Speech Analysis: “Never Give In” by Churchill
To truly understand the message that Churchill wanted to communicate, the speech can be divided into three parts: the introduction, the body, and the closing remarks. In the introduction, Churchill notes that his visit to the school was meant to cheer the hearts of the guests by listening to the old songs (Churchill 1). This means that the circumstances in Britain and the world at large at the time were terrible, and there was a need to uplift people’s spirits. In the body of his speech, Churchill notes that “…the ten months that have passed have seen very terrible catastrophic events in the world” (Churchill 1). It was apparent that people in Britain needed a leader to look beyond despair and inspire them to overcome their fears and self-doubts. Therefore, he compared the state of the country a few months before with its current state during his speech. It had moved from being desperate and poorly armed to becoming a power to reckon with.
Another message was to encourage young people to “…be good at what is short and sharp and what is long and tough” (Churchill 1). This is because nobody knew at the time the duration of the war. Churchill wanted young people to prepare for a war that will last for a short time or that which would last for a long time. What mattered, according to Churchill, was that people were to maintain their commitment during the war no matter how long it took. Another message that is meant to reinforce the issue of commitment is the deceptive nature of appearances. The situation Britain was a few months before was dire. However, things had changed since then. This is because a terrible past does not translate to an awful present or future. What matters is that people are committed to what they are supposed to do during disaster and triumph. Churchill further noted that imaginative people could escalate the implications of the future, and the only remedy to this was to be capable of living with those imaginations.
The closing remarks of Churchill’s speech carry the most important message of never giving in. He advises his audience never to yield to force and the overpowering might of the enemy (Churchill 1). However, he points out that people should give in at times when their judgments are based on convictions of good sense and honour. In this part of the speech, Churchill understands that during a war, there are two sides. Either side can wield the most might. However, the weaker side should never yield. This message is a call to action/war for the people. However, Churchill maintains that soldiers should have a moral obligation during the war. This speech is a reminder that people should not focus on the prevailing conditions, but rather focus on the future, which holds better conditions.
On October 29th, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to listen to some of the old songs they used to sing while in the school. It was his alma mater, and the world was engulfed in war – the Second World War – at the time. One of the songs had been modified to include his name. It mentioned how Churchill would help Britain and its people during the war. This significantly inspired him to come up with the “Never Give In” speech that echoed the perspectives of the modified song while encouraging the young people to persist in their endeavours, especially during the war. This speech was vital because people were losing all hope as a result of the chaos created by the war.
Work Cited
Churchill, W. “Never Give In”. Speech. 1941.
