compare patrick henry speech to declaration of independence
Compare and Contrast Patrick Henry Speech to The Declaration of Independence
Standing as the dominating power in the world today, America is the quintessence of democracy and ultimate resort of political freedom. The birth of this young, yet magnificent nation all began with a single unified will for independence and liberty of its people. 200 Years ago, the American Revolution was empowered and marked by impassionate speeches like Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” and proclamation like “The Declaration of Independence”. Henry’s speech is a personal persuasive oration; Jefferson’s declaration a legal document. Although the two writings have different purposes and adopted different rhetorical devices, they approach numerous arguments similarly and are both fundamental literature instruments in achieving the same goal of American liberation. The voices in the two pieces of writing speak through different perspectives as they have different formats and are targeted at different audience. The speech at Virginia Convention delivers through Henry’s personal insight as he states, “I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve”. By emphasizing “I” and “my”, the opinions in the speech are identified to be Henry’s individual thinking. Henry wisely chooses to verify this possession as his ideas and proposals are not official and entirely accepted by people. This indicates that the speech is persuasive and also humbly acknowledges the adversaries. The Declaration of Independence on the other hand, speaks for the “Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled” and for “one people”. Compare to the personal perception in Patrick Henry’s speech, the use of worldly pronouns in the declaration confirms the certainty and authority of its content. Instead of being persuasive, it simply demonstrates the concluded decision that all Americans came to agree to. Written in diverse time and circumstance, the two
Standing as the dominating power in the world today, America is the quintessence of democracy and ultimate resort of political freedom. The birth of this young, yet magnificent nation all began with a single unified will for independence and liberty of its people. 200 Years ago, the American Revolution was empowered and marked by impassionate speeches like Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” and proclamation like “The Declaration of Independence”. Henry’s speech is a personal persuasive oration; Jefferson’s declaration a legal document. Although the two writings have different purposes and adopted different rhetorical devices, they approach numerous arguments similarly and are both fundamental literature instruments in achieving the same goal of American liberation. The voices in the two pieces of writing speak through different perspectives as they have different formats and are targeted at different audience. The speech at Virginia Convention delivers through Henry’s personal insight as he states, “I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve”. By emphasizing “I” and “my”, the opinions in the speech are identified to be Henry’s individual thinking. Henry wisely chooses to verify this possession as his ideas and proposals are not official and entirely accepted by people. This indicates that the speech is persuasive and also humbly acknowledges the adversaries. The Declaration of Independence on the other hand, speaks for the “Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled” and for “one people”. Compare to the personal perception in Patrick Henry’s speech, the use of worldly pronouns in the declaration confirms the certainty and authority of its content. Instead of being persuasive, it simply demonstrates the concluded decision that all Americans came to agree to. Written in diverse time and circumstance, the two