Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat

Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat is Winston Churchill's first speech to the House of Commons, as his new position as Prime Minister of Britain. He said the speech over the radio, in May 1940. The use of SOAPST in this speech helps create the overall tone. The subject of this piece is the change of government, and also war. The occasion is England May 1940. The audience is Parliament, and also the English citizens, because the speech was also heard through the radio. The purpose was to inform and to motivate all who listened. The speaker was the newly appointed Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill. The overall tone felt serious, confident, progressive, and scary in a sense. The fact that normal people living out their everyday lives were able to hear this speech, Churchill had to make sure the speech did not come off as a hopeless plea, but instead, a very confident and to the point speech. He motivates everyone by assuring "victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory..." making it seem like a guarantee. Although the piece is confident, it is also says that there will be sacrifices from everyone, and that people will be lost, but that it is needed for Britain's survival. Speeches like this are what can make a difference in not only a few people's moral, but a whole countries.