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Below is an excerpt from Franklin D Roosevelt on the attack of Pearl Harbor. What tone do you think he used when delivering this speech. What tone would you use to read the passage? Explain.

A portrait of President Franklin D Roosevelt.
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: 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....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.

User Beardy
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2 Answers

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28 votes

Final answer:

Franklin D. Roosevelt's tone in the "Day of Infamy" speech was somber and grave, reflecting the seriousness of the Pearl Harbor attack and the resolution towards war. A reader would likely convey this gravity and resolve when recounting the speech.

Step-by-step explanation:

The tone used by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his "Day of Infamy" speech was likely very serious, somber, and determined. He was addressing Congress after a surprise attack on the U.S. which brought the nation directly into World War II. When delivering this speech, one would use a tone that conveys the gravity of the situation—an attack that resulted in significant loss of life—and a resolve to take decisive action. The use of phrases such as "a date which will live in infamy" and the characterization of the attack as "unprovoked and dastardly" indicate Roosevelt's intent to unite the nation against a common enemy and to justify the call for a declaration of war. Therefore, one would read the passage with a solemn tone that reflects both the shock of the events and the urgency of the response.

User GegznaV
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Monotone and serious tone because his speech is threatening and is almost as thought he is maintaining calamity to establish a sense of control and power
User Petar Velev
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