Analysis
Here are the elements which will help you with your analysis of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Pearl Harbor” speech.
The rhetorical situation is that the speaker is Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States. His speech is delivered to a joint session of the US Congress, so the audience consists of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The composition of the speech can be split into three parts, in which Roosevelt uses elements that are typical for a political speech.
The style of language is formal and reflects the seriousness of the political issue that Roosevelt discusses.
When it comes to rhetorical devices, Roosevelt mainly focuses on repetition and direct address to express the American perspective over the Pearl Harbor attack.
As for the forms of appeal, Roosevelt relies on a combination of ethos, logos, and pathos to get his message across. The use of all three forms of appeal makes the speech impactful and memorable despite its shortness.
You can read a full analysis of the speech on the following pages.