John F Kennedy was the 35th US President and delivered an inspiring speech at Rice University in Houston on September 12, 1962. His speech inspired America to advance in the race for space. Kennedy delivered his speech in the context of the Cold War. Sputnik was orbiting Earth since four years. Yuri Gagarin had launched into space a whole year earlier. The anxious American public quickly lost patience. President Kennedy reassured them with his resolve that America was going to be the leading country in the Space Race. Neil Armstrong becoming the first person to walk on Moon was an important moment in the history of his speech. It demonstrated just how persuasive Kennedy was to convince America that they could achieve this feat 7 years after he made his speech. Today I will examine the literary and rhetorical devices Kennedy used and how his speech still resonates 60 years on.
Kennedy started his speech by first addressing the crowd and expressing that he is “particularly delighted” about being invited as honorary visiting Professor. He didn’t mention himself specifically as President, but instead a Professor. The audience already knows he is President but by introducing themselves as professors, they feel more connected to him and are more likely to accept his decision to visit the moon. The President still uses his position to convince his audience to go to the moon. He continues to speak at Rice University where he describes the “hour of change and challenges” that he and his audience are experiencing. Kennedy uses the word “we”, throughout the paragraph, to include the audience.
Kennedy then condenses 50,000 years of recorded history of man into a time span of half a century, “10 years ago, under this standard, he emerged from his caves.” Only five year ago, he states, did man learn to write. Kennedy summarizes 50,000 years of recorded history into just a half century. “10 Years ago, by this standard, man emerged from the caves.” Five years ago was when man first learned to write, he says. Electric lights, telephones, automobiles and planes were all available just a month before. The audience is excited by this powerful analogy, which shows that even a goal they thought was impossible can be achieved. The audience is also motivated to consider what might be possible if the goal was achieved before midnight tonight. It encourages them to put in more effort to achieve the goal. He continues by explaining why America must join the spacerace, regardless.
Kennedy goes on to explain that America has vowed to not have the space dominated by weapons of mass destruction and a hostile flag of conquest. They will only fulfill their vows when they are the first Nation to reach and land on the moon. He continues by saying that America “shall not be governed” by “a hostile flag” and they will “not fill space with weapons of massive destruction” but “by a Banner of Freedom and Peace” and instruments of knowledge, understanding.” Kennedy creates an impression of contrast by comparing the ideologies of the United States and the Soviet Union. He uses words such as freedom, peace to represent the United State, while communism is represented by words like weapons, destruction, hostile. Kennedy emphasizes that the United States can only decide if this new ocean is a sea for peace or a terrifying new theater of war if they are in a dominant position. Kennedy uses pathos to touch a fear that many Americans had – nuclear war. Now, the audience is motivated to become the first nation to reach the moon.
Kennedy continues by addressing the criticisms and concerns about space exploration. He says that getting to the moon will take a long and expensive process. Space is hostile and America’s expertise and technology will be challenged to reach this goal. He then asks a few rhetorical question to his audience. “Why climb the tallest mountain?” Why fly over the Atlantic? His humor resonated well with the Rice University audience. “Why do Rice players play Texas?” Because it’s challenging. Kennedy says that the reason we will reach the moon by the end of this decade is not because they are easy to achieve, but rather because they are difficult.
Kennedy challenges his audience, the American people, to show their best skills and reinforce American leadership in the world as a leading innovator. His audience was attracted to this challenge because Kennedy himself answered his rhetorical question. If the Americans failed to reach the Moon, they would have failed not only in terms of science and technology, but also as a reflection on their spirit and ideology. He continued to list all the steps America took to reach its goal. He is proving that America’s moon landing goal is within reach.
Comments are closed.