Kennedy's Speech Questions

475 Words2 Pages
Diction 1) In John Kennedy’s speech, many words are abstract because he’s appealing to the audience’s pathos, and abstract words such as freedom, poverty, devotion, loyalty, and sacrifice are used so that the audience will not oppose because they are hooked emotionally; these words also keep the tone appropriate for the circumstance they are being used in. 2) In the speech there are formal rhetorical tropes such as metaphor and personification. Some examples of this would be “Now the trumpet summons us again”, and “And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion”. 3) Kennedy uses many figures of speech that may be considered cliches. The fresher metaphors are the ones he uses when he’s speaking about the future of the United States. These metaphors make his speech adaptable to many audiences. 4) Some words in the speech seem archaic or old-fashioned, some examples of these words would be “foe”, “solemn oath”, “asunder”, and “forebears”. These words not only make Kennedy sound more experienced and wise, but they also make the speech sound more formal and trustworthy. Syntax 1) Kennedy used these short paragraphs because they offer natural pauses so his audience can process and reflect about his main points. 2) A high proportion of the sentences are on the short side because Kennedy wants to give time to the audience to process his thoughts and he wants his ideas to be understood. 3) Complex sentences suggest hidden energy because they emphasize the main idea , capturing the audience’s attention and making them want to keep listening. 4) The use of opposites suggests that Kennedy isn’t only referring to one specific group of people , but to everyone. This makes the speech more interesting and holds back the audience. 5)The dominance of declarative sentences is appropriate in an inaugural address because they establish ethos by making

More about Kennedy's Speech Questions

Open Document