Language

The language used by Jawaharlal Nehru in the speech “Tryst with Destiny” is formal, but also relatively simple and easy to understand, as the speech was intended for a wide national (and international) audien…

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Choice of words

The choice of words reflects the dominant themes of the speech with multiple references to freedom and responsibilities: “Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom…” (p. 27, ll. 3-5).

The speech includes many words that generate positive images. They are meant to mark the celebratory moment of Indian independence, to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, and to encourage people: “solemn moment” (l. 26, l. 9), “the grandeur of her success” (p. 26, ll. 13-14), “greater triu…

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Tone

The tone of Jawaharlal Nehru in this speech is solemn and serious, suited to the occasion of celebrating Indian independence: “It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.” (p. 26, ll. 9-11).

If you listen to the recorded fragments of the speech available online, you will notice that Nehru speaks slowly and emphatically, taking breaks between paragraphs t…