audience of their forefathers and instigating parallels between “the first revolution” and the present generation, “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage,” the president grasps the attention of the audience. He even stresses the value of liberty and this generation’s dedication to the survival of that value to rou...
His speech contained persuasive appeals such as logos and pathos. Kennedy says “This peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers...our neighbors know we shall join with them to oppose aggression anywhere…let every power know this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.” This strong quote corresponds with pathos, it pertains to the emotion of hope and courage that the U.S. needs to maintain its high ranking status among other countries. This shows that he wants us to be ready for anything
Audience was a resource and constraint. Kennedy consciously spoke not only to Americans but also to the people around the world as a globe. Because of this, and the want for peace, he had to be very careful about what he said so as not upset the communistic counterparts. His audience was a resource though in the fact that the entire world got to hear it.
...commitments and his plan. By reiterating common knowledge, Kennedy has his audience reflect on known fact in order to drive his message home.
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.
Since the main reason of his sermon is to inspire rather than educate, Kennedy rarely uses any logical pleads. Yet, Kennedy adequately uses passionate dialect to make the people sense their involvement in what all the President says. Kennedy composes the assignment to bring back tranquility and good-wealth as not only his aim, but of the public as well. With famed verses like, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” Kennedy makes the spectators feel inclined to make an impact in the world they live. Apart from infusing a sense of obligation in the crowd, Kennedy’s greatest element in his speech was the aptitude to arouse a feeling of esteem in the audience. Kennedy constantly uses phrases about freedom and sovereignty to remind the people they still are. “The heirs of that first revolution.” This dialect portrays America as a powerful and patriarch republic that possesses greater philanthropy of all the other nations around the world. Even though much of the address is fervent in tone, Kennedy devotes a large section of his topic to outline his ethos to all inhabitants of the world. JFK introduced the use of ethos at the inception of his address. Kennedy was very young when he came into office, but he was still obliged to act at the same status as former presidents. Attentive to this condition, Kennedy
Kennedy uses refrences from past events in history to emphasize his point of taking a risk and trying something new, and inspiring his audience. An event from 1630 is used in JFK’s speech as an allusion to make the reader feel a sense of , “William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage” (Kennedy 2). He is proving that after all the hard work, it is succesful and worth it. William Bradford created a colony by the devotion and hard work. Kennedy is relating himself and the country to Bradford, showing the audience that it is possible. Using an example from history makes the audience more committed to landing on the moon when they think the probability for success is high. It gives off the encouraging thought of, “if they did it, we can do it”, which is exactly what JFK was trying to succeed. Kennedy also uses an allusion to exaggerate to sudden change in tecchnology and show how advanced this country...
...ose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." He was hoping to get the support of the nation. That the people in the audience were listening to him and agreed with what he had to say. The crowd cheered and applauded for him which usually means that they agree, so I would say that JFK got the response he was looking for. The people agreed with him. I agree with the fact that the foolish people who are "riding the tiger will end up inside". Because you should not toil with things that you have no right toiling with. Like the people who have the right to speak about what they want to speak about.
In the passage, Kennedy uses significant type of diction such as asunder, foe, forebears, writ, and wrought. Many of the words used have a formal and mature connotation. Considering that Kennedy was so young, he was often critiqued for this. Therefore, instead of speaking in an informal tone, he spoke formally and respectfully to give the effect that he was wise with his knowledge. He uses many different forms of syntax to put emphasis on moving forward with the nation. “Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.” and “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” are examples of his expectations of how the future will bring new and improved innovations. In the speech there are many different situations where he tends to use opposites next to each other in comparison. “Symbolizing and end as well as a beginning” these quotes throughout the speech, imply that the tone has adjusted from the original course, wandering from the tradition it has always been. His tone was well understood, civil and defined by diction allowing all of the audience to be