Analysis of John F. Kennedy's Inagurural Speech

While the world is engulfed in chaos and the threat of war ravages the minds of millions of people, John F. Kennedy (J.F.K.) stands before the nation. With the intentions of instilling hope into the hearts of Americans, uniting the world, and bringing peace to all, he uses many rhetorical strategies to plead with the citizens of the U.S. Through metonymy, antithesis, and ethos, J.F.K. attempts to convince all of humanity into his principles.

Throughout the brief speech, Kennedy uses a single feature to represent a whole. This is perfect for the goal he is trying to reach. J.F.K wants the people to unite as a whole and make the change they want to see in the world. For example, he states the following:

“In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will the final success or failure of our course...”

Above, he states trigger words that continues to illustrate his point of harmony and unity. Terms like “we”, “us”, and “our” takes the weight of the country off of his shoulders and onto the shoulders of millions of Americans.

Also, Kennedy uses words like “old allies”, “new states”, “sister republics” to generalize. He wants to embrace everyone in the world, including enemies in his speech. Since Kennedy barely won, he doesn’t want to offend anyone or leave anyone out of his plan for peace. Therefore, by using metonymy he addresses many people in few words.

No stylistic device most defines J.F.K. more than the use of antithesis. All through the memorable speech, he combines opposing ideas and words in a perfectly balanced sentence.

Statements like “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” and “We shall support any friend, oppose any foe…” dominate the sentences of his speech.

Instead of raging in fury and blatantly stating how he feels or what he is going to do, Kennedy sugar-coats his approach by adding the positive with the negative to keep the peace. Unlike many politicians, Kennedy refrains from making extreme comments and would rather say something that the whole nation and world agrees on than sparking conflict. In addition, he is persistent in accenting that it will take everyone to make something happen in the world we live in.

Lastly, Kennedy appeals to people by addressing God and biblical characters constantly. This connects with the ethical standards (ethos) of that time period. Within the first paragraph, he mentions God twice. This already gives the audience and those around the world an idea of what he stands for. People already see him as a person that has morals and values that Americans at that time cherished dearly. They see him as a person who conforms to the traditional guidelines of being an American. Now, with that established, Kennedy can easily sway the general public into following him on the rode to freedom, liberty, and justice.

John F. Kennedy’s speech continues to bring out the feeling of hope to people millions around the globe. Through his sophisticated rhetorical devices, he illustrates his purpose in the most elaborate way possible. Even though it was given in a rough time in American history, it is the epitome of what an inauguration address should be: enlightening and unifying.