23 pages • 46 minutes read
We Shall Fight on the Beaches
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Literary Devices
Repetition
Repetition is the act of using a word or phrase over and over again in a work of writing or speech. Winston Churchill includes repetition at the end of his speech to emphasize the thoughts he wishes to leave with his audience. Prior to this final paragraph, Churchill provides lengthy information about military maneuvers, the evacuation of troops from the Continent, and an overall synopsis of the challenges faced by the military. By switching from this complex recap to a repetitive phrase, he tells the audience what they must do in the days to come. Churchill imbues confidence in his countrymen and their ability to defend the Britain while also including himself in the declarations that “[w]e shall”.
Personification
Personification ascribes human characteristics to something non-human. Churchill uses personification when speaking about Britain, giving the land mass a human identity. For example, he declares that the British people will never see “this Island […] subjugated and starving” (Paragraph 20). Churchill presents Britain as more than just a place. The Island is a person worth defending, even until death. Churchill calls on the House of Commons and other listeners to fight for Britain and its freedom.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike items in order to give them symbolic meaning. Using words such as “root” and “core” to describe the British Army, Churchill emphasizes their potential as a fighting force. By comparing the men to trees and plants or fruits, Churchill suggests that the British Army is a giver of life, in the same way that trees provide oxygen and fruits are a source of food. This comparison highlights the difference between the British forces and the German Army; the British are portrayed through images of life, while the Germans are associated with death. This metaphor of trees and fruit also evokes the potential for re-growth, even if Britain is conquered by the Germans.
Allusion
An allusion is a brief but purposeful reference within a text to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature. Churchill uses allusion as a tool to emphasize the crucial role of the young British pilots who fought so bravely and efficiently against German pilots. Churchill compares these young men to King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, quoting Tennyson’s poem, “Morte d’Arthur.” He also alludes to the Crusaders: Christians who participated in a series of military campaigns between the 11th and 13th centuries. These mythic and historical references emphasize the heroism of the British pilots and the concept that they are fighting a war of good versus evil.
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By Winston Churchill
