As Kennedy uses parallelisms, antitheses, and juxtapositions, his speech is filled with distinctly contrasting words and expressions: "invoke the wonder of science instead of its terrors", the "beachhead of cooperation" as opposed to the "jungle of suspicion", and the "peaceful revolution" assaulted by "hostile powers". Certain metaphors are so powerful they compel the reader to action. Indeed they are motivating enough to be repeated by future generations as quotes in themselves.
The various choices of diction are mainly intended to supplement the schemes omnipresent in the address. The main trait a ruler must possess is definitiveness and the ability to make decisions, and there is no better way to express such qualities than through antitheses. In almost every key point Kennedy addresses, there exist only two paths: the right and the wrong. "United there is little we can't do Divided there is little we can do", "to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life," such directly opposing ideas point out that Kennedy and the American people do not have the luxury of making any mistakes. He creates the sense of immediacy and the need for unity by simply leaving the people with no choice. In addition, the juxtaposition provides the speech with great logical appeal. .
By greatly narrowing down the possible options, Kennedy creates only one logical choice which he will obviously pursue. Anaphora also plays a vital role in encouraging and presenting ideals. The continuous repetition of such phrases as "let us" and "to those" has multiple beneficial effects. For example, using the quick repetition of the beginning phrase, Kennedy is able to present his main point significantly faster and with more force. Instead of leading to the final idea through winding explanations, he simply addresses his beliefs in the course of six lines without any impediments.