Introduction
Among various great political speeches, the Moon Speech by John F. Kennedy is commonly addressed as one of the most captivating, provocative, and well-performed. People can introduce multiple reasons for explaining the success of his speech, including his ambitions, American attitudes, and pride. Kennedy’s Moon speech is a shining example of combining rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, and pathos that appeal to human achievements, minds, and souls.
Audience and Purpose
Kennedy’s mastery of using the right words can be traced in every line. His “We Choose the Moon” speech was directly addressed to a crowd of thousands of Americans. The purpose was to support the Apollo program and enable Americans to reach the moon in the 1960s (Clegg 15). He admitted, “the greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds” to underline the importance of cooperation between the government, science, and citizens (“JFK Moon Speech” 00:00:15-00:00:19).
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
A successful application of ethos is observed at the beginning to specify all participants’ equality in “an hour of change and challenge… hope and fear… knowledge and ignorance” (“JFK Moon Speech” 00:00:06-00:00:14). Despite his evident authority, he was as existed about the achievement as others. To maintain logic and reason, the President addressed several historical facts, beginning with the advanced skills of early humans and concluding with recent technological advancements, such as the telephone and the automobile. Finally, Kennedy did not forget about personal emotions and admiration for choosing “to go to the moon,” which he repeated three times (“JFK Moon Speech” 00:02:49-00:02:59). These examples demonstrate how carefully each word and tone were chosen.
Conclusion
In general, this analysis of Kennedy’s speech promotes a better understanding of what made the President respected by most Americans. Ethos, logos, and pathos in this speech have specific purposes, and Kennedy successfully achieved the goal of inspiring people and supporting astronauts. Sometimes, it is enough to hear the right words at the right time and make the most appropriate decision. Kennedy delivered the speech that touched the hearts and minds of people across the globe.
Works Cited
Clegg, Lewis. “John F. Kennedy and the Desire to Land an American on the Moon.” The General: Brock University Undergraduate Journal of History, vol. 4, 2019, pp. 8-30.
“JFK Moon Speech.” YouTube, uploaded byJFKHomecoming, 2013.