The inaugural address by John F. Kennedy

COMMENTARY : THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY JOHN F. KENNEDY

Introduction

The inaugural address of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was delivered on January 20, 1961. Kennedy was elected as the new President of the United States, famous for being a war hero during the Second World War, he was attempting through his speech to stand as an influential president in spite of the fact that he won with a slim margin, popular character. In times of the Cold war, the president concentrated his inaugural address on the aspect of the conflicts with the Soviet bloc, stressing on the idea of unity. This speech is principally remarkable for the use of rhetorical devices, which are used in order to enhance the national pride and patriotism in view to start positively a new presidency. In a first part, I will deal with the rhetorical devices as tools used to balance his address and illustrate Kennedy’s propaganda. In the second part, I will focus on the inaugural address as a visionary speech.

I- Rhetorical devices and affected language to illustrate Kennedy’s propaganda

As a strategy, the president Kennedy tackled the United States foreign policy, Kennedy’s aim in this speech was to emphasis the idea of a common enemy, viewed in the Soviet Union, because since the 1930s, the United States was in conflict with the Communist bloc. Then creating a sense of unity among American people through the fear of this enemy was supposed to enhance the patriotic feeling of nation that is considered to be invincible.

Manipulating the emotion of the audience is one of the strategies of communication that Kennedy seems to master in his speech, indeed the metaphors are particularly used in order to spread out a positive feeling among the audience which is seen in sentences like,“the torch has been passed". This image is actually a comparison to the Olympic torch, with the passing of duties and responsibilities which that the president as well as the Americans have to share as a common challenge. With the sentence “ I do not shrink from responsibility”, we may see a clear sign of determination from the president.

Attempting also to raise the audience’s pride with the use of allusions to the past by reminding the audience of the American’s Independence, “For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago”, in addition to this, Kennedy is trying to associate himself to this event thanks to the use of the possessive pronoun “our”. The president points at the basis of the American principles, that is to say defend freedom. There are alliterations in “p” and “b”, with sentences like “pay any price” or “bear any burden”, which make the phrases more harmonious to the audience and they bring to people’s minds a positive image of themselves by comparing themselves to the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ who died for the freedom of mankind.

The particular language is part of the specific devices that is meant to impress the audience, this is why Kennedy uses not only a formal tone but his language is similar to one of a sermon, it is a strategic use, since it gives to his speech a form of justification by making it resemble to a sermon. The anaphora “let go” are meant intensify the

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