Examples of Literary Devices in "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Speech

allusion – reference to a story that is commonly known by both author and reader
“We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts.”

analogy – a comparison
“I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience.”

ethos – an appeal to one’s sense of morality
“Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.

logos – an appeal to logic
” What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on.”
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pathos – an appeal to emotions
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!”

metaphor – A figure of speech that uses one thing to mean another and makes a comparison between the two.

“They [navies and armies] are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging.”

parallelism – repeated use of a grammatical structure in a sentence
“Give me liberty or give me death!” or “We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne.” or “Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded”

rhetorical question – a question that does not require an answer because the answer is clear
“But when shall we be stronger? Shall it be the next week, or the next year? ” or “Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation?”

imagery – words and phrases used by the author to create a mental picture in the mind of the reader
“There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged!”

repetition – repeating words or phrases for emphasis
“The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

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“We must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!”

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Examples of Literary Devices in "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Speech. (2018, Mar 19). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-examples-of-literary-devices-used-in-patrick-henrys-give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death-speech/

Examples of Literary Devices in "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Speech
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