John F Kennedy Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis

John F. Kennedy used different rhetorical strategies in order to get his point across effectively. He seemed to be reaching out to not only Americans, but also people all over the world. For example, when he referenced South America calling them “our sister republics” (284), or when he talked about “those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free” (284). His goal seemed to be to Unite Americans and people around the world to “explore the problems what problems [that] unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us” (285). He is talking to everyone but he is (as the president of the United States) putting emphasis on how America can unite with other nations to achieve peace in the midst of a looming war. The rhetorical strategies that are used in his …show more content…
A lot of his speech seems to be a combination of very simple, easy to understand sentences that still have a lot of power behind them. He will say things like: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill…” (284). This sentence is very easy for anyone to interpret, yet it sets up a powerful message for what he is going to say next. If he were to put any more detail/complications into that sentence, it would become harder for readers to clearly understand what he is trying to convey. His sentences often throughout the speech tend to be hortative, calling into action the people his is talking to yet not being commanding at the same time. He uses Anaphora commonly throughout his speech, for example in paragraphs 16 through 19, each paragraph starts with the words “let both sides”, repeating those words continuously