What Is The Diction In John F Kennedy's Speech

John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president on January 20, 1961. Throughout his speech, Kennedy addressed an unspoken enemy -- Russia -- further uniting the nation. However, Kennedy's speech was effective because of the style of his writing. By simply stating something in a unique way, he increased the effect it had on the nation. Authors John F. Kennedy, Eleanor Clift and the United States Army Signal Corps each have a unique style. It was a cold January afternoon when Kennedy was inaugurated. Throughout his speech uses a unique form of diction, or word choice. For example Kennedy was describing the American people as “tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage…” The word “Tempered” is typically used to describe a forged object, like a sword. However, Kennedy purposefully used it to describe the American people, unspokenly comparing them to a deadly weapon. Kennedy also stated, “Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.” With this statement Kennedy appeals to the audience’s sense of wonder. He unified the nation for
Although Kennedy’s and Clift’s works had similar subjects, they each had their own style. In her article, Clift states that “...the memories that linger remind us of a time when all seemed possible.” Clift is drawing on the emotions of the audience by causing them to reminisce on the vision of President Kennedy. Clift also states that, “ It was a day, 50 years ago, frozen in our memories, at least those of us old enough to remember it.” She specifically chose the word frozen to allude to the low temperature of Kennedy’s Inauguration. However, “frozen”, when applied to intangible things, can also have the connotation of unchanging or unfleeting. Clift used this word to show that the memory of the inauguration will never leave