John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis

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Rhetorical Analysis of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address (1961)
Nineteenth century marked an important period in American history. It was a period when the country was experiencing racial tension, social inequalities at the same time fighting the idea of communism. The cold war between the Soviet Union and the America became a concern among many Americans. Americans believed that Kennedy could relieve them of such worries and elected him as the president. The inaugural speech in 1961 was timely in that, America needed assurance from his leaders. Even though Kennedy’s speech is one of the shortest speeches ever recorded in America, the speech rhetoric became the major subject of analysis.
His speech was clear and straight to the point, using few minutes; Kennedy moved American citizens and other people around the world; giving them assurance of safety. The cold war was at its heights, American feared for the worst. Many citizens felt desperate for reassurance and needed a strong leader to take them out of such fears. John F Kennedy responded, providing the much-needed reassurance in hi state address (Kennedy 8). As Americans was experiencing a national and international turmoil, Kennedy invoked the sense of unity using his speech. The inaugural address was full of rhetorical strategies to influence the emotions of its citizens (Kennedy 2).
In his speech, Kennedy used different strategies to appeal to a wider audience; he used artistic expressions like ethos, logos, and pathos, to grab the full audience attention. He blended his speech with repetitive expressions to state his point of view, making his speech memorable. When addressing Americans, he used inclusive phrases like us; we and ours express his dedication and commitment to all citizens of America. His speech emphasized the importance of commitment to gain the support of the nation and the world at large. He claimed that his victory was not for the party, but was more of a celebration of freedom (Kennedy 2).
Using such references, he portrayed to the world, his nature of leadership, showing his justness and the need to embrace equality in service delivery. Kennedy state that “fellow citizen of the world"(Kennedy, 26) was meant to grab the attention of a larger audience. He also referred to God on many occasions in his speech to show his strong belief in God and also make people believe that the leadership would be guided by God (Kennedy 6).
Considering the fact that the majority of Americans believed in God, this strategy allowed Kennedy to attract many listeners. He further stated that "I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same” (Kennedy 9). He wanted to prove his loyalty to his allies and show them the extent he was willing to reach to defend them from any adversaries. He targeted different groups, without excluding anybody.
It appeared as if he was speaking with his audience by maintaining the assertion of unification and peace. He said: "we can assure the survival and the success of ...