Question

What mood does Churchill convey as he moves through his speech? Use text evidence to explain how Churchill achieves it.

Answer 1

Churchill addresses the House with a sense of urgency.  He opens with stating that he has formed a war cabinet. Churchill's speech reflects the reality of war and the need for all British citizens to accept it.  He does not show any humor and speaks in a formal manner because he is attempting to show his focus and determination to win the war, guiding England to victory.  The focused nature of the speech reveals that great leaders do not have to possess anything but a clear vision that brings individuals into a focused and driven purpose. In his mind, there is little to say other than to say that war is certain to happen and must be waged. Furthermore, toward the ending of the speech Churchill becomes more poetic. It states, “Let that be realized. No survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall move forward toward his goal.” I think he adds these last parts of the speech so that the audience can think about it afterwards. When we hear poems we feel like thinking more about it because it stays stuck in our head.