One main speech strategy President John F. Kennedy used in his Inaugural Address was employing the theme of freedom that evoked high emotions from the American people. This speech was one of the most well written speeches I have ever read and heard because of its effective use of parallel sentence structure, and powerful physical images that paint a picture for the listener. The main idea that is woven throughout the speech is the idea of freedom.
He begins the address with, "We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom." During the time of Kennedy's inauguration many profound social and world events were occurring, such as the spread of communism, the terribly real threat of nuclear war, and the escalating violent and nonviolent events related to the civil rights movement. With these social and world events in mind, he uses the thematic notion of freedom throughout the speech because so many Americans were either struggling to attain it or were threatened with its possible loss. He makes clear throughout the speech that freedom is not something one is handed but something that must be fought for. He states: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty." That is a powerful statement!
Kennedy demands that the listeners to answer the call to liberty, to pick up the set-down torch of the previous generation, and bear the burden of giving back to their nation. He utters some of the most memorable words ever spoken by an American president: "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
With this extraordinary speech, Kennedy accomplishes a rare feat: with words, he brings his audience to the point of inspiration. He inspires them to exceed their own boundaries and the expectations they had for their future. The last lines of this speech get his listeners extremely pumped up and inspired. Most speeches end with "God bless," yet Kennedy ends with a bang: "…knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own." His entire speech is designed to appeal to the listeners' better angels, to inspire us to help one another. The way he ends is absolutely phenomenal. He concludes the speech with a rousing plea to his listeners to take action and hand-in-hand with the government, positive change will come and freedom and liberty will reign.
