Julie Voth
AP English Language and Composition
Kennedy and Obama
Compare
Contrast
Both Kennedy and Obama had parallelism in their inaugural address.
A line from Kennedy’s speech that displays this rhetorical device is, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich…”.
Obama’s speech that displays this rhetorical device is, “Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. . . . Our capacity remains undiminished.”.
Both Kennedy and Obama had antithesis in their inaugural address.
Kennedy: “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.”.
Obama: “not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity . . . “.
Both Kennedy and Obama had metaphors in their inaugural address.
Kennedy: “And let every other power know that this hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.”.
Obama: “long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”.
Both Kennedy and Obama had anaphoras in their inaugural address.
Kennedy: “...hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life…”.
Obama: “So it has been. So it must be . . .”.
Both Kennedy and Obama used alliterations in their inaugural address.
Kennedy: “To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends”.
Obama: “This is the price and promise of citizenship.”.
Both Kennedy and Obama