Compare and Contrast: The Declaration of Independence and the Fourth of July Speech The United States of America is forever proud of their past and always optimistic about the future. It 's interesting to see how passionate people are when it comes to America 's history and how bright the future can be. In the two pieces, one author uses pathos to evoke people’s emotions to remind them of their past, and another uses formality and articulate language to set plans for the future. In the Declaration of Independence and the Fourth of July speech both authors use tone, details, and syntax to make their purpose, whether it be about the past or the future, or whether it be setting goals or swaying opinions, understood. In the Declaration of …show more content…
In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson constructs his sentences delicately, using simple, compound, and predicate sentences long sentences with compound predicates, for example, “we held these truths to be self evident, …all men are created equal, ...with certain inalienable rights, ...among those are life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, to support his cause and to convince the audience to stand up against the government. By adding more and more support to each claim, Jefferson eradicates doubt. Douglas, on the other hand, uses similar syntax, but he is attempting to get people on his side, because he is only reminding them to of the brutality of slavery and letting them decide for themselves. For example, he says “fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mourning wail of millions, whose chains heavy and grievous yesterday, or today rendered more intolerable by the jubilant shouts that reach them.” Jefferson does not use this syntax and sentence style to add reasons to his cause, but uses long sentences and compound predicates to keep the audience captivated in his emotional toil. In short, Jefferson and Douglas both use the similar syntax and sentence structure but Jefferson uses it to draw people to his cause while Douglass uses it to keep readers hanging on to every last emotional
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Show MoreUsing the previously defined rhetorical devices, Loudenslager analyzes three monumental speeches given by Lincoln for the effectiveness of Lincoln’s persuasive abilities. These three speeches are his Peoria, Illinois speech, his “House Divided Speech”, and his address at Cooper Union. The first speech he analyzes is Lincoln’s Peoria speech. Here, Loudenslager identifies some key characteristics in his speech such as his uncanny ability to turn Stephen Douglas’s own argument against him. Then, Lincoln uses repetition and theme to drive home the importance of the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and how the Kansas-Nebraska Act violated those ideals.
Frederick Douglass, a former slave, was one of the greatest public speakers for the abolitionist cause. He was called upon to speak on July 5, 1852, at the Rochester, New York Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society, and gave his famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”. Douglass explains how Independence Day is supposed to be a joyous holiday for Americans, however it is more like mockery to African-Americans because, regardless of being freed slaves, they still do not have the freedoms they deserve. Douglass uses different rhetorical strategies to convey his message and emotions to his audience, including biblical allusions. Douglass ends his speech by demonstrating a sense of hope just after painting a very dark picture of reality
Frederick Douglass was a successful abolitionist responsible for giving the famously stimulating speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Embedded within this speech were multiple rhetorical strategies such as parallelism, antithesis, and rhetorical questions; all of which contributed to the overall exemplary writing. Parallelism made his sentences more powerful; it emphasized his argument by using the same structure. When Douglass harmonized his verbal arrangements, it added venom in his words and drama to the speech. He wanted passion so that the audience took him seriously and paid attention to his words.
1. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The purpose of the declaration was to separate the colonies from Great Britain and to give reason for this severance. The preamble gives the reasons why they must separate themselves and why they cannot tolerate a foreign ruler. Jefferson wrote his first draft of the declaration, and when he showed it to Congress there was an intensive revision process totaling 86 changes, these changes must have been made extremely precisely when you think of the severity of this text.
Coming from slavery himself, he despised the Fugitive Slave Law for the simple fact that slavery “has no right to exist anywhere.” I find a critical part of his speech, is the attention getting device. Since this speech was given on the Fourth of July, Douglas starts off his speech by sharing gratitude for our nation’s founding fathers.
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?”
Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry were two important people in American History who made a difference. Franklin’s “Speech in the Convention and Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention” helped guide our nation to independence and democracy. Both speeches have good examples of rhetorical devices, but I think Patrick Henry speech ‘Speech in the Virginia Convention” has better rhetorical devices. Some examples are rhetorical question, logos, diction, and imagery. Patrick Henry style and content is more effective then Benjamin Franklin because Patrick uses a plethora of things such as imagery, “There is no retreat but in submission and slavery!
“…..All men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This phrase, from the Declaration of Independence, was written more than 200 years ago declaring America’s Independence; the colonists formally announcing their break from Britain. Written by the main authors--Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman--on July 2, 1776, and signed by the 56 delegates of the Continental Congress, this document symbolizes and celebrates our freedom. Historians analyzed the Declaration of Independence in four significant sections: the statement of purpose, the contract theory of government, grievances, and the conclusions. The first portion of the Declaration of Independence states that colonies want Independence, and it is crucial, and no longer unavoidable.
Christopher Troyer Mrs. Foster ACP US History 19 September 2017 Two Men, One Idea The Declaration of Independence and Common Sense may have more in common than you think. Thomas Jefferson was a well educated man with a background in law. He attended the Second Continental Congress where he wrote The Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson uses repetition by using same words to educate the King with what they believe in and hoping that these beliefs are enough for the King to agree with the decision of the Colonists to break apart from them without causing any bloodshed. The repeated words purpose was emphasize the feelings of Jefferson for his beliefs to change the King’s attitude of keeping the Colonist as resources for Britain and let the Colonist have their freedom. Finally, Jefferson uses restatement; Other people think that he used it effectively because it makes his message clearer and stress on key points.
In the two speeches, The Gettysburg Address and I have a Dream, they are both organized in different ways. These speeches were organized using tone, showing the purpose, and how it was structure. In both speeches the purpose is different. ,
When most people hear the words “Fourth of July” they think about fireworks, cookouts, and sparklers. During the 1850’s, the Fourth of July served as a reminder of the many horrors and injustices in the world. On July 4, 1852, Frederick Douglass-- a former American slave, abolitionist leader and adroit speaker-- spoke in Rochester, New York about the affectation of celebrating independence. In his speech, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”, he claims celebrating independence is unethical when slavery is widespread. To convince the reader of his claim, he uses rhetorical questions, emotional appeal, and antithesis in hopes of shedding light and sparking action on the wrongful situation.
He uses powerful words and a considerable amount of patriotism to influence those at the Convention. For the reason that Patrick Henry used rhetorical devices more effectively than Thomas Jefferson, he is the better author. Both Henry and Jefferson use the rhetorical device repetition persuasively, however Henry’s use of repetition is prominent. Henry is very spirited in his writing, especially when using repetition.
First off, both of the speeches appeal to their audience because they both use big words to establish themself. Second, both of the speeches appeal to their audience because they both talk about the difficulties before them. Third, the speeches both appeal to their audience because they both use words that appeal to the people. Finally, the Gettysburg Address and I Have a Dream speech both use big words to establish themselves, talk about the difficulties before them and they both use words that appeal to the
These two speeches are similar in many ways but are also different in many ways too. But not only by what its about and what they say. But how they say and how they structure it, by their tone, language, purpose and many more of these examples. The tone of both the Gettysburg Address and “I have a dream” speech is different.