#2 A revised version of above paper, Assigned 10/28

J.F.K. Delivers *REVISED*

John Fitzgerald Kennedy uses many tactics to deliver an effective inaugural address to the nation. He uses a logical speech structure, which makes it easy for his audience to follow. Kennedy also uses powerful imagery and repetition in order to captivate his audience. Kennedy uses both of these techniques wisely, informing America and the whole world in a memorable way.

The overall structure of John F. Kennedy’s speech makes it easy for his audience to listen to and understand. Kennedy begins by telling his audience of our current state. He claims, “the world is very different now” (Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy is giving a thesis of what the state of the world currently looks like. Starting his speech out with this claim brings his audience up-to-date and puts them on the same page. After this, Kennedy moves into addressing specific categories of people. He addresses “those new states,” “those people in the huts and villages,” “our sister republics south of our border,” and “that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations” (Kennedy, 1961). In addressing these different groups specifically, Kennedy narrows his sights and is able to go deeper in content. This technique is very effective against the natural distance that forms due to the broad scope of many different groups of people.

Another part of Kennedy’s structure that is very effective is when he speaks about America’s adversaries. Through identifying the real enemy as “the dark powers of destruction” (Kennedy, 1961) and not as a specific person or country, Kennedy brings friends and enemies onto the same side. Kennedy boldly states “the trumpet summons us again . . . a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle . . . against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself” (Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy is once again stating the real enemy is war itself, one that all countries can fight collectively against.

The last and most effective structure of Kennedy’s speech is at the end. Throughout the whole speech, Kennedy has brought everyone onto the same page, addressed specific groups, and has brought friend and foe together in order to bring everyone under the central umbrella of “we.” Since Kennedy has brought all of his audience together, he is able to address everyone as a single we in a final push to the end of his speech. Just like Lincoln in his “Gettysburg Address,” John F. Kennedy uses “we,” “our,” and “us” throughout his speech. Kennedy states “we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom” (Kennedy, 1961). He later states, “we dare not forget today that we are heirs,” “this much we pledge,” and “divided there is little we can do” (Kennedy 1961). These are just a few examples. In all, President Kennedy uses the word “we” a total of thirty times throughout his speech. He uses “our” seventeen times and “us” twelve times, which is a lot within a fourteen-minute speech consisting of only about 1370 words. Kennedy using “we,” “our,” and “us” is effective in two obvious ways. One, in using these three collective terms, Kennedy reveals his credibility to his audience; he is humbling himself, mentally acknowledging his no different or better than his audience. In other words, these three terms reveal Kennedy’s belief that he and his audience are “all in this together.” Two, using these three terms throughout the speech isolates the few times Kennedy does use the individual “you” and “I.” Kennedy only uses the word “I” four times in his inaugural address. Each one of these stands out more than the normal “we.” So, by using “we” more often than “I,” Kennedy accomplishes two things: one, stating “I” fewer times causes it to stand out more, two, using “we” most of the time reveals Kennedy’s humility. Kennedy reveals his ethos and capitalizes on using “I” through using the words “we,” “our,” and “us” in his speech.

President Kennedy uses powerful imagery to help his audience better relate to his message. Kennedy states early how “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans” (Kennedy, 1961). From the Olympic torch of competition or pride in one’s country, to coming of age, to a never-ending flame of life of this country, a torch communicates many things. All of the latter instills a sense of courage and focuses the audience to the task-at-hand within the nation. Through this image, Kennedy is striving to ignite a zeal for country in the heart of the American people. Another example of imagery within Kennedy’s Inaugural is when he is speaking of the common enemy of humanity. Kennedy states that the world needs to seek peace “before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction” (Kennedy, 1961). These loaded words underline a horrible evil. Kennedy uses such descriptive words as “dark,” “destruction,” “unleashed,” and “accidental” in order to paint fear and disgust within his audience. Kennedy uses such strong imagery within in his speech in order to deliver his message clearly to his audience.

Another tactic Kennedy uses in his Inaugural Address is repetition. Kennedy repeats specific words throughout his speech in order to point to the central tone of his message. Words that are highlighted are “freedom,” “peace,” “pledge,” and “anew.” The words “freedom” and “pledge” are two words that come to mind in thinking about America in general. These two are what America has represented for a long time. “Anew” points to a new birth or rebirth. Kennedy even states that today is “an end, as well as a beginning” and later we should “join in creating a new endeavor . . . a new world of law” (Kennedy 1961). Peace is the main topic of Kennedy’s speech. He spends a while describing a new world where “peace is preserved” (Kennedy, 1961). These four words combined truly represent the aim of Kennedy’s speech, pledging for a rebirth of peace and freedom throughout America and the whole world.

Throughout his first address to the nation as president, John F. Kennedy takes his audience through a logical progression of where America and world currently are and where America and the world are headed using carefully chosen words, powerful imagery, and repetition. His overall structure is easy to follow by his common audience member and is therefore very effective. Kennedy’s power and clarity in speech makes it clear why this speech is one of the most remembered speeches of American history.

Works Cited:

Kennedy, John F. “Inaugural Address.” Washington, D.C. 20 Jan. 1961.