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Analysis Of The Speech ' Lamp Of Experience '

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Eugenia Mora
Mrs. Danaher
AP English Language and Composition
28 October 2014
Lamp of Experience
On May 23, 1775, Patrick Henry deliver his infamous speech to the Second Virginia Convention to implore the American people to join him in the struggle for independence. In it, Henry addresses the conventions president, Peyton Randolph and the American people and calls them to fight and raise arms against the British. He delivers his speech with a fiery passion as he implores the American people to join him in the inevitable battle, while using rhetorical appeals, figurative language, allusions, rhetorical questions, and repetition to persuade the people that there is no other option other than to rise up and fight against the British.
Patrick Henry begins his speech by addressing “Mr. President,” Peyton Randolph, along with the “worthy gentlemen” before him, and by declaring that “no man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism… of the very worthy gentlemen who have addressed the House.” By doing this, he is implying that they are all politically united since they are all patriots who want the best for their country, while also demonstrating that he highly respects the authority in the room. It also allows him to gain their respect in return and to get them to listen to him what he has to say. Similarly, he is also able to achieve this through the repetition of the word “sir” throughout his speech. After gaining their respect in return, Henry attempts to respectfully

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