Patrick Henry on Freedom essays

Patrick Henry on Freedom essays On March 23rd 1775, Patrick Henry, known to many as a great patriot, gave his speech on freedom at the Virginia Convention. After making it to the podium, he started off explaining that he was going to be brutally honest and he hoped that no one would take offense to his arguments. Henry advanced his argument by employing two important literary devices, allusion and syntax and structure, to create an emotional appeal to his audience in order to start a revolution. Henry was straight forward in his speech. In paragraph one, lines six and seven he states, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve. This statement meant that he will argue all of the opinions he has towards the British rule without any worries on how others might feel from what he says. In lines 27-28, Henry is metaphorically calling experience a lamp, he is saying that experience will show or light the way for the future. There is a Biblical allusion here to the scripture which says that Gods word (which is truth) is a lamp unto thy feet and a light unto thy path. This is an appeal to authority (God and the Bible) and an appeal to beliefs because it shows him as a spiritual person. Henry uses symbolism and allusion to underscore the English governments wrong doing against the colonists. He expresses symbolism from the bible to emphasize that the British have violated every colonists civil rights and that they should take action. As suggested in lines 33-34; when Henry states it will prove a snare to your feet, Henry is referring to the House in England and the British ministry being a snare for their feet. Then Henry uses mythical allusion by referencing to Homers Odyssey in lines 19-20, listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. He is metaphorically comparing how the British are saying things to the colonists which are pro...