"JFK Inaugural Speech"
by John F. Kennedy
We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
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 to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
What best describes the rhetorical technique President Kennedy is using when he says, “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate”?
(1 point)
Responses
The first sentence sets up a joke and the second sentence delivers the punchline, creating a moment of humor in an otherwise serious speech.
The first sentence sets up a joke and the second sentence delivers the punchline, creating a moment of humor in an otherwise serious speech.
The two sentences reflect each other in order to convey how powerful fear can be, even when people try to negotiate out of it.
The two sentences reflect each other in order to convey how powerful fear can be, even when people try to negotiate out of it.
The second sentence reorders the words from the first sentence to create a catchy rhythm that emphasizes the importance of cooperation.
The second sentence reorders the words from the first sentence to create a catchy rhythm that emphasizes the importance of cooperation.
The main idea of the second sentence contradicts the main idea in the first sentence, which demonstrates how dangerous it can be to let fear into a negotiation.