Direct, Serious, and Conversational Yet Formal, Dry, and Slang-y (but Just a Little)

Yeah, that's right. This (very long) speech is a lesson in contrasts. But, hey, FDR could pull it off.

Roosevelt had a reputation for being a down-to-earth president. When he addressed the nation, he spoke in a casual and direct manner that was accessible to a wide audience. His fireside chats were called "chats" for a reason—they were super conversational.

As a result, he cultivated a loyal audience that was familiar with his voice and manner of speaking. This was strategic because when it came time for an official speech, such as the "Four Freedoms" State of the Union address, he knew his listeners wouldn't balk at its formality.

In the "Four Freedoms" speech, FDR is talking to both Congress and the American people. The tone of the address is—no surprise here—serious as a heart attack. It's about war, after all.

With a fine balance that considers his diverse audience, it combines the directness of his more casual radio broadcasts with an official manner appropriate for a SOTU address. He does the high/low thing to perfect effect.

At times, the language is bone dry, but the humorlessness is offset by surprising moments of offhand informality. Like when he says:

[...] it's not probable that any enemy would be stupid enough to attack us by landing troops in the United States from across thousands of miles of ocean […]. (40)

Or:

The necessary strategic points would be occupied by secret agents and their dupes—and great numbers of them are already here, and in Latin America. (43)

Terms like "stupid" and "dupes" are pretty informal compared to the overall gravity of the speech, but FDR uses them with the same confidence with which he demands victory in the final line.

In a way, FDR may as well have asked Congress to "make it rain" or asked Americans to go "balls to the wall" for the war effort and never risk undermining the solemnity of his address. That's just how good FDR was at the whole speech-making thing.