Rhetorical Analysis Of Preface To A Dictionary Of The English Language By Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson in his, Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language, employs a multitude of rhetorical strategies to aid the development of his argument that the English language must be standardized and that lexicographers have had their valuable positions destroyed. Johnson begins by constructing the first paragraph through the employment of anaphora, continually repeating “to be” at the beginning of each clause. Through this structure, Johnson presents to the reader how the lower class workers, including lexicographers, live according to principles that are the exact opposite of obtaining greatness whether it be that they are “driven by fear” or that they are “exposed to censure.” Furthermore, he juxtaposes each negative attribute with