let us go forth

Researching a little on others' analyses of Pres. Kennedy's inauguration speech, I find references to

"rhetorical techniques"

but no mention of that
beachfront of cooperation
pushing back those
jungles of suspicion.

That's getting to be my favorite part.

On a site called "Mr. Media Training" Brad Phillips wrote an article about the "Ask not" speech on January 20th, 2011. 
[excerpt]---------------------------Kennedy used many rhetorical devices during his speech; these three are among the most notable:


Antimetabole: Although President Kennedy deploys many rhetorical devices throughout the speech, none was as memorable as one called antimetabole, in which the same words are used in successive clauses, but in reverse order:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”



Anaphora: Note the repetition of the word “to” at the beginning of six consecutive paragraphs: “To those old allies,” “To those new states,” “To those peoples,” “To our sister republics,” “To that world assembly,” and “Finally, to those nations.” That rhetorical device is known as anaphora, since the repetition occurred at the beginning of each subsequent thought.

Alliteration: This type of phrasing refers to a repeated sound in words, phrases, or sentences. In his last sentence, Kennedy used the phrase, “…let us go forth to lead the land we love,” a terrific use of alliteration.
--------------------------[end excerpt]

When I was in grade school you always heard the Pres. Kennedy quotation, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." 

I think when we learned typing in 9th grade we typed that out for practice.
Or maybe it was "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."
Maybe it was both.

Theodore Sorensen helped Pres. Kennedy write that speech.  Sorensen was from Nebraska.  (They weren't all East-Coasters...!)

-30-