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John Franklin D. Roosevelt 's The Pearl Harbor Address Essay

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I interpret the phrase, “Times of terror are times of eloquence,” as meaning that traumatic or undesirable situations produce memorable speeches which guide people into action or change attitudes. Emerson’s saying suggests the best speaking and writing rises from troubling events. The quote relates to the notion in Bitzer’s essay that true rhetorical discourse occurs when a speaker addresses an audience in response to a situation in order to induce change. An example of this in a historical context is President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address. A response to a terrible event, the speech explained the situation of the attack on Pearl Harbor and urged Congress to declare war. Roosevelt’s words also served to change the attitude of the American people from one of neutrality to one of a nation at war. The Pearl Harbor Address relates to Emerson’s quote because it occurred during a very dark time in the United States, yet it united the country and became a historic speech. The character Rocky Balboa’s speech to his son in the film Rocky Balboa is a cultural example relatable to the phrase, “Times of terror are times of eloquence.” In this particular scene of the movie, Rocky faces a major upcoming fight of which he admits he is scared to death. Meanwhile, his son is struggling at his job and reveals that he blames his father for it. In this moment, Rocky delivers a passionate speech, in which he encourages his son to persevere when he encounters obstacles, and to

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