John F. Kennedy won one of the narrowest election victories in the history of the United States to become president. Out of nearly 69 million votes cast, he triumphed over Nixon with only 118,550 votes. Cold War tensions dominated the campaign of 1960 and heightened nationalistic sentiments. To add to it, the Soviets take a lead with the launch of Sputnik. Many in prominent positions of government spoke of their fear of the U.S. being left behind. Early in the campaign, JFK had already capitalized on the Cold War rhetoric after declaring that the U.S. would resist communism around the world. Measuring both the Cold War tensions and his narrow victory, he would look to embolden the nation while sending a message of peace and prosperity to the …show more content…
The tradition of giving the inaugural address dates back to George Washington himself. In his case, only the senate received Washington’s address. Later presidents, however, would broadcast themselves through loudspeakers to large audiences and, soon enough, directly on television. The purpose of an inaugural address is to set forth a vision for the nation and outline some attainable goals for the presidency. This particular address was not just for the people of the United States, but also a message to the world. The United States found itself in a precarious position as it vied for geopolitical dominance with the Soviet Union. Both factions looked to one-up the other in the arms and space race with an increasing nuclear arsenal and rocket launches. Therefore, in his address, Kennedy spoke about curbing the intensification of the Cold War. We can observe an example as he recites, “A struggle against common enemies of man, tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.” His idealistic rhetorical approach inspires emotions not just for U.S. citizens, but for the entire …show more content…
One of his primary goals as a new president was to transition smoothly into his position, as well as garner as much support as he can. His starting line illustrates the idea perfectly. He begins with: “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end as well as a beginning.” He masterfully links a very prevalent ideal of freedom to his inauguration as president, while his rhetoric provides a distinctly reassuring feature. Another popular use of ideals by politicians is appealing to the poor. He refers to a large majority of struggling people in the U.S. by saying, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” His rhetoric is wide-ranging, as the beliefs of the entire nation are wide-ranging. He appeals to nationalistic sentiments, speaks to the struggling, and calls for peace across the
Kennedy John F Kennedy was one of the most influential presidents in the USA’s history, he led the US through great turmoil and was known for his public speaking and leadership abilities. His actions and voice directly impacted many aspects of American life, and he was seen as a voice of reason and power. He gave many speeches and wrote many letters. However, his national addresses on April 11, 1962, regarding the raised steel prices is a masterclass in how a speaker can use rhetorical devices to elevate and detail their message. For example, Kennedy uses a friendly human tone during his speech that instill a sense of sameness and understanding with the citizens, this is elevated by his simpler word choice that comes across as a true message
He goes on even deeper to elaborate one of the greatest struggles that every nation has with each other. The effect that comes from putting an emphasis on constructing nuclear bombs. On this specific topic of nuclear bombs, Kennedy uses a convincing cause and effect. If all nations keep pursuing destructive causes, then the effect will lead to the termination of all humanity. Thankfully, Kennedy takes his own advice and propelled everyone’s ideas toward a positive
The election of Kennedy as president of the United States was the sign of the country's willingness to confront the new phase of Soviet competition with new ideas and young energies. In the early 1960s, the atmosphere of heated debate and criticism of society was compounded by widespread malaise toward Eisenhower's politics. After eight years of Republican rule and despite the new electoral formulas and promises, the methods formulated after World War II proved insufficient. The society demanded new stimuli to face the Soviet challenge with imagination. From this national demand was the Democratic candidate John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
JFK mentioned in his speech the past, present and future. In this way he was able to draw attention of many sectors of society. Language/rhetoric: a. The president JFK used Metaphors, for example: " those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside." b. His speech was fluently, short sentences, he did some small brakes in his speech for dramatically affects.
The inaugural address of the president is the first time that the candidate that the American people elected speaks with the influence and authority of the president. Because of this, the address can be extremely influential to both the nation, their term, and the influence of the president in office. Therefore, the inaugural address is very important and needs to be clear and powerful. Because of the importance of this address, using proper rhetoric is vital to the success of the speech. It is only through the balance of logic, emotion, and reputation that the speech properly put forth its message.
On January 20, 1961, the United State’s 35th president John F. Kennedy delivered his well-known Inaugural Address to inspire the people of America and their allies and to warn the nation’s communist foes. The purpose of JFK’s speech was to convey the idea to the world that America would help any allies and defeat any enemy at any expense to defend freedom for all man kinds. He utilized a passionate tone in order to evoke the patriotic emotions among Americans, and his effective usage of rhetorical devices helped him kindle the hope inside his people and allies. JFK started his speech, employing metaphor to warn his enemy that anyone who dares to challenge the US will be consumed by its furious revenge. Metaphor compares two unlike elements with their similar qualities.
He thinks that if we can understand what others believe in and what others feel than we have a greater possibility of unity. With conversation and dialogue we can clarify our disagreements and make a clear standpoint on where we stand with our ideas. When we exchange ideas and disagree we move toward a common ground, which then enhances the American
He uses these key words and phrases to show an understanding of the American people and how fighting for their opinion is justified and the epitome of the
For example, JFK’s repeated use of ad hominem fallacy throughout his address united a fractured world, temporarily at least. This is especially evident when he states, “Now the trumpet summons us again -- not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need -- not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation, a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?” As previously referenced, JFK was heinously struck down on November 22, 1962, but in spite of his devastating death, JFK’s call for an end to the Cold War and an embrace of equality continued to resonate and as a result the
On January 20, 1961, forty-three-year-old John F, Kennedy delivered his inaugural address in Washington D.C after being sworn in as the thirty-fifth United States President. He memorably captured the attention of the entire nation with one of the finest speeches written to date, tugging on the heartstrings and logistically addressing the worries of many Americans. Making his point clear and comprehendible, Kennedy reached larger audiences than his predecessors, bringing a sense of calmness to the public during the height of the Cold War, national talk of communism, and the impending fear of nuclear attacks. He took austere consideration to the chaos erupting both internationally and nationally by instilling a sense of union amongst Americans in attempts to creating lasting peace. Utilizing a fearless rhythm of persuasiveness and motivational tactics, Kennedy connects to his audience through emotional
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the most beloved presidents of the United States. He was the youngest president to be election and won. John F. Kennedy, in his speech “President John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address (1961)” was to demonstrate the United States boldness in facing the challenges posed by the escalating cold war. He supports this claim by first calling out to countries around the world, then speaking to the American citizen and asking them to take action. Kennedys speech was effective because he showed repetition pathos, and direct address to claim his speech.
Intro Growing up, we have all heard the many stories of George Washington. While many recognize him as one of the most important figures in U.S history, others only recognize him by one of his multiple accomplishments; he was the 1st president of the United States. With presidency comes the variety of duties and responsibilities, the main being a president 's inaugural adress. In George Washington 's very 1st inaugural, he uses three rhetorical strategies: personification, amplification, and last but not least, repitition to convey what he truly wants for the States and why a successful Constitution should be in order.
Elijah Lay Mrs. Wagner US HIST 1102 Apr 28, 2023 3 Analysis of JFK Inaugural Address The Election of 1960 was full of firsts, the presidential debates of the election of 1960 were the first to be televised and broadcasted to national television. The election was also one of the closest in American history since 1916. During the election, the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were reaching a climax, and America needed a strong president.
His diction is very inclusive; he commences his speech with several uses of the words ‘we’ and ‘our’, which makes way for inclusivity. JFK is blurring the distinction between citizen and superior governor by including the people in his proclamation. While describing the hardships and challenges that the country is facing, Kennedy mentions how imperative the occasion is on a global level; in the midst of the Cold War, he reminds his audience of the importance of uniting. Through the use of the lexical field of danger — words such as: ‘defiance’, ‘serious’, ‘risk’, and ‘sacrifice’ — he creates a feeling of tension and urgency, and engages his audience to the concern. To conclude his speech, the President mentions self-guilt on the part of the country on how they had not displayed the “sense of business responsibility” that they should have, a rhetorical strategy that approximates the audience to the government.
In his speech he says, “ people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery” to relate with countries with poverty . He appeals to veterans and their families “ the graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe” to represent patriotism. He uses strong words like “we”, “us”, and “together” to create a connection with him and America. He alludes to God, “asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own” to sense equality under