Essay on Rhetorical Devices in JFKs Inaugural Speech

Rhetorical Devices of JFK If a writer wanted to appeal to the audience, what would he have to do? He is going to have to utilize some rhetorical devices of course! Rhetorical devices are key in writing persuasion papers and just any paper that is meant to be read to an audience. In the Inauguration Speech of 1961 given by President John F. Kennedy, he was able to really connect with his audience that day by using lots of different rhetorical devices. By using chiasmus, anaphoras, and metaphors, JFK was able to effectively reach and persuade people to have faith in him despite his age and religion. Perhaps the most important line of JFKs entire inaugural address was a utilization of chiasmus, which is a figure of speech by which†¦show more content†¦He is asking the American population a few favors that could very easily be carried out that would improve our nation as a whole. Metaphors are very prevalent throughout the entire speech of JFK. A metaphor is a comparison, o r an analogy, that states one thing is anther. The earliest use of metaphor by JFK was about a torch. â€Å"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans† (Kennedy, 2). This gives us a good idea of how Kennedy felt about someone his age becoming president. He felt that it was a new era in American history and he was the leading the way on a new movement towards a better America. A torch is used to light the way on a path that is yet to be traveled, just as Kennedy had been given the power to lead the way for our country down the unlit path and decide for us whether or not we will prosper. Without the use of rhetorical devices, writers would be lost. There would be no way for them to pull the reader into what they have to say. John F. Kennedy sure knew how to woo people with his words and thank goodness he did. If he didnt have rhetorical devices, Kennedy never would have been ab le to get the message of what he was trying to achieve across to his readers and listeners and probably never would have gained as much support as he did. Rhetorical devices not only make a piece of writing sound better, butShow MoreRelatedMicroscopic Look At Jfk s Inaugural Address982 Words   |  4 PagesMicroscopic Look at JFK’s Inaugural Address The 1960’s was a time when the world was facing the Cold War and America was facing the Civil Rights Movement. On January 20, 1961, at the age of 43, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sworn into office as the 35th President of the United States. As the youngest president of the United States, Kennedy needed to prove to the American citizens that he was a great leader and that they did the right thing to elect him. 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