rhetorical devices used in pearl harbor speech

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pEARL hARBOR aDDRESS TO THE naTION

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Rhetoric revisited: fdr’s “infamy” speech.

A speechwriter dissects Franklin Roosevelt’s famous Pearl Harbor address

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Really, he’d hoped to spend that afternoon up in the second floor study, magnifying glass in hand, working on the stamp collection that since boyhood had taught him about the world. But FDR was president, with work to do. He was talking policy with one of his aides when Navy Secretary Frank Knox called.

“Mr. President,” he said, sounding doubtful, “it looks like the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor.”

Roosevelt had no doubts. He knew it was true — and what it meant: war. And a war many Americans did not want, including Charles Lindbergh, whose America First campaign had blocked FDR’s attempt to build up America’s military. Three hours later, FDR called Grace Tully, his secretary, and dictated a speech he would deliver to Congress. The next day, he sat in the House Chamber, wheelchair carefully hidden from photographers, and uttered the words Americans remember about a day “that will live in infamy.”

It’s one of the most famous speeches in American history, though it’s safe to say most Americans remember only that phrase. It’s worth asking: What makes it so famous?

It’s not just because the United States would declare war. Who remembers a word of other speeches by presidents asking for war — in 1812, 1846, 1898, or 1917? In fact, I wrote a speech for my boss, Democratic Majority Whip Bill Gray, during that 1991 debate on the First Gulf War. I remember sitting in the House Chamber watching an incredible sight: Members speaking, then actually sticking around to hear others. I don’t remember the declaration at all.

Is FDR’s speech memorable for its eloquence? No. The language is mostly flat. The readability statistics our computers now provide tell us it’s full of passive voice, with long sentences copyeditors today would think wordy — “In the intervening time,” not “meanwhile.” Even the word “infamy” is a little off; originally he had dictated another word:  history.  Roosevelt clearly didn’t want to sound neutral, but his usage of “infamy” was at odds with conventions of the day; a descriptive word, “infamy” usually appeared the way people talking about FDR often misquote him: “day  of  infamy.”

Neither was it substantive. FDR rejected the suggestions of those who wanted a longer speech giving listeners context. He wanted to convey urgency to Americans opposed to war.

Did it offer concrete detail — visceral specifics of the attack and casualties? That’s a rule of good speechwriting. Barack Obama used it effectively in 2013, when he told Americans about the Syrian use of chemical warfare: “The images are sickening … a father clutching his dead children, urging them to get up and walk.” Here, FDR gave listeners bland abstractions — “I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost.”

But if “Infamy” isn’t notable for its eloquence, it’s still a fascinating speech. Its intrigue lies not only in what FDR told Americans then, but what he didn’t tell them — and what the speech tells us now.

Looking back, for example, the speech gives us a glimpse into how technology could and would influence a nation.

When Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war in 1917, only those in the House Chamber heard and saw him. It took weeks even for the stereopticon slides of his appearance to reach American families. But by 1941 almost 90 percent of American homes had radio. That day four of five families with those radios tuned in to FDR’s noontime speech. The vast acceleration of technology had — literally — electrified a country, and given presidents a way to electrify its people.

Roosevelt’s brevity also exposes the rhetorical devices leaders often use in times of crisis. Take the five-step structure so popular with speechwriters it now has a name: Monroe's Motivated Sequence . In “Infamy,” Roosevelt uses all five.

First, win  attention .  Right away, FDR tells us the bad news. “Yesterday, December 7, 1941­ — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

Second, present a  problem .  FDR shows us why the news is bad — not just loss of life, but the threat to Democracy and the evil of the other side. “The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.”

Third, offer a  solution .  FDR assures us the country will fight back. “As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.”

Fourth,  envision the future : He not only predicts victory but shows absolute certainty about it. “With confidence in our armed forces — with the unbounded determination of our people — we will gain the inevitable triumph — so help us God.”

Fifth, utter a  call to action : FDR calls for one specific act: that Congress declare war. “I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”

They are the steps of many such declarations — and many moments of crisis. In fact, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, speechwriter Peggy Noonan’s artful speech let Ronald Reagan make the same points, not about fighting a war but exploring space.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about this speech is what goes unsaid. Let’s be honest — while Roosevelt prided himself on using direct language, as if wanting us to know his views, he was hiding some. He presents a picture of himself taken by surprise — “looking towards the maintenance of peace.” There is no evidence for the allegations that FDR maneuvered the Japanese into attacking Pearl Harbor. But he did know war lay ahead. According to the diary of then-Secretary of War Henry Stimson, two weeks before the attack, he asked aides how to provoke Japan into “firing the first shot without allowing too much danger to ourselves.” The only surprise was where the first shot would be.

And his certainty of the “inevitable triumph”? FDR had many doubts. He didn’t know whether the United States could handle a war fought on two fronts, and told Eleanor he expected many losses.

But when a president declares war, one should expect to hear confidence, not candor.

The decisions about this speech were largely Roosevelt’s own. That was unusual for this president — the first to use speechwriters for most of what he said. Except for a few phrases added by aides, and one echo of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural, the language and strategy for this speech mostly came straight from his mouth into Grace Tully’s manual typewriter.

Would it work? FDR could not be sure.

But three hours after his speech, Congress passed its declaration with only one dissenting vote. It gave FDR the money he needed to rearm. The isolationists gave up the fight. “We have been attacked. We must fight,” Lindbergh said. In the weeks ahead, young Americans filled recruiting stations to enlist.

FDR’s doubts were reasonable. There were many defeats in those opening months. But Americans planted victory gardens, sent sons to fight, and kept in office a president who before the war had been very unpopular.

Dying less than four years later, FDR didn’t live to see the results of those decisions. But the 520 words he dictated then thundered out, set in motion a united and long-lasting response to the threat of Japan and Germany much more dangerous and uncertain than he could let on. FDR didn’t get to spend that afternoon organizing the stamps he loved. But by focusing on the future — he put his stamp on it.

Former Chief Speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore in the White House,  Bob Lehrman has written four novels, the highly praised  The Political Speechwriter’s Companion  (CQ Press 2009), and has now co-authored and co-edited a new book:  Democratic Oratory from JFK to Barack Obama  (Palgrave Macmillan 2016).  He teaches public speaking and political speechwriting at American University.

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Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation: Rhetoric

When we first read this speech, we might be inclined to think it's maybe kind of ethos-y. Right off the bat, it starts out with all these official-sounding titles and addresses, and the U.S. is called out by its full name of the United States of America. Those kinds of things usually mean we're in for some serious ethos.

In this speech, all of that official-sounding title and address stuff just serves to add a big dollop of authority to the pathos pounding FDR is about to deliver.

Pathos as a rhetorical device is all about bringing on the feels. President Roosevelt isn't trying to logically take his audience through the events of the previous day or explain to them the rules of engagement ; he's trying to get people as steamed as he is about Japan's "unprovoked and dastardly attack" on U.S. forces (26).

How do we know this? Well, our first clue is that he uses words like "unprovoked" and "dastardly." Those aren't neutral words. Those are angry words.

FDR's ire is also made pretty obvious by the fact that he uses the word "deliberately" three times to describe Japan's sneaky treachery (and by the fact that he actually uses the word "treachery") (1; 5; 6; 22). He accuses Japan of making "false statements" and undertaking a "surprise offensive," both of which are big no-no's in Roosevelt's eyes (6; 16).

There's no question that this was one mad POTUS. And once the rest of the country got past the shock of being sneak-attacked by a supposed friend, it didn't take long for everyone else to board the Angry Train as well.

The attack on Pearl Harbor wasn't the beginning of tensions between Japan and the U.S., but it wasn't exactly an olive branch, either. In fact, it was kind of the exact opposite of an olive branch . And FDR's speech definitely let everyone know exactly how he felt about that.

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Speech Analysis: Franklin Roosevelt Pearl Harbor Address

The next day, Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the United States Congress with his memorable “a date which will live in infamy” speech .

This speech had two purposes:

• To urge Congress to formally declare war on Japan (which they did just minutes later), and
• To rally the American people to support the war effort.

In this speech analysis article, we focus on Roosevelt’s choice of words to see how they helped communicate his message. Then, from these choices, we extract 5 key speech writing lessons for you .

This is the latest in a series of speech critiques here on Six Minutes .

I encourage you to:

• Watch the speech video;
• Read the analysis in this speech critique;
• Study the annotated speech transcript; and
• Share your thoughts on this speech in in the comments.

Video of Franklin Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address

I was unable to find a complete recording with video, but did find these two options:

• Audio-only of full speech , but without video, or
• (Shown below) Video of Roosevelt delivering the speech, but with a few sections omitted.

Emotional, polarizing words: “…a date which will live in infamy…”

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The most memorable phrase of this speech comes in its first line. The label “infamy” foreshadows the tone of the entire speech. Consider the very different tone  resulting from the following alternatives:

• Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a tragic date — …
• Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a pivotal day for our country — …
• Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which we experienced sorrow…
• Yesterday, December 7, 1941, the United States of America was… [that is, suppose no labelling phrase was used at all]

None of these alternatives are consistent with Roosevelt’s goal.

Roosevelt continues to use vivid, emotional words throughout the speech, including:

• “suddenly and deliberately attacked”
• “deliberately planned”
• “deliberately sought to deceive”
• “surprise offensive”
• “unprovoked and dastardly”
• “premeditated invasion”
• “onslaught against us”
• “this form of treachery”

These phrases continue the “infamy” theme, and characterize the Japanese actions as duplicitous and dishonorable.

What’s the lesson for you on your next speech?

Choose words deliberately which match the tone of your speech . If your goal is to ignite polarizing emotions, then choose emotionally charged words as Roosevelt has done. On the other hand, more neutral words would be more appropriate if your goal was to heal wounds.

Variations of “Japan” and “Japanese”

Consider the following phrases:

[…] the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan .

And, later:

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area.

By using this exhaustive variety of word forms (“Empire of Japan”, “Japanese Government”, “Japanese forces”, “the Japanese”, “Japan”), Roosevelt makes it clear that the many components of Japan cannot be separated. That is, the attack was not made simply by the Japanese military, but by the Empire, the government, the armed forces, and Japan itself.

Use a variety of related terms to emphasize the whole .

For example, suppose you want to voice opposition to a particular industrial development in your community. In this case, you might use a variety of phrases to communicate the widespread opposition:

[…] the residents of this neighbourhood are opposed […] the business community is opposed […] the taxpayers are opposed […] the media opposes the development […] this environmental impact study blasts it […]

Repetition: “Last night Japanese forces attacked…”

Imagine if the entire passage (“… last night Japanese forces attacked …”) quoted above had been abbreviated to the following sentence, which is identical in meaning:

Yesterday, Japanese forces attacked Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island, and Midway Island.

Would this have had the same rhetorical effect as the six individual sentences? No, not even close!

Roosevelt’s use of repetition amplifies the message and draws more attention to the two key words: “Japanese” and “attacked”. If one were asked to narrow the speech down to just two words, those two words would be “Japanese attacked”.

Use repetition strategically to highlight key words or phrases that carry the weight of your message. Forceful repetition will help these words resonate with your audience.

Pathos: the Emotional Appeal

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

This is the only triad used in the entire speech. More importantly, this is the only appeal to logic (logos) within the speech. Most of the rest of the Roosevelt’s speech is an appeal to emotion (pathos). He seems to be consciously aiming for an emotional, gut-level response from Congress and from the American people.

This is in sharp contrast to the speech which led the United States into World War I, which relied heavily on appeals to logic (i.e. we should enter the war because it is a just war).

Understand the roles of ethos, pathos, and logos in a persuasive speech . Make conscious decisions about when to invoke each one depending on your audience and your message.

A Clear Call-to-Action

Roosevelt’s immediate audience for this speech was the members of the United State Congress. In the final sentence of the speech, Roosevelt clearly asks Congress to make the formal declaration of war:

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

The other audience for this speech was the United States public as a whole. In the sentences which precede the final one above, Roosevelt makes his call-to-action clear to the American people:

[…] that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory . I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph , so help us God.

Make your call-to-action clear so that your audience will never wonder what you are asking from them. If your audience is comprised of different groups, use your audience analysis to match a call-to-action to each group.

Legend to Annotations

In the complete speech transcript below, the 8 charismatic leadership tactics are annotated with the following colors. A similar color-coding analysis was performed on Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech .

Speech Transcript

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. 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 . Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack. It will be recorded that 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 continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation. As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us . No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people , in their righteous might , will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us . Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph , so help us God . I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

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great use of language, pauses, tone of voice-very uplifting, motivating, and inspiring as well as reassuring confidence and security

Great speech analysis. Im currently in English 1110 at Ohio state and this has helped me a lot. Thank you for sharing this with us.

I learned from this speech that Franklin Roosevelt uses vivid, emotional words throughout his speech. When stating the main idea,FDR was very clear by declaring war on Japan and to rally the American people to support the war effort.

The speech analysis was very helpful. I am currently doing speech for dual enrollment, and this analysis helped by (1 showing the important points in this speech and (2 it also showed how I could apply the president’s speaking skills in my own speeches.

Thanks for this article! I am taking a Public Speaking class and I had to read this article. I will be asked to critique a speech and maybe even develop a speech of my own and your description of charismatic leadership tactics has been very helpful.

Thank you! Thou art brilliant!

Stay dazzling! Dilip Mukerjea

I would like to thank you for taking time to write this article, no matter how long ago it may have been written. Therefore, I don’t even know if you’ll ever see this. But regardless, this definitely helped me a lot for a test I will be having in my 8th Grade American History Class. We are to study Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address thoroughly and this page gave me the ability to understand the tone to the speech, as well as the stress on words like “deliberate,” “Japan,” and “attacked.”

Thank you again for all of your help, Mr. Duglan.

Dear Andrew Stunning! An absolutely brilliant analysis of famous speeches! I wish I had know of your site when I was still a school Headmaster!

Greetings from Sunny South Africa! Regards

Am highly impressed by your work. How l wish you have a seminar or course one can attend. Thanks for the insight.

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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Pearl Harbor Speech

The Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation by Franklin Delano Roosevelt was delivered on December 8, 1941 in Washington, D.C., a day after one of America’s largest tragedies. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is an event that is unforgettable and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech in response to this shocking attack is one of the most significant speeches of all time. The significance of the speech is the fact that America joined into the fighting of World War II, something the Americans didn’t want to do at first. This speech has a stark resemblance to the speech George W. Bush gave after the terrorist attacks of The Twin Towers in New York City, an equally shocking event. FDR’s use of ethos, logos, and pathos was extremely effective in spurring

President Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address “A date that will live in infamy”. This sentence is forever ingrained in the American history. The bombing of Pearl Harbor the 7th December is an event that will never be forgotten and the speech by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) held the day afterward is just as significant. The speech after the attack is one of the most recognizable and significant speeches in newer history. The speech brought America into World War II, even though they were heavily weakened by The Great Depression and a loss of troops during World War I.

Pearl Harbor Speech Rhetorical Devices

On the mournful day of December 8th, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech to the nation informing them about the tragic attack by the empire of Japan on Pearl Harbor. The attacked occurred on the previous day before his speech, and he knew no matter what he had to say to the nation, it wouldn’t help. By waiting a day, he hoped it would have a greater impact on the people as a whole. Compared to other very popular speeches throughout history, this one is fairly short, but gets directly to the point. By doing this, he believed it would make everyone more engaged while also having more of a dramatic effect.

Ethos And Logos In Franklin Roosevelt's Speech

Franklin Roosevelt uses pathos, ethos and logos all throughout his speech. “December 7th 1941- A date that will live in infamy.” This quote will forever be in the minds of Americans. The bombing of the Pearl Harbor is an event no one can forget and neither is Franklin Roosevelt’s speech. It was this that brought American into World War Two and changed history.

Tone In President Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Address

President Roosevelt’s primary tone in his Pearl Harbor Address is a straightforward one, although it does shift to a more solemn tone as the speech progresses. Roosevelt establishes this direct tone almost immediately and carries this overarching tone for a large portion of his speech. In the opening sentence, “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” Roosevelt quickly and clearly addresses the main topic of the speech, the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, and also implies that there is a common enemy, the Empire of Japan. Roosevelt’s sentence structure here is clipped and short, omitting unnecessary filler words and presents a simple fact without beating around the bush. This clearly expresses Roosevelt’s direct,

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