Preview

Rhetorical Devices In President Franklin Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
277 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Rhetorical Devices In President Franklin Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech
Throughout President Franklin Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor speech, he uses various devices to appeal to the audience listening. Although, the most effective excerpt from the speech is when President Roosevelt depicts the resilience and determination of the United States to fight back, both figuratively and metaphorically, “With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God” (paragraph 17). By accentuating the unity of the nation with “our” armed forces and “our” people, Mr. President utilizes both pathos and parallelism. Pathos is exerted by the use of the pronouns “our” and “we”, in which Roosevelt includes himself with the rest of the Americans involved
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Saving Private Ryan
    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Saving Private Ryan

    In the movie Saving Private Ryan, American soldier private James Ryan losses all three of his brothers during World War Two. The Marshall, not wanting to allow a mother to lose all four of her sons gives orders to send a unit to find and rescue private Ryan, despite the possibility of letting many men die to save one mans life. In order to gain his staff's support for this decision the Marshall reads them a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to a mother who lost five sons during the civil war which contains various rhetorical techniques such as: ethos, allusions, as well as pathos coupled with powerful diction. Through these rhetorical techniques this letter is able to make a strong emotional impact on any viewers which is used by the Marshall as a tool of persuasion to effectively gain the support of his staff.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Fdr's Attack On Pearl Harbor
    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Fdr's Attack On Pearl Harbor

    In Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Attack on Pearl Harbor, inflammatory language is used as a persuasive technique to try and get the citizens of the United States angered and mournful about the bombing of pearl harbor. The point of writing this speech is to persuade Americans to support the war, and that there was a good reason to go to war. Also, he wanted to convince congress to declare war, which minutes later they did. He uses hate filled inflammatory language to appeal to the audience’s emotion, calling it an “unprovoked and dastardly” (Roosevelt 2) attack. By saying this, Roosevelt hopes to make it appear that the bad guys are the Japanese, which they are. He wishes to arouse the American citizens and get them to support his reasons to go to…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical device Project on Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation
    • 644 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rhetorical device Project on Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation

    The Japanese Empire bombarded Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 it was a surprise attack to the United States. This event caused the loss of many innocent people as well as material destruction to the country. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the president during that time, his duty was to address both, the nation and the Congress to inform them about what had happened he did this through his speech “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation”. The speech was extremely important, not only because of how delicate was the subject, but also because he had the challenge to inform two very different audiences about the occurred. His first audience was Congress which was important because in the end they would determine whether or not to go to war. Also the nation would listen to this speech, while Congress got to see and hear him during the speech Americans would only hear the speech through radio, which made this an even harder task to accomplish.…

    • 644 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis a Day Which Will Live in Infamy
    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis a Day Which Will Live in Infamy

    Roosevelt uses Pathos throughout the speech to appeal to the American’s emotions and persuade them to want revenge for Pearl Harbor. He states that, “The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Which he used to tell the audience that he had no idea the attack was coming; he wanted to be sure everyone understood the situation. He also makes sure to explain the state between the two nations before the attack, which in his words were, “The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific." He says this to further justify his abhorrence for the Japanese by using Pathos once again to appeal to emotion. He solidifies the idea of Japan being an untrustworthy and deviant nation by saying "The distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How Did President Franklin D Roosevelt Use Any Figurative Language
    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did President Franklin D Roosevelt Use Any Figurative Language

    The speaker, President Franklin D. Roosevelt is announcing the bombing of Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not give much of his background knowledge when he gave his speech. He kept a serious face when he gave his speech. He didn’t give us his age at the time of his speech. When he gave his speech he was 59 years old and died at the age of 63.…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pearl Harbor Speech Rhetorical Analysis Essay
    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pearl Harbor Speech Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    Franklin D. Roosevelt asked “that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.” to the nation. Declaring a state of war with Japan and convincing the people to support the war effort. The Pearl Harbor address to the Nation delivered by Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of the most famous speeches in American history. Roosevelt uses many rhetorical strategies to convince his audiences and relay his intent to the people and Congress. I will address his audiences, rhetorical strategies, and my opinion on the persuasiveness of his speech.…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Pearl Harbor Speech
    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Pearl Harbor Speech

    The attack on Pearl Harbor is on the relatively short list of atrocities committed on the U.S. or organized incorporated U.S. territories, along with other tragedies such as the September 11th attacks. Considering these hardships do not occur very frequently in America, the natural reaction of the citizens is extreme, leaving political leaders and powerful figures to calm the chaos. The 32nd U.S. President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt executed this task on December 8th, 1941. He gave his “Pearl Harbor Address” informing the public about the attacks Japan had made the previous night. The event resulted in 2,402 deaths and the US entrance into World War II (Tampa Bay Times). He uses a confident and patriotic tone in order to reach his audience…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Franklin D. Roosevelt's Speech To Congress After The Attack On Pearl Harbor
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Franklin D. Roosevelt's Speech To Congress After The Attack On Pearl Harbor

    1. It comes with no surprise that as leaders of a nation, presidents are expected to be charismatic, and rather captivating when publicly speaking. With this being said, it is generally distasteful for a leader to thoughtlessly slanders others. In Roosevelt's speech to Congress after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt effectively portrayed the Japanese as deceitful, scheming liars (of course, he states this in a more professional manner). This was in response to the fact that the Japanese were clearly lying about their hopes for peace to remain between the two nations, and their following decision to bomb Pearl Harbor. When the president describes the attack, he states that the U.S. was “suddenly and deliberately attacked.” He continues…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis of President Woodrow Wilsons War Message
    • 2460 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis of President Woodrow Wilsons War Message

    With the status of the country’s belligerency heavily in question, an apprehensive President Woodrow Wilson prepared to request from an unmotivated and unprepared country a declaration of war against Germany. After exerting every attempt possible to retain the peace and honor of the United States, the President was finally forced to choose between the two, in which he opted for the latter (Seymour 26). As he sat down to compose his congressional address proposing war, the uncertainty of his decision overwhelmed him. He confided to a member of his cabinet, Frank Cobb, that he had never been as unsure about anything in his life as the judgment he was making for the nation (Baker 506). Through a rhetorical analysis of Wilson’s points of argumentation and his style in the presentation to the war congress, we can gain a better understanding of the president’s purpose tonot only convince the Congress that American belligerency in the final stages of the war would indefinitely shorten it and provide him with the opportunity to organize the peace for Europe as well as the rest of the world (Ferrell 2), but to sway the American people’s opinion to one of non-isolationism, to warn Germany’s government that “America would ultimately wield a powerful sword to deny them victory” (Parsons 2), to compel German citizens to relinquish the submarine attacks and negotiate peace and his terms (Parsons 2), and to calm his own uncertainty about his decision.…

    • 2460 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Denton Article
    • 5756 Words
    • 24 Pages

    Denton Article

    The attacks upon America on September 11, 2001 are being characterized as this generation’s “Pearl Harbor.” The comparison is powerful. Especially since the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day, there is a plethora of books and films commemorating the heroics of those who fought with courage, commitment, and sacrifice during World War II. In the words of Tom Brokaw (in The Greatest Generation, p. xx.), they stayed true to the values “of pesonal responsibility, duty, honor, and faith”. Quite simply, as he proclaims in his best selling book, they are the “greatest generation any society has produced” (p. xxx.). The surprise attack upon our forces on the morning of December 7, 1941, characterized by President Roosevelt as “a day that will live in infamy,” changed the course of…

    • 5756 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Iwo Jima Memorial
    • 1121 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Iwo Jima Memorial

    As a young adult in today’s society, I am constantly surrounded and influenced by images in the media. Whether a photograph, a film, a news segment on T.V., or something on the internet, visual images are becoming an increasingly powerful influence. During a time of war and destruction, America is constantly shown images of soldiers fighting, innocent citizens dying, and terror among those who want peace. Throughout history this has been the case with each war. However, it’s the images shown after war that I find most moving. The image of the five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising an American flag above the rubble of the Battle of Iwo Jima is one of the most powerful images I’ve seen. Iwo Jima was a battle that was fought from February 19, 1945 until March 26, 1945. America was attempting to capture the island from Japanese forces due to its two air bases and its close vicinity to the main lands of Japan. Japan was heavily armed but the American soldiers had a widespread navy fleet and a strong ground team and won the battle. When the fight had ended an estimated 22,000 of Japan’s soldiers had died along with 7,000 American soldiers. The dust had cleared and standing among the ruins were these American soldiers, proudly raising the flag of their country. This image of Iwo Jima, shot by Joe Rosenthal, not only shows the bravery and hard work of these soldiers through its use of emotional appeals, motifs, and composition, but also the destruction caused by war.…

    • 1121 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Classical Liberalism In Pearl Harbor
    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Classical Liberalism In Pearl Harbor

    In America’s history there has been an extreme presentation of nationalism, especially in the Pearl Harbor and 9/11 attacks. December 7, 1941, a date that resonates in the hearts of all Americans, was the day the Japanese Navy landed a surprise attack on the U.S naval base at Pearl Harbor. The USS West Virginia was one of the ships that sunk in during the assail, also claiming over 2000 innocent lives. Pearl Harbor was known as the worse attack on American ground by foreign assailants until 9/11. Not very long after the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, the nation descended into a period of lament. We felt intense sorrow, but the anguish that we held was partly filled by a nationalistic dedication.…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fdr's War Message
    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Fdr's War Message

    In his address to Congress, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) speaks urgently and fluently about our need to act, or more specifically, our need to declare war on Japan. Roosevelt begins by complementing his audience and speaking very straight forward about what had happened. Utilizing some effective connotations, Roosevelt states, “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Notice, “suddenly”, “deliberately” and “Empire didn’t necessarily need to be in that statement. These uses of connotation can also be seen as a means of expressing pathos, as to set the audience up and appeal to their emotions.…

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ww2, the Good War Essay Example
    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ww2, the Good War Essay Example

    The Second World War is often remembered as the “Good War” for the American’s heroic stand against the Nazis and the Japanese, but the moniker overly simplifies what many consider “history’s greatest catastrophe.” Images of heroic American soldiers bravely sacrificing their livelihoods and breath to bring freedom to Europe were plastered across the 1940’s media to rally support for the War, perhaps cementing the “Good War” characterization in American memory. However, the sixty years that have followed WWII have uncovered many American behaviors that undermine the ‘goodness’ of the War and question the “Greatest Generation.” Stories of Japanese internment camps, racial and gender inequality, and the horrific atomic bombings of Japanese cities call into question the validity of the American fight for liberty and democracy so valiantly portrayed in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. However, the undeniable heroism and sacrifice of the American soldiers and the nation’s economic successes upon returning home have deservedly earned these monikers. In that sense, the “Good War” and “Greatest Generation” characterizations are convenient but inaccurate simplifications of a conflict that contained many hypocritical and disturbing actions and cost millions of lives.…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Franklin D Roosevelt Speech Analysis
    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Franklin D Roosevelt Speech Analysis

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal program changed the course of American history greatly. The New Deal was associated with a number of economic programs and initiatives implemented in the country during the presidency of Roosevelt contributing to the country’s economic prosperity and stability, as well as greater confidence and security on the part of American citizens. President Roosevelt did not only promote but also re-defined the meaning of economic freedom over the course of the New Deal stating that the governments promoting economic inequality and poverty also promoted oppression and distarothip giving no hope for the future prosperity and social stability. Roosevelt…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics