How Is The Rhetorical Devices Used In The Declaration Of Independence

Speech to the Virginia Convention In Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention”, he persuades Loyalists to fight England by using main rhetorical devices: Diction, Allusion, Rhetorical Questions, and Appeal to ethos. Diction creates rhythm and emphasizes important ideas and images. Convincing an audience can be different, but using Allusion alleviates the audience connect to the situation. Rhetorical Questions gets people thinking and helps them see the right in the situation. You have to make yourself credible, so Patrick Henry connects his charming character to his crowd by using Appeal to ethos as well.

Among the most prominent devices stand rhetorical questions, whose abundant use steers readers into objective introspection. Perhaps the most impactful rhetorical question asked by Douglass appears in the introduction of the speech, where he inquires, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” Due to the inclusion of, “that Declaration of Independence,” opposed to, “the Declaration of Independence,” readers gain awareness of the wedge driven between Douglass’s people and the remainder of the nation. Not only that, but Douglass’s outlook receives support from the complementing rhetorical question: “What have I or those I represent to do with your national independence?” To continue, incomprehensive as to why blacks should manifest jubilance in the absence of true freedom, Douglass ironically inquires, “Who so stolid and selfish that would not give his voice to swell the hallelujahs of a nation’s jubilee, when the chains of servitude had been torn from his limbs?”

Many believe that every human being must be treated as equals. It is significant that this law is strictly practiced in order to prevent a chaotic and rioting society. Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington at the time, declared that “all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This statement greatly appealed to numerous colonists after gaining freedom from Great Britain; however, not everyone agreed that Jefferson’s words are reinforced accordingly. One such individual who was the son of former slaves, a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote “The ‘Four Freedom’ Speech” to get his point across that America needs to join World War II, in doing so he used rhetorical devices and appeals. Roosevelt uses logos as a rhetorical appeal by saying “the assailants are still on the march, threatening other nations, great and small. ”(Roosevelt 271) He gives logical reasoning about the threat to other nations. Roosevelt wrote that to let other nations know to be ready for war.

Frederic Douglass questions the principles of Declaration of Independence since it does not apply to him or those he represents. Douglass states that the Fourth of July is a celebration for the white American men where they celebrate their independence from Britain. This day represents justice, liberty, prosperity for white Americans not for black folks. He says do not expect a black people to celebrate the white ma’s freedom from tyranny and oppression is “inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.” Douglass says that there no person on earth who would be in favor in becoming a slave.

In the “Speech to the Virginia Convention” given by Patrick Henry to the President in 1775, asserts that the colonists should not be trying to negotiate with the British. His purpose was to convince the audience that they should not be trying to befriend the people of Great Britain rather that they should make Great Britain their foe. Henry uses his speech to appeal to both the President and the colonist through the use of figurative language, tone, and syntax. Patrick Henry’s use of diction, a persuasive and forceful tone, appeal to ethos and pathos, as well as various syntactical elements in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention” shows that the colonists should be fighting to break away from the British monarchy rather than negotiate terms to try and stay under their clutches.

On March 23, 1775, Mr. Patrick Henry made history when he delivered a speech at the Virginia Convention. Mr. Henry's purpose in his speech was to convince the Virginia patriots attending the convention that the only option with Britain remaining was war. Mr. Henry used many rhetorical devices throughout his speech, and with the use of pathos, ethos, and logos he had an effective advantage that appealed to almost every person at the convention. To begin with, Mr. Henry’s speech contains much use of pathos as he relates to the emotions of the people of Virginia. An example of Mr. Henry's use of pathos is when he states, “I consider it as nothing less than freedom or slavery...”.

he uses bold words and biting criticism to call attention to the gross injustices and hypocrisy of slavery in the United States. In the opening remarks of his speech, Douglas provides heart-wrenching descriptions to pull his audience into the lives of their fellow

The speech that I chose to dive into was one spoken by Frederick Douglas titled “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” Frederick Douglas was a man who escaped slavery and lead many in abolition of slavery movement. He was known for his exceptional public speaking skills and writing about the horrors of slavery. Douglas was so educated in the way he wrote and spoke that many found it difficult he once came from a life of slavery. When he was asked to speak on the Fourth of July in 1852, he unloaded the wrongfulness in slavery.

King’s dialect showed the audience civil right issues, involving many rhetorical strategies using ethos, logos, and pathos, to a racially tempered crowd whom he viewed as different, but not equal. From the very beginning of it , King brings his crowd back to the origin of America when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that freed all slaves and gave hope to the former slaves. But immediately after Dr. King speaks out on how after 100 years Blacks still do not have the free will that is deserved. He points out the irony of America because Black Americans were still not truly free.

In Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence,” he uses rhetorical devices to convey his purpose which is to say that colonies have decided to break their bond with the King and Great Britain and to explain their reasoning. One of the devices used the most to convey his purpose was parallelism. Jefferson also uses repetition to make his reasons clear. Some might think that his use of restatement further makes his points clear; however, they are wrong. Jefferson uses rhetorical devices like parallelism and repetition to explain the reasonings of the Colonists decision to break their bonds with the King and Britain.

In his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” Frederick Douglass effectively advocates for the emancipation of slaves to a mostly Northern white population at an Anti-slavery meeting in Rochester, New York. Frederick Douglass, once a slave now a free man, was one of very few slaves who was literate. Douglass became known throughout the North and South for his speaking ability and the influence his speeches had on his audiences. Throughout the three different sections of this particular speech, Douglass uses a variety of rhetorical devices and strategies to accurately and adequately convey his anti-slavery message.

First, Frederick Douglass uses rhetorical questions to elucidate to the listener the many social inequalities between black and white people. For example, Frederick Douglass says, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice embodied in the Declaration of Independence extended to us?” (para. 1). He is implying that the rights stated in the Declaration of Independence are not given to those of African American race. The audience will begin to realize that they are not treated with the same liberties as those who are considered free.

He declares, “to forget them [the slaves], to pass lightly over their wrongs and to chime in with the popular theme would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world,” (para. 5). He discusses that slavery is unjust, and says that celebrating freedom with slavery would be treason. This helps the audience realize that celebrating freedom in their country is not a peccadillo, and they naturally will try to right the wrong because of their moral instincts by stopping their celebration. He also says, “to him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy - a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages,” (para. 15). In this quote, Douglass says that celebrating liberty is covering up a crime: slavery.

The setting is Independence Hall Philadelphia, PA on July 4th 1776. Thomas Jefferson and nearly 60 other men have sat down to discuss and confirm the split from England. A document has been constructed to inform King George III of the injustices that the United States of America has felt continuously. As the men effectively build their argument against the king, the use of rhetorical devices is prevalent. The rhetorical devices Thomas Jefferson used to inform the King of England of his wrongdoings were parallelism, anaphora and allusions.