4 forum responses
Each of these responses should be at least 150 words.
In your response to your classmates, find a student who wrote about a different persuasive American speech, and comment on your classmate’s discussion of his/her chosen work. Do you agree with his or her analysis of this speech? Why? The ‘why’ is key – please post a rich response to your classmate. Write the response as if you we talking to them please.
1. Zachary
For this week’s forum I chose to write about John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. The purpose of this speech was to lay out Kennedy’s expectations for his administration in the coming presidency. Additionally, Kennedy speaks to the citizens and America and of the world about the standard America will hold during his presidency. The claim for this speech is, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes is well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear and burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose and foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” (Kennedy) I believe this is the claim because it is the focus of what the entire speech is about. I think the speech uses pathos, ethos, and logos. An example of pathos in the speech is, “The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.” (Kennedy) I think the use of Ethos is simply because he is giving his inaugural address and is the President of the United States. The speech uses logos throughout, but specifically, “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” (Kennedy) Kennedy is using a mix of both the Toulmin method and the Rogerian method in this speech. He has a clear stance and is persuading his audience to take a stance and unite, but he is also showing “common ground” with any force that would call America an adversary.
2. Nichoas
For this week’s forum I chose to write on John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” which he delivered on Friday, January 20, 1961. The purpose of this speech is to address the American public for the first time after taking the oath of office and becoming the president of the United States. This is obviously one of the most important days for a president to lay out his plan for the future, but also to mend the fences that might have been broken during the campaign for office. I think that in nature, this speech should and has to be a Rogerian method speech. President Kennedy used pathos and logos to unite the public and strengthen the country based off his concern that a divided America was a weaker America during the Cold War. I believe the claim of his speech is, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” (Kennedy). This sentence contains all the components of the message the president was trying to convey. One of the supporting elements I found came in this passage, “Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.” (Kennedy). This shows that he is being more of a mediator than an aggressor towards his goals of ending the Cold War, which reinforces his claim, and further solidifies this speech as Rogerian method in my opinion.
3. Tyler
I chose the speech by Mr. Clarence Darrow, “Mercy for Leopold and Loeb” for this week’s forum.This speech is clearly written/spoken using the Rogerian method.His clear conversational approach is nonconfrontational and presents his case in more of a submissive way, using primarily ethos and pathos to try and persuade his audience to grant mercy to his clients thru emotional pleas and examples of societal influence.I believe his claim/purpose/thesis is not clearly stated but may be captured in the statement “the State says that your Honor has a right to consider the welfare of the community…” (Darrow, para 3) as his basis of reasoning returns to what’s best for the community, and how to best serve justice so that all can heal.It was hard to pick out a specific lines, but he generally wanted the court to consider a longer jail sentence instead of the death penalty, to save the community, and the families involved.Darrow saw additional deaths would just add to the sadness and destruction caused by the original crime.He used the situation of war to also persuade the audience to see that the boys were raised during a time when death and murder were perhaps a common occurrence, so that their time of upbringing desensitized them to it.
4. Armine
in my opinion, this marvelous speech by Kennedy is based on the Rogerian rather than Toulmin method. Kennedy is seeking common grounds in an emotional and tone. Though there are some elements of Toulmin’s method: claim, warrant backings, but no counterargument and rebuttal. Also, the approach is not strongly persuasive. The use of pathos or emotional appeal with sentences starting with “Let both sides explore,” “Let both sides seek…” and “Let both sides unite…”is suggestive of Rogerian method bringing out the ethos of the person speaking. The last lines are the most beautiful example of Rogerian method, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man” (Kennedy para 25).
American Speech 20180509144642102forum_rubric (1)
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Zachary
In response to the speech, I believe you managed to provide an excellent analysis for the Inaugural Speech which had been presented by John F. Kennedy. I agree with the study of the speech. You have managed to identify the purpose of the making of the speech which was to lay out the expectations that the Kennedy would achieve once his administration came into office. The claim that you have presented provides the expectations which have been set by the president.
(800 words)