John F kennedy was the 35th president to be sworn into office in the US. He did a number of wonderful things for our country throughout his presidency, but the first most memorable was when he lifted the spirits of millions of Americans with his Inaugural Address on January 20th, 1961. In order to fully understand why his speech is one of the best American speeches one must first know the reason behind his speech, secondly, the significance of his speech to the people of the US, and lastly how his speech impacted the people of the US. There are plenty of reasons why JFK gave his inaugural address. One of the most obvious was the tradition of every president to give a speech after they are sworn into office, but Kennedy had a specific purpose …show more content…
His election was one of the closest in American history running against Vice president Richard Nixon. JFK reassured the people by beginning his speech with “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning,”. By saying this he encouraged the people that his election was the beginning of something great to come. That we should not celebrate in the fact that his party one by a hair, but that they won freedom and justice. He also wanted to gain America’s trust in saying “For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.”. When he said this to the people it created trust in their hearts that they could trust him the same way they trusted their founding fathers. Another significance of JFK’s speech was not only to reassure the People of the US, but to reassure anyone else what his plan was to do, and that the US was not going to back down from defending freedom and being the best it can be! For example he states “only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it.”. This meant that he was going to do everything in his power to defend justice and freedom for all in its time of need, and that …show more content…
One of the ways he easily impacted people was his dynamics of speech. He makes sure that his speaking rate is slow and steady when needed, to guarantee people could follow and understand his objective. Being unique he still holds the record for being able to speak 350 words a minute, being clear and straightforward. Another dynamic JFK used was stressing words, for example when he says “ let us dare not forget” and “let every nation know”. Stressing words like dare and every draws the audience in with another dynamic he uses in his tone of voice. Another way he impacted the audience was his creative way of appealing to their ideal America. During those days the American people wanted peace, to be up-to-date with technological advances, and to stand by the hand of God. Kennedy appealed the people of america by saying things like “we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace”. Also saying “let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God 's work must truly be our own.”. Saying these things impacted the audience because it was the desperate need of many Americans to stand with God and to be at peace. Still, 50 years later JFK’s inaugural address is an inspiration to many who hear his words, and will impact anyone who hears
“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
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 Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. He graduated from Harvard, and joined the navy. He worked as a reporter before entering the political arena. He later wrote “profiles in courage” which won the Pulitzer Prize Award. Being that JFK was the youngest president to ever be in office there is no doubt that he encountered a lot of skepticism. This speech had many purposes but most importantly it gave him positive recognition. The inaugural address was written to encourage the American public to get actively involved with their country. It also reassured them that it was not a contest that he won but rather chance at a beginning. This speech reassured the voters that they made the right choice and informed a country that they were going to see some changes.
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
In his prominent 1961 Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy extensively employs pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax to captivate millions of people, particularly to persuade them to stand together and attempt to further human rights for the “betterment” of the world. Kennedy’s effective use of various rhetorical styles succeeds in persuading his audience –the world and the U.S citizens—that his newly-seized position as the U.S. President will be worthwhile for all.
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.
Acknowledging their audience is something both Kennedy and King did. They both gave powerful addresses that caused great movement and change to happen, by the way they spoke and their presentation being diverse. Kennedy used note cards and noticeably looked down at them due to the fact that he changed his works up until the night before he gave the speech. The consequence to doing this made it so that he did not have time to memorize it. Due to this he was not as practiced and prepared. On the other hand, King is a practiced speaker (being a baptist minister for many years). He was a little more powerful and you could feel and see his emotion because he did not look down at note cards and knew his speech perfectly and knew when to raise his voice and show more emotion on his face. Kings crowd got exceedingly noisy at times (Martin Luther King ‘I Have … ‘). King was voicing his thoughts to the minority. His audience was mostly African American, but included a few white people supporting the cause. You can hear them shout.”hallelujah” or “amen” and clapping throughout his address (Martin Luther King ‘I Have … ‘). Compared to Kennedy’s audience which was much smaller and mostly upper class citizens. It was freezing outside that day and only a few people were brave enough to go out in the cold. This crowd did not shout out or clap as much (John F. Kennedy ‘inauguration … ‘ ). Although the audiences and speakers were slightly adverse, both addresses were impressive and
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
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 was the 35th president of the United States of America. His inaugural address showed his stance on freedom, and he said some controversial statements that fazed many during that era. He was very committed to the idea of freedom for everyone no matter what race, religion, status, etc they were. Kennedy made an extreme sacrifice when he was unfortunately assassinated because many learned about him and his beliefs. His inaugural address states, “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” (Kennedy). Similarly, he was earnestly passionate about freedom for all and that any sacrifice no matter how extreme, would be necessary to achieve freedom. Consequently, he was adamant about preserving liberty, and he was faced with issues at a public level. Kennedy expressed his feelings about helping less fortunate countries even though some people opposed his beliefs. He said, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich,” (Kennedy). Moreover, he stressed that Americans should be grateful that they lived in the U.S. Also, he was determined to preserve America’s freedom that was earned from hardships of the
I found that the amount of success JFK has is more abundant than anyone else I can think of. It is because of this mass success within such a short period of time that I have decided to constrict my list of JFK’s accomplishments to five specific successes. The first accomplishment I found to be most important to JFK’s career, as a leader, was his success at becoming the first and only Catholic President of the U.S. During the time, anti-Catholic prejudices were not unusual and were actually a significant issue during Kennedy’s campaign for president.... ... middle of paper ...
Ethos, logos, and pathos were noticed in his calm tone as he spoke of equal rights. Kennedy was trusted by many, therefore, he made a great impact to the American people when he delivered this speech. He was a powerful speaker who was
Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was an American president who is recognized universally for his phenomenal speeches. John F. Kennedy was proficient in all the departments that constitute a good speaker; physical expression, vocal expression, personality, and speech composition. Kennedy was very physically direct with his audience while giving speeches. Kennedy consistently made direct eye contact with his audience and used just enough gestures at the right moments to keep listeners interested.
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.