On September 12, 1962, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, stood before a crowd of 35,000 people at Rice University Stadium, Houston , Texas, and delivered an inspiring speech that pushed America forward in the space race. The context of this speech was given during the Cold War, and by the time Kennedy gave this speech, the Soviet Union's satellite – Sputnik – had already been orbiting the Earth for 4 years, and also sent the first man to world – Yuri Gagarin – into space a year earlier. The American public, filled with anxiety, was rapidly losing patience, and the President, with his determination that America would be the first to go to the moon, reassured the American public that the U.S. they would be the pioneer country in the space race. The significance of his speech was demonstrated when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon in 1969 and reflected how persuasive he was for America to achieve such a feat within 7 years of his speech. So today I will analyze the rhetorical and literary devices that Kennedy applied to his speech, and how it still resonates powerfully 60 years after his speech. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At the beginning of the speech, Kennedy addressed the audience for the first time and expressed how he was "especially happy" to be invited as an honorary visiting professor. He specifically did not mention himself as president, but rather as a professor. And although the entire audience knows perfectly well that he is the President, by introducing himself as a professor, he establishes a friendlier connection and makes the audience more likely to agree with his decision to go to the moon and the content that will follow. However, he still maintains his role as President and the rhetorical device – ethos – is prominent here as he uses his role to persuade the audience of his goal: reaching the moon. He then turns to Rice University and describes how he and the audience “meet in an hour of change and challenge.” [shows entire paragraph on screen] Within the entire paragraph, Kennedy uses inclusive language with the word “we” to make the audience feel like they are part of this situation too. The American public at that time was starting to feel helpless due to the lack of progress in the space race compared to the Soviet Union, but including, not only the public in attendance, but also the people who would hear in the newspapers about his goal on the moon , they would feel like they can be part of the group that will bring about change and contribute to the betterment of their country. Kennedy then condenses 50,000 years of recorded human history into a time span of half a century: "10 years ago, by this standard, a man emerged from his caves." Only five years ago, he claims, did man learn to write. And just a month ago electric lights, telephones, automobiles and airplanes became available. So, if the American spacecraft successfully reached Venus and American astronauts landed on the Moon, “we will literally have reached the stars before midnight tonight.” This powerful analogy certainly helps to excite the audience and demonstrates that a goal that seems impossible to achieve is actually within reach. It also motivates the public to think about what would be possible if they were actually able to reach the stars before midnight tonight, lifts people's hearts to strive towards this goal, and gives confidence that their efforts.