John F. Kennedy gave his inaugural speech in January 1961. Interestingly, his speech is regarded as one of the greatest speeches in the American public address of the 20th century. This can be attributed to the speech’s artistry as well as impact. His audience consisted of not only the citizens of America but also the whole world. The immediate audience of the speech was the many individuals gathered to hear the speech as well as the high dignitaries on the platform. Also, there were the countless people who would view as well as hear John F. Kennedy via the television medium. Lastly, there would be numerous individuals in foreign nations who would ultimately read about the details of the speech in the newspapers the following day. In this light, the audience was a vast and heterogeneous one and, as such, it created problems for the speaker.
Purpose of the Inaugural Address
From reading and listening to the speech, it is evident that the primary goal of the speaker was to bring unity to the human race as well as make the world peaceful for everyone. Kennedy was reaching out to all Americans to take a stand and make a change. He also appealed to them to do what is ethically right. The speech made an impact on many as it was meant to provide hope and gain trust. It was to bring peace to not only America but also other nations in the world. John F. Kennedy delivers peace to every individual from the rights of states to working together with other countries. In addition to offering a safe place for everyone, he also provides an agreement to move forward without war. It is imperative to note that the speaker’s high utilization of powerful emotions as well as logic argued his call of action, revealed his sense of duty, and enabled his words to be effective in uniting American citizens as well as the rest of the globe together.
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Concerns of the Audience and How the Speaker Addressed the Concerns
At the time Kennedy gave his speech, the audience had many concerns, including the escalation of the cold war, threats to liberty and freedom, and the lack of peace and stability. Also, the audience was concerned about the existence of poverty as well as misery (Mehltretter, 2009) . To address these concerns, John F. Kennedy utilized several strategies that proved to be effective in attracting the attention of the audience. To begin with, he appealed to common beliefs as well as values. In this regard, he attributes his election to freedom celebration, as indicated by his forebears. Furthermore, this value appears repeatedly in the speech by substitutional words such as liberty, human rights, free society, and many others. As such, Kennedy attained a favorable impression from the American citizens by appealing to this shared value. To appeal to the global audience, Kennedy called to values such as the quest for peace and prosperity, progress, as well as the security need. These values are crucial as many individuals around the world share these values regardless of social and cultural backgrounds (Kazemian & Zhou, 2015) . Consequently, the speaker won the trust and appreciation of American allies, the miserable individuals newly independent countries, the United Nations, the states in South America, along with enemy countries of America. Besides the previously stated beliefs and values, Kennedy additionally cited religious power, more specifically the adherence to God. Kennedy used the Bible to swear.
Second, he used antithesis to gain identification (Kazemian & Zhou, 2015) . Generally, the address was given during the period of the Cold War. As such, in his inauguration speech, Kennedy referred to the nations who were American rivals, more specifically the USSR. He asked the nations to start a new quest peace, implying stopping the competition of nuclear weapons as well as the arms race. As such, Kennedy succeeded in identifying with the citizens of America because he acknowledged that there was an outside enemy. Thus, the citizens were likely to unite and place their trust in the government. Additionally, he acquired trust from the international audience for the desired world peace. During the inaugural address, Kennedy also addressed the issues of disease, poverty, tyranny, and war, which are enemies of humankind. He appealed to the world to work together to create a world that will assure a more fruitful life for human beings.
Third, Kennedy used the first personal plural pronoun to identify with the audience unconsciously or subconsciously. For the most part, he used the pronoun “we” emphasize a point. By using ‘we’ and ‘us,’ he succeeded in passing the message that we belong to the same group or share common interests (Kazemian & Zhou, 2015) . This is essential in reducing the distance between the audience and the speaker. It can further incite the consciousness of the audience as dwindle the group difference.
The Importance of an Inaugural Speech and How JFK Conformed to the Inaugural Address Expectations
Generally, an inaugural speech is given when an individual is being sworn in the office of the presidency. This speech communicates the intentions of the leader. It further expresses the hope for the future and the importance of the occasion. In his speech, Kennedy was successful in conveying his intentions. He was clear that his primary goal was to promote peace in not only America but also other states. Typically, inaugural addresses aim to unify the country as well as provide a vision for the future. Also, they are to be eloquent and pleasing to hear. The inaugural address of Kennedy was indeed a well-crafted speech, especially in terms of style. In addition, it created a bolder vision of the foreign policy of America.
Conclusion
John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address was undoubtedly one of the greatest speeches in the 20 th century. Kennedy used several effective strategies to appeal to his audience, which included not only American citizens but also the world in general.
References
Kazemian, B., & Zhou, Q. (2015). A rhetorical identification analysis of English political public speaking: John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. SSRN Electronic Journal , 4 , 10-16. Doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2657550
Mehltretter, S. (2009). John f. Kennedy, "inaugural address" (20 January 1961). Voices of Democracy , 4 , 41-59.
