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Eli Lundin

Mrs. Norton

C.P. English III

February 6th, 2017

J.F.K.s Rhetoric

In his beyond famous inaugural address, John F. Kennedy manages to capture the minds

and spirits of the American people through precise, intellectual wording and rigorous metaphors

and allusions that give clear view to his intentions and hopes for the world. Such strong word-

craft is what gave Kennedy much of his immense renown, and still reaches to inspire people

today, whether it be through history classes or the general media.

The most widely known line from Kennedys address still echoes through all halls of

America today: And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you ask

what you can do for your country. Literally speaking, how do you do anything for your

country? If it isnt asking for anything, what is there to do for it, or how does it do anything for

you in the first place? Anyway, this statement is the highlight of J.F.K.s suggestion to have

people rethink what they were doing, and why they were doing it, in perspective of the best

interests of the United States. Just prior to setting We the People in this direction, he allusively

asks both sides to start over, discover our mutual issues, create solutions, look to science for

more, and to, heed in all corner of the earth the command of Isaiah to undo the heavy

burdens(and) let the oppressed go free. Practically what he suggests here is that we must set

aside our inconsequential differences so that every country, and therein every person in the

world, may succeed in achieving their full potential. This of Kennedys simple wishes was

potentially the most difficult to truly see through to, but yielded the most reward whether it took

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place or not. This search for common ground, and positively taking advantage of it, was the first

step to slip out of the Cold War and into a more comfortable life for all, or at the very least, for

Americans.

The issue with one of John F. Kennedys generalizations would be where he says, to

those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request:

that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed

by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. When he says this, it

sounds like his intention is to keep everyone working together toward science and to keep

nuclear weapons from taking over the world, but at a second glance, it could be a hidden

statement of aggression to countries of the world that are nuclear threats, such as the U.S.S.R.

Considering the major issues of the time, which continued to be ones Kennedy had to fight

against, it wasnt necessarily a smart idea to put passive aggressive messages out in the midst of

these articulate, sturdy remarks.

However, the peaceful intentions overshadow this potential over-analyzation when paired

with the artistic word play our thirty-fifth president presented to us on his day of inauguration.

He rightfully does call out previous enemies, some current to his time, when he uses the great

metaphor, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended

up inside, to describe power hungry fascists looking to get ahead of, practically nothing, by

taking their version of the high road.

These great intentional compilations of rhetorical devices give us the ability to pick at the

mind of J.F.K., so much so that we may see his intelligence in the form of precise letters that

form these quaint lines. Kennedy remains to inspire people today across America, and even in

other parts of the world that heed his words valuable. On his day of inauguration, Kennedy gifted

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Americans the power they needed to revive or restore their energy lost from wars of late, both

hot and cold, and all the while, he is able to shine the intentions of not just the United States, but

as well as humans as they wish to live across the globe.