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Inuagural address speech john f kennedy
Kennedy's speech going to the moon
What is john f kennedys speech about
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“We choose to go to the moon” -JFK In September 1961, president John. F. Kennedy delivers one of his best inspirational speeches titled “We choose to go to the Moon”. This notorious speech was addressed at Rice University in Houston Texas to a very fortunate crowd of students. The significance of his timing is both vital and genius for at the time being the cold war between the United States of America and Russia had been in mid-hype, Russia leading in the space race. This brought doubt to the Americas power and authority thus giving his speech more influential drive. Kennedys fear of the Soviet Union landing on the moon first is because he did not want to see the accomplishment “governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of …show more content…
freedom and peace”. This quote highlighting the idea that he did not want the soviets controlling space rights, giving them the power and authority to rain down nuclear weapons at any time which contradicts Kennedy’s belief being that the moon is a place where “new knowledge” could be gained for the greater good researching “space science, like nuclear science and all technology”. John F. Kennedy’s goal in delivering his speech about the moon is to convince America to support NASA and re-affirm Americans of their power. In order to gain their reinforcement he uses ethos, logos, and anaphora. Kennedy decides to start off his speech by gaining credibility from the audience right off the bat.
Throughout his speech he uses ethos to achieve trust in order to gain Americas belief, the second paragraph emphasizes his approach by putting him in a professors shoes when he says, “I appreciate your president having made me an honorable visiting professor. He also uses ethos when he refers to what William Bradford, an English separatist leader agreeing with his philosophy “all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both enterprised and overcome with answerable courage”. Underlining that with patients and togetherness people could overcome their difficulties. Lastly using ethos Kennedy lists how man has improved their quality of living “man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter”. This quote is a known fact letting the audience understand his knowledge proving his theory that great advances can be made such as sending an aircraft to the moon. With the known prior knowledge he can further gain the audiences trust and reassure them to support NASA with sending the aircraft to the …show more content…
moon. Weaved throughout his speech Kennedy explains his extensive knowledge about scientific manpower but also persuades the audience with comparisons and logos.
This particular rhetorical device appeals to those listening because they can trust a man who is sure of what he is talking about and can back up the facts with ease, for example in paragraph five he says “Nations own scientific manpower is doubling ever 12 years in a rate of growth more then three times that of our population” verifying his theory thus gaining the audiences trust in order to support his main idea. Kennedy strongly demonstrates logos through comparing the cost of the space program to the amount of money people spend in the United States buying tobacco products a year. This negative cause verses a positive cause makes it clear to the audience that only good can come from supporting NASA because “that budget now stands at $5,400 million a year--a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year” making the positive choice obnoxiously obvious. Kennedy choice to use logos within his speech is ideal for evidence to back his speech can only result in the audience having no reason to doubt therefore
agreeing. Long speeches tend to drag on and bore an audience but Kennedy uses anaphora from beginning to end to emphasize his point and rally up the crowd. In order to make sure the listeners are interested and entertained Kennedy uses their pride for their nation to amp the crowd as he says in the ninth paragraph “this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States” this statement is dripping with anaphora for now they aren’t just supporting Kennedys cause but their country too. Kennedy is also very confident for the duration of his speech that indeed the spacecraft will be sent to the moon. His confidence is another way he expresses anaphora as he says in the sixteenth paragraph “ because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win” making it known that he will succeed thus pumping up the crowd to support him. His certainty is also accentuated when he says “and do all this, and do it right, and do it first” proving that he has no doubt and that he is going to launce the aircraft before the Soviet Union. Kennedy manages to create unity, passion, and confidence by using anaphora as apart of his literally strategy in order to achieve his goal to gain support for NASA. His strong opinion against Soviet Union being hostile and corrupt is underlined and applied during the entirety of his speech. In order to prove that they should not have the privilege to launch the aircraft he uses the following rhetorical devices: ethos, logos, and anaphora to gain support and trust to win the hearts of the Americans. Kennedy makes it crystal clear that “we shall not see space filled with weapons of mad destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding” persuading the audience while lusting over his own idea delivering a powerful, inspiring and influential speech.
Logos means the persuading by the use of reasoning. For example, “ No one even knows whether salmon can even survive in the lower San Joaquin, which has temperatures more suitable for bass and bluegill, (McEwen 1).” The quote is clearly a display of logos because the author demonstrates to the reader that the government does not even make sure the salmon can survive in the lower San Joaquin, which then convinces the reader the project is not well thought out and cannot be trusted. I agree with the author’s viewpoint because if the government was really interested in the benefits for people, the representatives would have looked into all the details necessary to be able to succeed with the project. Another example of the author stating logos on his article for the reader to get a better understanding of what the government really cares for is, “Besides, scientific evidence suggests that California’s salmon problems have been caused in large part by oceanic conditions and the environmental mess that is the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta (McEwen 1).” This quote is an alternative representation of logos since it proves a fact. The fact makes the reader extra believable since he uses scientific evidence about California’s salmon problems. It is clear to me the position that is superior to the other one because there have been numerous studies proving this project will
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
Kennedy, in his speech appeals mostly to logos by using hards facts and statistics. For example, in line 20 he explains how the inflation of steel is affecting “185 million Americans”. He continues using logos throughout his speech when he introduces Sect of Defense McNamara and tells the American people the steel inflation would an “estimated one billion dollars to cost of defenses, at a time when every dollar is needed for national security”. However, this is also an
people and to get his point across. With logos he uses inductive reasoning by talking about actual facts and cases like when he says “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms – and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.”(Miss, Daly, Pg. 202-203). In this phrase he is talking about the cold war and the stuff that has been going on with Russia. He is showing the world he wants to promote peace and he want to fix the relationship between America and Russia. Another example of logos in this speech which is deductive reasoning is when he says “those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside,” (Miss, Daly, Pg. 202). Which he talks about communism and the spread of communism. He also uses quotes from the bible. “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation” (Miss, Daly, Pg. 203). John F Kennedy was catholic and that was one of his biggest obstacles in the race because a lot of people did not like the idea of a catholic President but by quoting the bible he connect himself to the Christian people in the U.S. through religion and make them feel better about their choice of voting for him. Along with ethos and logos in his speech John F Kennedy also
As a result of the successful mission that landed the first men on the moon, called the Apollo 11 mission, many people were inspired to provide commentary on this landing. Although these texts describe unique individual purposes about this landing, they all effectively support their purposes through the use of several rhetorical devices.
“If a free society can not help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”(Kennedy, 1961) Statements such as these demonstrate how Kennedy appealed to the citizens by simply using reason. The use of logos in his speech was minimal compared to the use of pathos, and ethos.
John F. Kennedy once said, "No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”. The main motive for this quote was to ensure that the United States wanted to beat out the Soviets in the space race. Ever since the Soviets tried to advance on the moon, the United States wanted to be the first successful nation to accomplish the first ever moon landing. At the time, the tension between the United States and the Soviets was very strong because the Cold War just ended and neither nation wanted to lose to each other in the space race. Just as the United States planned their mission to the moon, the Soviets were the very first nation to ever settle on space. The U.S. as well as President Kennedy were shocked to see the Soviets be the first nation to fly in space. The United States had to come up with a plan in order to beat out the soviets, by becoming the very first nation to ever land on the moon. Overall, it is clear that the United States hoaxed the moon landing in order to beat out the Soviet Union in the space race through observations, evidence from a Hollywood studio, and allowing NASA to pull off the Apollo mission.
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...
In conclusion, this speech was structured beautifully. Its use of figurative and expressive language makes it an unforgettable speech. Kennedy does a great job of using pathos, ethos, and logos to reiterate his commitment to the American public as well as discuss expected changes. Given the state of the world at the time of his inauguration, the decision to rely so heavily on pathos and ethos was a wise one which got the job done. His use of the rhetoric triangle effectively conveys Kennedy’s plan for America to not only her citizens, but to the world.
Early on in the race, the USSR was very successful. In 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik, which triggered the start of the space race (John F. Kennedy). The United States began to scramble, trying to catch up with the Soviets. However, soon after, the Soviet Union completed another huge success. They sent the first man to orbit Earth (John F. Kennedy). In 1961 the USSR’s Yuri Gagarin became the first human to ever orbit the Earth (John F. Kennedy). The United States was still unsuccessful and beginning to look weak. After that, America got serious. On May 25, 1961, President Kennedy asked Congress for around eight billion dollars to build up the space program over the next five years (John F. Kennedy). The president declared, “This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth” (John F. Kennedy).
Kennedy used this to support his claim and put the nation as a whole to do things together and never be in doubt of their goals and have the common knowledge set in mind. So when you look over to the inaugural speech there is no doubt that the usage of ethos was on point. His morals about religion and doing stuff that led to the right way became very keen. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth and lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.” (Kennedy, 1961)
President John F. Kennedy brings about a new way of thinking in his inaugural speech. He brings in a sense of selflessness and relentlessness for the country. He uses literary devices such as, antithesis, repetition, and rhetorical questions to bring about that sense in the audience. He begins by putting himself to the people and allowing the audience to feel welcomed. The use of literary devices in his speech allows the audience to recognize his goal, which is moving forward and bringing change to the country.
The way logos were used in his speech greatly assured the public that action needed to be taken immediately. He provided both reasoning and logic to better forward his point that a change needed to be made. One area specifically he states, “The Negro baby born in America today, regardless of the section of the state in which he is born, has about one-half as much chance of completing high school”. The statistics that John F Kennedy provides seriously strengthen his argument, with logic and statistics to back up his argument it creates a stronger pull. John F. Kennedy also makes the statement “.about one-seventh as much chance of earning $10,000 a year,” showing the difference in wages between African Americans and Caucasians.... ...
Throughout his speech, President Kennedy utilized the ethos appeal. Being the President and citing important individuals and organizations gave him credibility. He “quote[d] their government, ‘the Soviet Union has so powerful rockets to carry
In the quotation, President Kennedy utilizes logos or logic to craft a poignant rebuttal against the argument which downplayed the significance of going to the moon. In essence, the President’s argument is that if going to the moon is unimportant, unnecessary, or improvident, then all other great American accomplishments are, in themselves, also wastes of “time and tears”. For instance, Kennedy asserts that by the logic of “wasteful accomplishments”, previous achievements, like, flying over the Atlantic, at the time, “35 years ago”, were also ludicrous American feats without magnitude. Ultimately, this “if, then logic” is a clear utilization of Logos, as it reasons in a concise way through concrete evidence. Moreover, the evidence of history, e.g., great American accomplishments, is used to