- Syntax: JFK (who is widely remembered for his distinct syntax in his speeches) uses rhetorical
questions such as “Why choose this as our goal?” He also uses repetition frequently. He asks
several rhetorical questions in a row in the second paragraph. In the third paragraph he repeats
the phrase “We choose to go to the moon.” - Allusion: JFK makes an allusion to Charles Lindbergh flying across from New York to Paris on
his Spirit of St. Louis plane, completing the first solo crossing of the Atlantic with the words
“Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?”
JFK makes an allusion to Texas being “the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West.” This
refers to the outer line of settlement in the United States moving steadily west and the fact that the
location of his speech was, at one point, the furthest west that the country extended.- Statistics and Quotes: JFK mentions specific figures for spending on the new space program
such as “$60 million a year” for salaries and expenses, “$200 million” in plant and laboratory
facilities, and “over $1 billion” to contract for new space efforts. - Diction: We “choose” to go to the moon instead of “We are going to the moon.”
JFK describes the entire plan to go the moon as an “adventure” instead of “budget line item” or
“task” or even “journey.”PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Now that you have identified the parts of the speech, appeals, and the literary devices used in the passage
on this page, you have to figure out how those come together to create an effective argument.
This chapter ends with a drill that allows you to do just that. Reread President Kennedy’s speech and look
over your notes, and then answer the questions starting on this page. When you’re done, turn to this page
to see how your answers compare with ours.