My noodle

Jordan Lewis-1

            John F. Kennedy, a young and humble president, did an amazing job of forming sentences and using unusual and interesting words to illustrate his points.  He used not only ethos, pathos, and logos, but different types of diction and syntax as well.  He kept the paragraphs small, but his passion was large throughout his whole inaugural address. While the speech’s respectful eloquence was appropriate for the occasion of an inauguration, its youthful energy and focus on looking to the future made it distinctly John F. Kennedy’s.

            John F. Kennedy uses ethos, pathos, and logos throughout his speech to persuade his audience.  He is a credible man, having just won the election for President of the United States of America, and he demonstrates his credibility throughout the speech as he talks about how his most important priority is the welfare of the country.  He makes believable promises and talks about protection, showing that he is serious about being president.  Having established ethos, he uses pathos by flattering the audience, or in other words, building trust.  He talks to the youth and gives them challenges in order to tug at their emotions to follow his lead.  He is in somewhat of a unique situation, being the youngest president elected, and he needs the emotional support of the people of the country to be a quality leader.  Pathos is a very big part of the speech, as well as logos.  Logos is an important tool for rhetoric, and he proves that as he applies logic and reason throughout the speech.  He presents the idea of invoking “the wonders of science instead of its terrors…explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.”  Not only is would this be logical to most people, but also reasonable because he is the one who would have the greatest effect in implementing programs to achieve these goals.  Ethos, pathos, and logos are very important throughout the speech, and he uses them very well, just as he does syntax and diction.

            Jordan Lewis-2

            John F. Kennedy, the youngest president elected, winning by only a small percent, was placed in front of the American people to give his inaugural address.  He showed humility, as he was being judged by America throughout this thirty paragraph speech.  He was very specific and

to the point with the words he used, which is impressive, especially since politicians are infamous for beating or circling around the bush.  In his situation, Kennedy couldn’t really afford to toy with the Americans’ minds by confusing them, so he chose his words carefully to get across his precise points.  Not only is his style of speaking straight and to the point, but there is also some redundancy throughout the speech, which made it easy for the people to understand.

            Diction is so very important in giving any speech, and JFK carefully chose how to use it properly.  There are many examples throughout the whole speech, but the specific words and phrases that he incorporated into his address are what make it, even to this day, memorable and moving.  They are positive and hopeful, giving encouragement, which is what he needed to express to the public as the new president of the United States of America, especially since he had received the support of only fifty-one percent of the voters. In paragraph two he states “I have sworn before you…the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago.”  This different style of speaking, in which he captured the interests of the older

people in the audience, was important.  Understanding and empathizing with one’s audience, is key when speaking to a big group.

              Who is his audience?  He has the men, the women, the whites, the blacks, the Republicans and the Democrats, as well as the old and the young, all of whom were waiting for him to say something that would interest them. As stated in the paragraph preceding, he

Jordan Lewis-3

addressed the elderly in paragraph one by talking about the forbears from a century ago.  He once again spoke to them in paragraph four, where he says “we are heirs of that first revolution,”

and he also states “a new generation of Americans…unwilling to permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed.”  Here he shows he understands the older generation, and knows that old people don’t like change.  He makes sure they understand, even though he is a young president that he will stay true to the fundamental principles upon which this country was founded. That would definitely be very appealing and reassuring to that older generation.  Having addressed the concerns of the elderly, he must now gain the respect of the young.

            In paragraph twenty-four, JFK sends out a challenge to the youth of the country by asking “Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance…..will you join in that historical effort?”  In his tone there is ample evidence to show that he is trying to fire up the youth of the country, inviting them to be a part of history.  He shows that he understands the youth as well as the older generation, because he knows that a good way to catch their attention is with a challenge, or a question which will stick in their minds and earn him the respect he deserves.  Also, in paragraph twenty-five, he talks about how “the energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all those who serve it.”  Here he is talking directly to the youth, complimenting them and building them up.  His word choice of “we” is used to show that he is with them; they are a united team and together, they can accomplish anything.

            John F. Kennedy took a step onto a stage of judgment.  He stood before a skeptical American people, and gave a historic inaugural address that will be talked about forever.  He

Jordan Lewis-4

uses ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as syntax, appropriate diction, and effective tone.  The speech is one that will be remembered throughout American history, just like the man who delivered it.