On January 20th, 1961, President John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States of America. At the age of 43, he was the youngest President ever to be elected. Inaugural addresses give the newly inducted President the platform to present their vision for the country and set a tone for his administration. These are typically more ceremonial than political, setting a positive image for the country and signifying a peaceful transfer of powers. President John F. Kennedy uses repetition, parallelism, and a motivational tone in his rhetoric to instill a sense of unity throughout his audience.
President John F. Kennedy uses repetition within his inaugural address to emphasize the importance of the country unifying together against adversity for the greatest result. Throughout this 13-minute speech, the newly elected President uses the word "we" over 30 times. By doing this, he includes himself within this grouping, making it seem like he is no different from any other ordinary American even though he holds the highest office (arguably) in the entire world. He is inheriting an office from a President whose administration was defined almost entirely by the Cold War, and he is making it known in the first few minutes of his presidency that we as a nation are going through some scary times, but we are in this together, and we'll be the ones ensuring democracy strives. He is holding himself just as accountable as another American to make this happen. By repeating the phrase "let both sides," Kennedy tries to abandon party lines and come together as a nation. Presidential Inaugurations signify a transition of powers, and the new President is trying to make that as smooth as possible. Especially going from a republican president (President Dwight D. Eisenhower) to a new president of the opposite party, it is expected that both sides are going to feel tense about one another. The President is saying that it is crucial at this time, where there is essentially an arms race ensuing between the world's greatest superpowers, that we stay unified as a nation.
President John F. Kennedy also uses parallelism in his speech to target his vast audience and encourage their participation to make not only our country a better place but the world as a whole. Arguably the most notable quote of his entire presidency takes place within this speech:
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
These electrifying words are used to challenge the country to contribute to the public good of the nation. He urges the public to participate in helping and improving our nation to make it reach its full potential. We cannot just sit around and wait for our country to be great, but instead, we must provide to the cause through public service in any way we can. President Kennedy parallels his last statement by stating:
“My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but for what we can do for the freedom of man.”
In saying this, the President makes it clear that not only is he addressing the United States with the speech, but he is also addressing the world. He makes it clear that he is not just going to serve his own country but the entirety of the world throughout his presidency. Parallelism is very influential in speeches in particular because the similar constructions of the phrases invoke motivational and emotional responses within audiences. This quote works hand in hand with the statement before because it proves that America is looking out for the rest of the world, but we must also emphasize and hold them accountable to the same standards of sacrifice and strength we ask of our own citizens. As the new leader of the free world, addressing the rest of the globe in addition to our country is important because the United States cannot maintain the sanctity of freedom on its own; we are reliant on the rest of the world to contribute as well.
Finally, President John F. Kennedy uses an encouraging tone throughout his speech to motivate his audience to unite to work towards their common goals. The word "freedom" is used within the speech to promote holding pride for your country. Freedom is fundamental to Americans, so by reminding the citizens that their freedom is at risk serves as good motivation for them to get involved in solidifying it. The word "celebration" is also used to convey the excitement that the country should have for using their voices to elect a president for the people, not just as one specific party. The President uses this as motivation to light a fire under the American electorate to keep working as a nation, not as a divided group. He wants to encourage this momentum throughout his administration as they work together to create a better country and world for all. Lastly, the word "change" signifies a need for the United States to revamp itself. Change is necessary, especially as we grow as a country through this era, we must modify the nation so it works better to our benefit. Working together as a people to enact this change is vital to the message of President Kennedy's administration.
To conclude, in his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy uses repetition, parallelism, and a motivational tone in his rhetoric to promote the idea of unity as the basis for his administration. Unity was essential during this period in particular due to the mass hysteria surrounding the events of the Red Scare and Space Race, and relying on unity and togetherness was the President's plan to get them through it. Bypassing party lines and coming together, not just as a country but as citizens of the globe, we will join forces to maintain the sanctity of freedom and democracy worldwide. The participation of global citizens will make the world a better place for everyone.
Watch the full speech here:
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