Patrick Henry Rhetorical Devices

In the Patrick Henry’s speech at the Virginia Convention Patrick Henry tries to persuade the colonist to fight a war against the English, he does this through several main rhetorical strategies, imagery, emotional appeal, and allusion. Patrick Henry uses imagery to get the listeners attention, as he relates the to the dumb sailors who would get killed by the sirons cause they would be caught in their beauty and singing. Patrick Henry uses emotional appeal to get the listeners on his side, by bringing up slavery because if they do not fight back they can become slaves. Patrick henry uses allusion so he can get the listeners to fight back, he butters them up and gives them a couple reasons on why they should not fight back but then hit them with the news saying that they have to fight back. Patrick Henrys speech was good because he used Imagery, Emotional appeal, and allusion and that really grabbed the listeners attention and made them go to war.

Patrick Henry adresses the delegates at the Convention of Virginia (1776) in his speech titled, “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” Henry develops his claim by speaking candidly with a dramatic tone. He strengthens his credibility through his use and application of a ceremonious diction, and his syntax perfectly fits the occasion. In the speech he hopes to induce delegates into seceding from Great Britain to take arms against the English.

Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” convinces Loyalists to wage war against Britain; he accomplishes this by using several rhetorical devices such as imagery, allusions, rhetorical questions, and diction. These devices are used to engage the listeners with descriptive images, get the listeners to think deeper, make connections to historical events, and use powerful words to emphasize certain claims.

In 1775, Patrick Henry gave America one of the most inspiring speeches that will bring soon bring them together with war on the rise. “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” has become the battle-cry to the people in the colonies to take a stand against Britain’s rule and make America their own country. Even after the attempted peace between the two countries, it has been exhausted to the breaking point, and it has come to the time where fighting for their own freedom is the only viable option. Henry’s speech spoke volumes to the American people of the truth, the false presence of peace, and the cry for battle against Britain.

Writing to an audience that still lacks the desire to oppose the British, Patrick Henry in his "Speech to Virginia House of Burgesses" focuses on the rights of man and defying oppressors. Through figurative language, rhetorical questions, and diction, Henry heightens the necessity to rise up and fight against the British ruling power over the colonist population in Northern America.

In the Speech to the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry, the author uses multiple literary devices and a unifying tone to support his claim for the Americans to go against British oppression and to

Quite a few rhetorical questions can be located in his speech. For example, "Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?...Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation?" Henry asked these questions, hoping to create strong emotions in his audience that will help support his argument. One more rhetorical question he asked was, “But when shall we be stronger?” Here, Henry made it a point to ask how long they will wait till they act on Great Britain. Additionally, another question strategy Henry used to his advantage was answering his own questions; this is called hypophora. Such as when he asked, “Shall we try argument?” he answered, “Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years.” This question illustrates that the colonists have already tried argumenting and can not do it now. Henry also asks, “Have we anything new to offer upon the subject?” He replied to himself, “Nothing.” This question shows that there is no new information to use on Great Britain that they haven’t before. These questions that Patrick answered, demonstrate that the colonists have already tried many strategies to help the situation but none have worked. The answers advise the audience to agree with Henry and his opinion on going to war. Patrick Henry utilized different questioning strategies to convince his listeners to consider

During a meeting in 1775 Virginia, Patrick Henry delivered a speech that moved his audience enormously. He stood in front of many delegates and expressed his stance on America holding onto the hope, to reconcile with their parent country, Great Britain. Henry believed that Great Britain did not treat America with respect and had intentions of their own to prepare for a war against the colonies. Therefore, the colonies must get ready for battle before Britain and fight for their freedom while they still could. He conveyed these ideas firmly and passionately while staying neutral,as well as triggering emotions within his audience.

In Patrick Henry’s speech, he calls to the people of the Virginia Convention through persuasion and a sense of urgency to arm themselves to fight against the English government if they do not yield to America’s commands. He expressed passion and support to fight for independence against the British. Henry used pathos, ethos, and logos effectively to convince supporters as well as opposers to unite and fight for America's right to freedom. Opening, Patrick Henry begins by defending patriots and showing respect to those who oppose his view. In order to gain trust from his audience, Henry acknowledges the opposers who see the same subject but “in different lights.”

During the duration of the speech, Patrick Henry used several instances of rhetorical questions to persuade the delegates to see his side of the argument. This is very effective in that it makes the audience feel less reasonable since they had not come to this conclusion themselves yet. It also challenges their thoughts of how Britain was treating them with unnecessary cruelty. “Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?” (Henry 5). In this rhetorical question alone, Patrick Henry is expressing the rudeness by which the British government took when challenged by the colonies petitions. This intolerable reaction is manipulated by Henry in an attempt to persuade the delegates. Within these questions, Henry also often used “sir” to make his statements show great respect. This small detail has a high effect on the way that the delegates would receive the speech since Henry is treating them with more respect in one speech, in one sentence, than the entire British Parliament has throughout their entire lives. Finally, Henry uses a lot of repetition to push his persuasion further. One example is “We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated before the throne,” (Henry 8) and “Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrations have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne.” (Henry 9). In both of these instances there were strong repetition. This is seen when he uses “we have” in paragraph nine to show what all they have done. He also uses “our____ have” when talking about how the British treated their actions. He used the same

    “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death”(Henry 104). This twenty-word-quote resonates the spirit of courage and motivation in a momentous time during American history. In the midst of the tyranny rule during the colonial-period, unlikely heroes would emerge to lead this country. Patrick Henry’s most effective persuasive technique is pathos, because the emotional rise of his words tugged at the hearts of delegates that convinced them to go to war with England once-and-for-all.

Patrick Henry, in his speech to those gathered at the Virginia Convention and president Peyton Randolph, explains how the United States needs to fight in the Revolutionary War. Henry supports his statement by describing how important it is to answer the call for war. The author’s purpose is to emphasize how the war is inevitable in order to convince the president that they should definitely fight in it. Henry speaks in an inspirational and patriotic tone to those listening in on his speech. He establishes many rhetorical strategies to influence the president's decision including rhetorical questions, anaphora, and repetition. Henry emphasizes how the war cannot be avoided and tries to inspire the audience to fight in the war by addressing the

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry, a Patriotic delegate, in his anti-Britain speech entitled “Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention”, he argues for the independence of America from Britain. He supports this claim by first saying that just taking and petitioning to Britain will not get us anywhere, then questioning the motives of Britain for stationing forced in America, and finally calling for America to wage war with Britain and attain independence. Through Henry’s use of realistic tone, rhetorical appeals and rhetorical tools he effectively persuades the other delegates to stop wishing for peace that will never come and declare American independence for Britain. Patrick Henry’s empowering and unifying tone strengthens the nation’s

At the Virginia Convention in 1775, Patrick Henry delivered a speech to the president and the delegates at the convention expressing his opinion on the colonies relationship with Great Britain. Henry’s purpose when delivering this speech was to persuade the men at the convention to go to war with Great Britain in order to gain independence from them, which will ultimately allow the colonists to gain more freedom. Patrick Henry uses metaphors and rhetorical questions in his speech to the Virginia Convention in order to persuade the president and delegates to rebel against and go to war with Great Britain. Patrick Henry uses metaphors as literary devices in order to inform his audience of the problems with Great Britain and in order to attempt

Patrick Henry uses rhetorical questions to emphasize the importance of becoming independent from Great Britain and help support his argument. "But when shall we be stronger? Shall it be the next week, or the next year?” is an example of a rhetorical question. He asks these questions hoping to bring about strong emotions in the audience,